Father Hans Jacobse has been our Pastor since 2008 when our church began its mission in a small room at a local Holiday Inn. Along with shepherding our church, he is well known in Orthodox circles for his extraordinary work with young men. He began this ministry years ago when he was approached by a young man asking for help in how to become a man. Followed by similar questions from more young men, Father Hans found his ministry.
Since then, his efforts in this area have expanded to include working with Antiochian Men (AMEN) and The Brotherhood of St. Paisios, both of which are dedicated to helping young men become the men God created them to be.
Fr. Hans was ordained to the priesthood in 1990. Prior to this, he and his wife Presbytera Sue had extensive experiences with youth ministries. He was an Associate at St. Basil Academy in New York, the Diakonia center in Atlanta and spent summers working at Ionian Village in the Spiritual Odyssey program.
Fr. Hans has a BA in History from the University of Minnesota, studied the Greek Language from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, and is a Fellow at The Carlson School Executive Leadership Program at the University of Minnesota.
Why do we call him “Father”? For the same reason St. Paul says to the Corinthian Church, “in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel” and called his flock “my beloved children”. And in his letter to the Church at Thessalonica, he describes his relationship with them as being “a father with his children”. In both cases he is claiming to be their spiritual father…their father in the Gospel.
When the term “Father” is used in the Church to address a priest (presbyter), it does not refer to a higher status within the church. Just as our biological fathers have important roles in our birth and nurture, our priests preside over our second birth in Baptism and guide us in the development of our spiritual lives.
When we call Fr. Hans ‘father’, we acknowledge him to be our spiritual father and we use it as a term of respect and endearment… suggesting a loving and intimate relationship.
