Moderator: Misza Czerniak Co-President of European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups

Biography:

Misza Czerniak was born in Moscow, Russia but since 2011 has been living in Warsaw, Poland. He is an Orthodox Christian and a gay man. He currently serves as the co-president of the European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups, an umbrella association of over 40 groups from all over Europe, which he joined as a volunteer in 2013. As one of the leaders of the Orthodoxy Working Group of the European Forum, Misza co-organised seminars and retreats for Orthodox LGBTI+ activists and affirmative ministers and theologians. He is the author of the Open Letter of Orthodox LGBT persons to the Holy and Great Council of Orthodox Church in Crete 2016, a first-of-its-kind public document putting the words LGBT and Orthodox in the same sentence and bringing attention to the cause on such a scale. In 2016, together with Lyoshka Gerassimenko and Michael Brinkschroeder, he co-edited the very first volume on Orthodoxy and inclusion titled “For I Am Wonderfully Made”, a collection of papers, testimonies, roundtable transcripts and other texts that came out in English in 2016 and Russian in 2018. Since then, he’s been writing and speaking about the potential of LGBTI+affirmative theology within the Orthodox tradition in various events and academic publications. He is a member of Faith and Rainbow ecumenical group of LGBTI+ Christians in Poland. Professionally, he works as a project manager for an international civil society organisation, as well as an interpreter. Being a musician by training, he is the founder and conductor of the first LGBT+allies choir in Poland, Voces Gaudii. Misza lives with Krystian, his partner of 5 years, and his 18-year-old daughter Aleksandra.

Lyoshka Gerassimenko Counsellor, Sexual health educator, Member at Orthodoxy Working Group, Board member at European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups

Biography:

Lyoshka Gerassimenko is a member of the Orthodoxy Working Group and a board member of the European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups. Since 2010, he has participated in organising yearly Eastern European and Central Asian LGBTI+ Christian Conferences. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has facilitated a biweekly online prayer group for LGBTI+ people and allies in isolation. He has been, under the name of Olga Gerassimenko, one of the editors of the book “For I Am Wonderfully Made. Texts on Eastern Orthodoxy and LGBT Inclusion” (2016 English, 2018 Russian). He lives in Estonia and works as a counsellor and a sexual health educator.

Fr Jerry Hall Co-Founder at Orthodox Expression of Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Helene Hall Co-Founder at Orthodox Expression of Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Biographies:

Fr Jerry and Helene Hall met in pharmacy school and have been married for 44 years. Their path into the LGBTQIA+ community was forged in 1999, when their oldest son came out as gay. Joined by his 3 brothers and spouses, the family stands united in a loving journey of dialogue, awareness and celebration.

The Halls are newly retired after having served Annunciation Parish, Akron, OH for 34 years. Family life and small group ministry has been a priority in their work from the early 90s when they co-founded the Orthodox Expression of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. Along with leading weekend retreats and instituting small group studies for most of their ministry, they continue to mentor clergy in establishing small group ministries.

With the support of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Center for Family Life, the Halls offered a ground-breaking presentation at the US National Clergy Laity convention in 2018: “LGBTQ Thoughts and Considerations.” The outpouring after the session and resultant groundswell led to a ministry specifically created to support the LGBTQIA+ Orthodox Christians. This work was reprised and augmented through a panel discussion this past year through the Orthodox Studies Center at Fordham University NYC.

Their ongoing ministry is a coalition of Parents, Family, and Allies of LGBTQIA+ Orthodox Christians which is an online presence of 200 families to support ongoing work and visibility of the gay community in the Orthodox space. The Halls are also participants in the group Free Mom Hugs, as both husband and wife, to support Pride and to form connections and relationships in their neighborhood. Their mission is to provide the church at large with education and dialogue to foster understanding and acceptance, and to promote advocacy and safety for the LGBTQIA+ Orthodox community through recognition, visibility and love.

Mari Iakovou Mars Member of the American Academy of Psychotherapists, the South Eastern Brainspotting Institute, ICEEFT, the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and Certified Trauma and Sex therapist

Biography:

Mari graduated valedictorian from Hellenic College in Brookline, MA with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. She earned a Master’s of Science with honors in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University and, while in residence there, completed her practicum and internship at Peachford Behavioral Health Systems in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia (GA License #LPC9836).

She is also a Certified Sex Therapist, certified by The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and will soon be certified in the disciplines of Emotionally Focused Therapy and Brainspotting (a somatically based form of trauma therapy).  As she specializes in the areas of work with LGBTQIA+ trauma and spirituality, sexual trauma, and couples work, Mari is constantly continuing her education and training in these areas. In addition, she is a member of the American Academy of Psychotherapists, the South Eastern Brainspotting Institute, ICEEFT, the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia, and abides by the codes of ethics of those organizations as well.

Mari is married to Rev. Fr. Christos Mars, and they have a beautiful 13 year old son named John. They love serving their parish of The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation (under the omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta). And in their spare time, they enjoy playing with their two dogs, Duke the pit bull / Weimaraner mix, and Mor’du the Scottish Terrier puppy.