
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church was established on Portland’s westside in August 1997. The parish celebrated services at rented facilities before moving into the basement of the Cedar Hills Shopping Center in 1999 and then into a building on Walker Road in 2006. As beautiful and functional as these sites have been for our community, they are temporary. Our parish’s vision is to grow the Orthodox Church by building a Byzantine-style church with supporting facilities and continuing to plant parishes.
The Building Fund is a dedicated fund for purchasing an appropriate piece of land for our future church.
The ideal property would be 5+ acres, easily accessible from major highways and situated such that the church is visible from the street. The church will be a traditional cruciform design with a dome. The design will include a room for young children, a vestry, ample storage, restrooms, and an adult baptistery. The administration and fellowship building will include a large hall/gym, a small hall, commercial kitchen, a bookstore, meeting rooms, a chapel and office space to accommodate two full-time priests, part-time clergy and supporting staff.
St. John the Baptist is also committed to continuing to host Portland’s PanOrthodox pre-K–5th grade school, Agia Sophia Academy (ASA). The plan for the future site includes educational facilities to meet the needs of ASA and the parish Sunday School.
The Fundraising Committee is committed to offering opportunities for the community to work together to raise money for the Building Fund. Currently, there are a variety of yearly activities we offer, including a winter Chili Cook-Off, a summer food booth at a local festival, and a fall Take-n-Bake. Past fundraisers included a Glendi Greek Festival (2009-2013), rummage sales, a dinner dance, parish directory advertising and annual appeal letters.