About Us

All Saints is a parish community of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, which is led by His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba. We are part of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast under the Episcopal guidance of His Grace, Bishop Nicholas.

All Saints began its journey in 1991 as a result of a small group of motivated Orthodox Christians focused on creating a pan-Orthodox presence in the Raleigh, NC, area. The founding fathers and mothers of All Saints represented most of the Orthodox jurisdictions to be found in the United States. However, English was and continues to be the language in which we worship.

The Antiochian Archdiocese, then under the leadership of Metropolitan Philip, of blessed memory, officially accepted All Saints as a mission in October 1992. In the same year, Fr. Nicholas Sorensen was assigned as our first pastor; he continued to lead and serve our parish until his retirement in 2020.

Meeting in various rental locations at first, eventually land was purchased on Buck Jones Road in Raleigh; our original building was completed in the spring of 1994. The first Divine Liturgy in that building was celebrated on Palm Sunday of that year.

Since 1994, All Saints has grown and matured. We have begun to see the fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in our community in tangible ways. In 2004, our first deacon was ordained. Soon after, we sent our first student to seminary. Readers have been tonsured; subdeacons have been set apart. Ordinations to the holy priesthood and the holy diaconate from among the community have followed. Men and women called to the monastic life have been sent to the convents and monasteries of various jurisdictions in order to seek out their vocations.

In addition to the spiritual growth that the parish has experienced over the years, we have also grown numerically. As a result, in November 2010 we moved into a new 300-seat, basilica-style nave and classroom building. 

In September 2014, Fr. James Guirguis, one of those ordained to the holy priesthood from All Saints (2007), was appointed Assistant Priest, further expanding the parish’s pastoral reach. In January 2016, Fr. James and a core of “seed parishioners” were sent out to establish St. Raphael Orthodox Mission Church in the neighboring town of Fuquay-Varina. St. Raphael Mission is now thriving and growing. With God’s help, we hope to establish more missions in our area!

In May 2020, after 28 years of active ministry at All Saints, Fr. Nicholas Sorensen announced his retirement from the pastorate, effective the end of that year. In connection with that announcement, His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph appointed Fr. David Winn as our Assistant Priest to help prepare for Fr. Nicholas’ transition to retirement. 

On January 1, 2021, Fr. David succeeded Fr. Nicholas as our senior pastor.

From the very beginning our parish life has been intentionally designed with an emphasis on “Living the Christian Faith, Inviting America to Orthodoxy.” We have a full liturgical schedule and provide educational opportunities for children as well as for adults. We make it a point to be welcoming and openhearted to all who come, whether they are looking for a new Church home or are just visiting.

We thank God for all of His blessings and we invite you to worship with us and to experience the depth and mystery of God’s love within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Jesus Christ—the Orthodox Church.

.