A San Fernando Valley Orthodox Parish

St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church sits on a 3.1-acre property along Vanowen Street in Van Nuys, in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. Founded in January 1969, it was the first parish consecrated by Metropolitan PHILIP of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America as a full-status Orthodox church without having begun as a mission. The parish belongs to a worldwide communion rooted in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, and its life flows from that ancient liturgical and spiritual tradition while taking its own character from the families of the Valley.

The community gathers in a Byzantine sanctuary that opened in 2023, the latest chapter in a long building history that began with a former Methodist church on the same Vanowen Street lot. Worship at St. Michael follows the Byzantine Rite in a bilingual English and Arabic setting, with service texts printed in both languages and the Divine Liturgy broadcast live online.

From a Methodist Building to a Byzantine Sanctuary

The story of St. Michael began in late 1968, when a group of dedicated Orthodox families in the Valley set out to expand the reach of Orthodox Christianity with the blessing of Metropolitan PHILIP. Their goal was to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy on January 12, 1969. A church school was staffed, a choir was organized, and arrangements were made for the service to be held at the Mid Valley YMCA.

Just before that date, a Methodist church property at 16643 Vanowen Street became available. The Very Reverend Paul Romley officiated at the first Divine Liturgy in the existing building, and the parish grew quickly. By March 1969, eighty families were pledging support, thirty-four children were enrolled in the Sunday School, and twenty-five families belonged to SOYO, the teen Society of Orthodox Youth. The Articles of Incorporation and By-laws were filed with the California Secretary of State, with Dr. Edward Deeb as the first president.

Over the years, the parish purchased two adjoining multi-family parcels to the east of the original lot, expanded its grounds to 3.1 acres, and paid off the mortgage in 1984 after years of bake sales, rummage sales, and estate gifts. In 1995, a fellowship hall with a large kitchen, banquet room, classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, and a chapel was completed through the volunteer efforts of parishioners Michael Malouf and his father, Jack Malouf, who negotiated financing with Bank Audi of California. The hall mortgage was retired in 2006 using parish reserves and the Ted Haddad Estate memorial gift.

The most recent construction project transformed the original A-frame church into a permanent Byzantine sanctuary. Construction began on April 9, 2018, with the dismantling of the old structure. The 8,400-square-foot concrete and steel building was designed and project-managed again by volunteer Michael Malouf, with Harris Valle serving as construction manager. The project cost a total of 4.33 million dollars and included exterior landscaping, iron fencing, and parking lot improvements. The City of Los Angeles issued the Certificate of Occupancy for the new sanctuary on April 3, 2023.

Worship on the Weekend

St. Michael follows the classical Orthodox cycle of services. On Saturday evenings at 5:00 p.m., the parish prays Great Vespers, the ancient evening service that opens with the Psalm 103 hymn of the setting sun and continues with readings, hymns, and the singing of the early Christian hymn "O Gladsome Light." When a major feast falls on Sunday, Vespers prepares the faithful for the next morning's celebration.

Sunday mornings begin at 8:30 a.m. with Orthros, the Byzantine morning office sometimes called Matins, a festal chanting of psalms, hymns, and readings that gives way to the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. The Liturgy begins with the Epistle and Gospel readings and a sermon, then moves into the central act of Orthodox worship: the offering of bread and wine, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and the reception of Holy Communion by the Orthodox faithful. On most Sundays the Eucharistic prayers of St. John Chrysostom are used; on the five Sundays of Great Lent and five other major feasts the longer prayers of St. Basil the Great take their place.

Service texts are published in a bilingual English and Arabic format each week, drawing on the liturgical resources of the Antiochian Archdiocese. The same bilingual texts and live video are shared on the parish YouTube channel and Facebook page so that worshippers who cannot be present can still follow along.

The Faith Practiced at St. Michael

The parish teaches and practices the Orthodox Christian faith in continuity with the early Church. Seven major sacraments form the center of its sacramental life, beginning with Baptism and Chrismation and continuing through Holy Communion, Confession, Ordination, Marriage, and Holy Unction. Worship is liturgical and traditional, grounded in the prayers of the Church Fathers, with congregational singing led by the parish choir in the Byzantine chant style.

The patron of the parish, the Archangel Michael, is venerated as the leader of the heavenly host whose name means "Who is like unto God." Orthodox tradition honors him as a Prince of the Seraphim, an angel of repentance, mercy, and righteousness, and the protector of the Church. His image crowns the parish name and frames its identity as a community gathered under the standard of Michael against the powers of evil.

Church School and the Young

The St. Michael Church School is a Sunday ministry for children and teens, organized by Superintendent Rachel Grundler. Classes meet on Sundays following Holy Communion and are arranged by age: preschool, first and second grades, third and fourth grades, a junior class for preteens, and a teen class for high schoolers. Each week faithful teachers prepare lessons from an age-appropriate Orthodox curriculum, and parents can register their children through an online form.

Teens between the ages of twelve and nineteen belong to SOYO, the Society of Orthodox Youth. Led by Youth Director Michelle Moujaes, the group organizes parish activities and sends members to Diocesan and Archdiocesan conferences and retreats, with the aim of integrating each young person fully into the life of the Church. SOYO also takes part in regional and Archdiocesan gatherings throughout the year.

Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods, and Lay Service

Several parish organizations shape the daily life of St. Michael beyond the Sunday Divine Liturgy. The Antiochian Women, founded in 1974 by Metropolitan PHILIP, is a sisterhood that serves the needs of the parish and reaches outward in charitable service, while also holding spiritual retreats for the women of the parish. Charmaine Darmour leads the local chapter as its president.

The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch is a fellowship of clergy and laity who support the ministries of the Archdiocese through generous financial giving. Membership is structured in ranks from Knight or Dame up to Knight or Dame Commander and Life Member, and fulfilling one's annual support of the local parish is a prerequisite.

Young Adults of the parish, chaired by George Khouri, plan service activities in and around the church and gather for fellowship throughout the year. A Young Parents' Ministry builds bonds of prayer, worship, and shared work among parents raising children in the Orthodox tradition, with a focus on guiding children during church services and helping them grow as children rather than small adults in the life of the faith.

The parish choir is made up of volunteers who chant the liturgical services under the direction of the Reader William (Athanasius) Grundler. The Parish Council, responsible with the Pastor for the fiscal and administrative life of the church, consists of nine elected parishioners serving three-year terms plus three appointees, with the Choir Director, Church School Superintendent, and Antiochian Women President serving as ex-officio voting members.

Watching and Giving Online

All services at St. Michael are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, making the parish's worship available to Orthodox Christians who travel, are ill, or live at a distance. Recordings of recent services and sermons are kept on the same channels, and a parish app and giving platform through Tithe.ly allow members and friends to support the work of the church from anywhere. Giving is also accepted through Venmo under the parish account and by check or cash in person.

Each fall, members are invited to make an annual pledge for the coming year using a downloadable pledge form. The parish quotes Exodus 35:21 in its appeal: "Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work." Regular donations support the staff, the operations of the sanctuary and fellowship hall, and the many ministries of the parish.

The People Behind the Parish

The Very Reverend Timothy Baclig has served as pastor of St. Michael since August 15, 1990. He is assisted by a Deacon, Subdeacons, and Readers who serve in the sanctuary and support the liturgical life of the parish. Members of the Order of St. Ignatius, the Antiochian Women, the choir, the Parish Council, and the church school staff round out the leadership of the parish, and a regular Men's Breakfast on the fourth Saturday of each month brings the men of the parish together for fellowship.

St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church continues to grow in the San Fernando Valley more than fifty years after that first Divine Liturgy on Vanowen Street. In its new Byzantine sanctuary, with bilingual worship, a robust church school, a busy youth program, and a constellation of lay organizations, the parish carries forward the work begun by the families who first gathered there in 1969.