OUR HISTORY
1880s
Our Founding and Early Years
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Akron celebrated its’ 100th year in 2016, yet the story of the Greeks in Akron is years older. It is believed that Nick Laskaris was the first Greek to arrive in Akron, coming from Elmira, NY in 1880. Gregory Arkouzis, and James Nicholaides (Nickles) followed a few years later. Markos Nicholaides was born in 1907 – the first person of Greek lineage to be born in Akron.
By the turn of the century, more Greeks began to populate Akron. The Tsamperlas brothers were among the first to come from Greece, and the community’s population reached 150 by 1912 – driven by Akron’s growing industrial economy. Six years later, there were about 2,500 Greeks or Greek Americans in Akron, many working in local factories to support the American cause in World War I. Those who did not work in factories became entrepreneurs; opening restaurants, candy stores, fruit markets and shoe shine stands. More than 800 Akron Greeks joined the war effort.
With the growth of the Akron Greek community, the establishment of businesses, and with the growing number of coffee houses to provide social gathering places, they began to realize that something important in their lives was missing. That void – a spiritual void – would be addressed, beginning in 1916.
While the specific date is not known, it was in early 1916 when members of Akron’s Arcadian Club and PanHellenic Union met in a coffee house on the second floor of 19 North Howard Street. The site today is the intersection of North Main Street and the Akron innerbelt freeway. More than 75 men were reported to be at the meeting, chaired by Peter Velitsakos. At the meeting, they resolved to apply for an Ohio charter for a Greek Orthodox Church. They appointed a committee of five, to make the application. They selected Markos Kontos, Trifon Chrysanthopoulos, Andrew Konstand, Michael Barkoukis, and George Marketos because they were the only married men in attendance, which would aid approval of the application.
That charter was indeed granted – on July 26. The same committee was then granted the authority to collect money needed for the operation of the Church. They established membership dues of 50 cents per month. Minas Konstantinopoulos and Chris Kinnis are said to be the men who named the Church “Annunciation,” and who donated the first epitaphio. They chose Christ Loizos to be chairman of Annunciation’s first board of trustees.
While establishing a church did not prove to be difficult, affording a full-time priest was another story. Early on, services were held one Sunday each month above a clothing store at Main and Mill Streets, the site of the First National Tower in 2016. Father John Zografos from Cleveland led the services. A succession of priests followed, and the ever-growing community relocated several times in search of a facility of adequate size to accommodate it. In 1920, rapid growth forced another move, this time to a home at 31 North Summit Street.
It would be 1926 before Annunciation Akron would finally have a priest who identified with and exclusively served it. Father John D. Kapenekas became the first of only three proistamenoi (pastors) to lead the parish in its 100-year history. Four years after his arrival the Church’s permanent home was built and dedicated.
1920s
Dreaming, Building, and Overcoming Adversity
Father Kapenekas was a visionary. His primary mission, of course, was to minister to the spiritual needs of the community – to glorify God, to teach, to spread joy, to comfort and console, and to inspire. Without question, Father Kapenekas also was a dreamer. His dream? To build a church – a real church building– for the faithful to call home.
It was to seven men that Fr. Kapenekas turned in 1927 to lead achievement of his dream. These men, the members of the building committee of that era, were Christos Economou, George Karigiannes, George Louizos, George Patapas, John D. Petrou, James Thomas and George Williams. The next year, they purchased property for the church building at 129 South Union Street, a location central to the city’s neighborhoods and its suburbs. They paid $15,000 for the property. Work began in August 1929, and 16 months later, on November 16, 1930, Annunciation’s new church was dedicated. But all was not well.
The era was, of course, the era of the Great Depression. Religious institution or not, Annunciation was expected to pay its bills, but it had no money. The lending bank revoked its loan. Showing more faith than the bank, the contractor who built the building did provide a loan and worked with the community to restructure payments. Not until 1939 were financial settlements achieved. Leading the way toward that settlement were Church president George Sevdalis, George Danesis, Nick Economou, Gus Fakos and Dr. Antonios Zervos. The second fund drive they initiated, and again a third, enabled the Church to burn its mortgage in 1943. And thus ended, through the Grace of God and the faith and generosity of our community, 16 years of trials, tribulations and uncertainty.
1930s
The War Years and After
While giving thanks for the resolution of the Church’s financial woes, there were other concerns shared by the community, by the nation and by the world. More than 200 young men from Annunciation – both naturalized citizens and native citizens of the United States – went off to war. Seven did not return.
As America moved into the calm, idyllic, world of the 1950s, the Church continued to grow, to prosper, and to settle into a routine. An aging social hall was renovated; the Sunday School curriculum was updated, and the Greek School strove to reinforce Greek language, culture and heritage for the next generation now growing up.
With the Greek presence in Akron now more than 70 years old, it was inevitable that Greek Americans would begin to move into leadership roles. James Bollas became the first American-born president of the church Board in 1955.
In 1957, Father Kapenekas, who solidified the establishment of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and who, through his vision, faith and hard work, built it into a thriving, growing community, retired after 30 years of service. The community expressed its love and appreciation for him and for his devotion at a banquet at the Mayflower Hotel on January 27, 1957. Although succeeded by the Very Reverend George N. Bartz, he remained a good and faithful servant until his death in January 1969.
1950s
The Dynamic Father George Bartz
Fr. George and Presbytera Zafera Bartz arrived in Akron in September, 1956.
It did not take long for Father George to establish his priorities and move to achieve them. At the top of his list was the Sunday School program. It was growing rapidly and needed more room. His solution was to purchase the large Victorian house immediately north of the church property for $36,000 and use it as a temporary classroom facility. The following year, 1958, another building fund drive was launched, chaired by John D. Petrou. He and his committee commissioned architect Theodore Kapenekas, son of Father John, to draw up plans for a new cultural center. It was built for a cost of $274,000. Construction began in 1962 and about a year later Archbishop Iakovos celebrated the dedication ceremony.
The new cultural center was primarily dedicated to serving the needs of the Sunday School. Built on two levels, it housed classrooms and office space. Today it remains as the Sunday School building, but also houses the Church library, all of the offices and the physical plant’s mechanical systems.
Fr. Bartz also was the inspiration for other aspects of Church life that today most parishioners take for granted. It was he who introduced the Sunday Bulletins in 1956, established the monthly newsletter The Voice in 1964, and six years later, coffee hour following Sunday Divine Liturgy.
As busy as Fr. Bartz was with his regular duties and new programs, his wife, Presbytera Zafera (Zaf) was just as busy. A graduate of St. Basil’s Academy, she taught Sunday School from 1959 until 1972, and served for five years as assistant supervisor. She also taught, and eventually directed, the Greek School program as well.
1970s
The 1970s
In 1974, there were discussions about selling the church property and relocating. Others wanted to expand existing facilities.
The Church’s rapidly growing neighbor, The University of Akron, wanted to purchase the Annunciation property. Negotiations with the University took place, and after various studies and a failure to achieve an agreement between the parties, the majority of the Church voted once and for all to stay put.
In 1979 the membership approved what has since become the Greek Community Center, or informally, “the hall.” It was to be large – 12,500 square feet. It would have a stage, a buffet room and a large kitchen. It would seat as many as 500 people and be versatile enough in design to serve as a basketball court as well. It was dedicated in March 1981 and the first event was held on June 20.
Paying for that expansion posed a challenge, of course. While the building fund could cover a large portion of the cost, there would be the need to borrow $300,000. At that time, interest rates were exorbitant. The church would pay 20 percent interest. There being no prepayment penalty, however, Chris Horattas led a large committee to make plans to raise funds to pay the mortgage quickly, and the mortgage was burned on the Feast Day of the Church in 1983.
Steps were also taken to advance the Church’s spiritual mission. Dean Botsis came in 1974 to serve as youth director. A graduate of Holy Cross Theological Seminary, he also served as office administrator. When he left the Akron parish in 1977, Holy Cross alumna Phyllis Meshel succeeded him. Chrysa Jameson retired in 1976, after serving the community as organist for more than 30 years.
1980s
Cultural Change in the Eighties
As always, generating the funds needed to operate the Church was a challenge as the 1980s began. Parishioner Gregory Barkoukis introduced a unique new system called the “Pony Express” to obtain pledges in a timely manner. Beginning in October 1982 and for several years thereafter, specific church members received “saddle bags” containing pledge cards. Parishioners would complete their pledge cards, seal them in an envelope and insert them in the saddle bag. The bag would then be delivered to the next person on the list who would do likewise. When the routes were complete, the bags were returned to the Church and the results tallied. In that first year, pledges increased by 20 percent.
The role of women in Orthodox leadership positions also evolved in the 1980s. Once welcomed as parishioners, teachers and active members of the community, they nevertheless had no voice in Church affairs until granted the right to vote in General Assemblies in 1975. Not until 1969 did a woman serve on the Board of Trustees. At that time, Olga Yogmour became secretary of the Board. Thereafter, women were frequently elected to the Board, and in 1985, Helen Menegos became the first to serve as Board president. Joyce Lagios became the second in 1990.
In 1980 approved the hiring of an assistant priest. Fr. John Loejos, a Cleveland native and graduate of the Holy Cross School of Theology, began his ministry in Akron in May 1983.
Father John served the Faithful of Annunciation for three years before he and Presbytera Paula moved on to Father’s own pastorate. Following them came Fr. Frank Milanese and Presbytera Cynthia. Highly energetic and having good rapport with young people, he was asked to serve in the Diocesan youth office in Pittsburgh. He also served at Annunciation Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio and now is continuing to revitalize the All Saints parish in Weirton, West Virginia.
Father Frank’s successor followed a unique path to the priesthood. They who would become Father Jerry Hall, and Presbytera Helene, were known to the community as pharmacists, he being a convert to Orthodoxy. They left the community in 1984 so the future priest could follow his calling and attend Holy Cross. They returned in 1988, when Father Jerry became the next assistant priest for the Akron community.
1990s
The Décor Project
What has become known over time as the “Décor Project” was – and remains – one of the largest and most important undertakings in the history of Annunciation Akron. Approved by the General Assembly in January 1986, the parish began planning to decorate the church with iconography and to enhance other aspects of the décor.
Planning the project required the time and talent of many parishioners. Co-chairs of the Planning Committee were Fr. George Bartz and parishioner George T. Manos.
The heart of the project was, of course, the iconography. More than decorations, the iconography was to depict the life of Christ and His works, on what had previously been bare walls. The Byzantine style of art was chosen, and the implementation committee devoted many hours to visiting churches, researching Byzantine iconography and interviewing potential iconographers.
The iconographer, per the committee, would need to be a permanent resident of the United States, a recognized scholar, teacher, authority and established iconographer who could utilize egg tempera and who had a personality that would enable close cooperation with the community. Ultimately selected was Shirley Kontos, whose studio was in Glenview.
Throughout the project, the Annunciation community was kept apprised of the project’s progress. Archbishop Iakovos consecrated the iconography in March 1989. Sadly, Shirley Contos fell asleep in the Lord in 1991. May her memory be eternal.
1990s (cont’d)
The Quiet Years
The 1990s were by and large a quiet decade. There was financial stability and there were no major building projects. Sunday School, Greek School and the organizations were all active and strong. Fr. Jerry Hall grew in his position as Assistant Priest under the mentorship of Father George Bartz. But the decade also was marked by two significant events – the celebration of the Church’s 75th anniversary in 1991 and the retirement of Father Bartz in 1994.
Annunciation Akron chose to include an outreach project in that 75th anniversary celebration. Upon contacting the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, we learned of plans to build a church for Holy Ascension Parish in western Uganda, in the village of Ngombe near Fort Portal. The goal for the construction costs was $40,000.
The community held its first Walk for a Mission event, a 10K walk, on June 15, 1991. Participants walked from the Church to Highland Square and back. Each walker had a sponsor, and the combined proceeds from those sponsorships and special donations were $25,000.
Over time, the $40,000 goal was achieved. At the 75th anniversary celebration banquet, Orthodox Christian Mission Center director Fr. Demetrios Couchelle received the donation and invited Fr. Jerry to lead the construction team during the following summer of 1992. Father Jerry agreed to participate and four Annunciation parishioners volunteered to join him. They were Ted Poplos, Joe May, Andrew Poulos and Phillip Sarros.
In the spring of 1992 the parish sponsored a second Walk for a Mission event and raised the needed funds for the participants on the construction team. The parish of the Holy Ascension stands on the top of a hill and is now an important landmark in the local area.
At home, the 75th anniversary year was celebrated in a variety of ways. The celebrations began in September 1990 with a Founders Day luncheon honoring the five men credited with establishing Annunciation in Akron: Trifton Poulos, Michael Koukies, Marcos Condos, Andrew Konstand and George Marketos. Other events held in 1991 included Education Day, a nameday celebration, a dance and a November reunion weekend, highlighted by a 75th Anniversary banquet.
Another significant part of the year’s celebration was the production of an album documenting the history of the Church in great detail, along with documentation of all that represented Annunciation in that 1990s era. For many years, Kent State University professor Nicholas Diamantides served as the Church historian and archivist, maintaining archives of files at the University. To produce that historic album, he researched the Church’s history and wrote extensively about it. It is his dedication to that task that has been of great value in the production of this 100th Anniversary album.
In 1994. After nearly 38 years as Annunciation Akron’s Spiritual Father, Father George N. Bartz retired, and Father Jerry Hall stepped into his role. While he was officially “retired,” he and Presbytera were no less active, and certainly no less committed to serving Christ and the community.
During his 38 years, Father Bartz served many more than just those in his parish. He was widely known, respected and loved, not only throughout the Akron area, but nationally as well. Priests from coast to coast and virtually everywhere in between knew him and often adopted his innovative programs. It was he who strove to create wide understanding of Greek culture and the Orthodox faith. It was only one year after his arrival when our Church held its first Greek Festival, an event now held at many churches across the country.
At his retirement, his life and career were celebrated at a banquet at the John S. Knight Convention Center in downtown Akron -- an event attended by more than 700 parishioners, family members, friends, community leaders, politicians and others who knew him. The event received major coverage in the Akron Beacon Journal.
Fr. Andrew Kolitsos, a former police officer, came to service in 1995 with his wife Kathy and three boys.
Fr. Michael Monos, Presbytera Jeannie and son Matthew arrived in 1998. Fr. Michael helped organize iconography workshops and also updated many parish publications.
2000s
The New Millennium
As the 1900s passed and the new millennium began, the Annunciation community began to look toward its future. As it had done several times previously, attention turned toward the Church’s physical facilities and how they best could be used.
2000s (cont’d)
The Atrium
As many will recall, the completion of the Hellenic Cultural Center (Sunday School building) in 1963 left a largely unusable “courtyard” between the church building proper and the addition. There it sat for the next 38 years.
In December 1999, a General Assembly authorized a referendum to determine whether or not to build an atrium-style addition in that open space. The proposed cost was $682,000, of which $400,000 would come from the Building Fund. The remainder would be paid by a seven-year mortgage of $250 thousand and by proceeds from gyro lunches, memorial donations, festival income and other sources.
The atrium was officially completed and blessed by Metropolitan Maximos on Wednesday, January 30, 2002. Since that time it has proven to be a valuable addition to our physical plant, being used for coffee hours, meetings, nave overflows, smaller dinners and bake sales.
2000s (cont’d)
Church Life
The Akron community welcomed a new member of our parish clergy in September of 2002. Deacon Mark Studebaker, who formerly served at Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Canton, received the blessing of Metropolitan Maximos to attend and serve at Annunciation, where today he continues to serve. A physician who works in patient management, he is married to Nancy, who has also served by teaching Sunday School and small group studies.
2008
A Year to Remember
The year began with the passing of Father George Bartz on January 15 at the age of 84. He had been Akron’s beloved pastor since September 1956 until his retirement in 1994. As noted at the time of his passing, under Fr. Bartz’ leadership, “…the parish grew in spirit, in membership, in programs and in property, as evidenced with a new Sunday School building and Community Center. The interior of the Church was enlarged and completely renovated with handwritten icons, greatly enhancing the worship experience for the faithful.” He is credited with establishing 16 organizations and activities in the community and was widely involved in civic and religious organizations throughout the Akron area. He is survived by his wife Zafera and their children Zoe McClish, Father Bill Bartz, Pamela Plumis and Presbytera Nicole Keares and their families.
October 17 and 18 were important days in the life of George Callos and for our community and that of SS. Constantine and Helen in Cleveland. On October 17, George was ordained to the Diaconate at Annunciation, and the following day, Deacon George was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at SS. Constantine and Helen -- the church where his father has long been the pastor. Father George served as our assistant priest until June 2012, when Metropolitan Savas called him to Pittsburgh to serve the Metropolis as Chancellor.
Following Fr. George’s service in Akron, we welcomed Fr. Andrew and Lori Lentz in the summer of 2012. Fr. Andrew Lentz came to Annunciation to serve as pastoral assistant and youth director. Holding a master of divinity degree from Holy Cross, Following his October ordination to the Diaconate, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in Akron on December 23, 2012. Father Andrew, Presbytera Lori and two sons Theo and Lazaros now serve at Saint Demetrios in Rocky River.
2016
Our Centennial Year
The Annunciation Akron community was blessed to be able to celebrate its 100th year by the Grace of God.
At home, we also took steps in 2016 to ensure our long-term ability to serve God and those in need of both material and spiritual support. The community voted to raise $2 million over five years for a three-part building project.
The first part was a kitchen expansion and renovation to provide much more space; modern equipment and much safer and more efficient working conditions.
The second phase of the expansion provides desperately needed storage, refrigerator, freezer and work space, and also results in safer and more efficient operations for the 75 parishioners who volunteer their time every month in Good Samaritans
To better address our community’s spiritual needs, a new chapel was built.It provides a more intimate space for smaller services, and permit our two priests to each simultaneously perform sacraments.
What our founders envisioned for the future a century ago is hard to imagine. And only God knows what the future holds for our community. But as noted by our Father Jerry Hall, “Time and again over the last 100 years, this community has risen to the challenge to accomplish great things for the glory of God.” And so it will in the years ahead.