Priest Andrew Smith

Fr Andrew was born and raised in Brisbane. While he was in high school, he embarked on a search for truth and for God’s religion; after much study into various religions and philosophies, he ultimately stumbled onto Orthodox Christianity. After further research and participation in the life of the Church, he was received into the Church in 2002.

A married priest, he was ordained to the diaconate in 2012 and to the priesthood in 2014. He has served as Parish Priest ('Rector') of Holy Annunciation since 2017: leading services and sacraments, providing pastoral care for the community, educating parishioners, and otherwise leading the parish in its work.

Fr Andrew has tertiary qualifications in Philosophy & Ethics, Education, Human Resource Management and Theology.  His academic articles on Missiology have been published within the academic journal of our Diocesan Theological Institute (listed on Academia.edu), and he has authored books in support of his parish ministry (available from our parish bookstore).

Fr Andrew concurrently serves as Parish Priest at St John’s Orthodox Mission, Toowoomba, the only active Orthodox presence on the Darling Downs. He serves as Chair of the Committee for Diocesan Evangelism.  He has organised and spoken at youth conferences in Brisbane and Sydney, and has appeared on numerous podcasts - including on ABC Radio National's 'Soul Search'.  Fr Andrew is otherwise active online – he has been a sysop of OrthodoxWiki since 2005, and he has an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Discord.

To meet with Fr Andrew in person, please fill in the 'Coffee with Fr Andrew' form.  Otherwise, Fr Andrew can be contacted by direct message or via e-mail.

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You can see Fr Andrew's sermons on YouTube.

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Matters that Fr Andrew is available for include:

• Discussions: Discussions on Orthodox Christianity and pastoral matters.
• Sacraments: Baptism & Chrismation, Communion, Confession (during Vigil or by appointment), Unction, and Marriage.
• At Church: Blessing icons, and blessing a cross
• Birth of a Child: Prayers after birth, and Churching prayers (40th day)
• Home: Blessing of a House (new or existing) or a Vehicle (incl. cars, boats, ships, planes, or bikes)
• Farms and Animals: Prayers for bad weather, seed-sowing, removing infestations, barns, herds or flocks, vineyards, wells, bees, beehives, and for finding water
• Items: Prayers for Wine, Salt, Fishnets, and more
• Illness and Housebound: Prayers for the Sick, Home Unction, and Communion of the Sick
• Death: Blessing a grave, Blessing a tombstone or grave-cross, Prayer at the time of death, and Memorial services (‘Panikhida‘)
• Other Prayers: For learning difficulties, for beginning a new task, for travel, and for thanksgiving
• And more…

For any of these matters, or any other pastoral matters, please contact Fr Andrew directly, through direct message or by e-mail: office (at) HolyAnnunciation (dot) net