St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Orthodox Church

The Grace of Ordination

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On March 7 and 8, the Holy Orthodox Church—through the laying on of hands—will receive another vessel of divine grace: a priest of the Most High God.

Ordination is a profound expression of our Lord’s love, because through this He will raise up another vessel of the grace of God—meaning that His grace will be further multiplied and disseminated throughout the world. On this momentous day, our beloved brother in Christ, Basil, will be “clothed” in the grace of the Holy Priesthood, becoming a laborer in God’s vineyard.

Ordination is a profound expression of our Lord’s love. It is not enough that our loving God has given us everything: life and the world we live in. He wants our lives to be even more blessed by the constant outpouring of His Grace. Thus He has built His Holy Church—and constructed churches, chapels, and monasteries throughout the world—and has raised up the Holy Order of the Priesthood to give us His Grace, to pour it forth through the hands of the Holy Priest.

The God Who loves mankind desires to give us more and more of His Grace, through the Holy Sacraments, the priestly prayers and services and pastoral ministries.

We are blessed to receive Basil—and Mary, Evangelos, and Baby Girl McAfee—into our parish. The blessing will be seen and felt in the months and years to com!

May God’s grace be upon all of us!

About Fr. Matthew Swehla

Father Matthew was born in Modesto, California. He grew up attending the Lutheran church, until his father, formerly a Lutheran pastor, became disillusioned by the direction of the national church and left the ministry. A few years later his family visited the Orthodox cathedral of St. John Maximovich in San Francisco—on a whim because of a Russian exchange student they were hosting—and began their journey to Orthodoxy. Father Matthew entered the Church, along with his immediate family, when he was 15 years old.

As a young college graduate, Fr. Matthew attended an Orthodox College Conference at St. Nicholas Ranch, where he renewed his acquaintance with, Annie Nieuwsma. The two knew right away that they were meant to be together and married in 2003.

After working in several professions—in journalism, restaurant fine dining, and commercial real estate development—Father Matthew was called to the priesthood. He entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2009, along with Presvytera Annie and their first three children. He received his M.Div. degree in May 2013. Fr. Matthew’s first parish assignment was St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 8, 2013 and served for four years as the second priest.

In 2017, Father Matthew was assigned as the proistamenos (presiding priest) of St. John the Baptist in Beaverton.

Father Matthew and Presvytera Annie have eight children: Dimas (married to Jessica), Débora (married to Nathaniel), Thomas, Peter, Nicholas, Joseph, Maria, and John.