Meet The Pastor
Father Michael Potts
Father Michael Potts is the pastor of St. Maximus the Confessor Orthodox Church. He is a native of Smyrna, Tennessee, and attended Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical languages. His Master of Divinity degree is from Harding School of Theology. He also holds the Master of Arts in religion from Vanderbilt University and his Ph.D. in philosophy from The University of Georgia, which he received in 1992. He currently teaches philosophy at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he has taught since 1994. His Christian journey has led him from the non-instrumental Churches of Christ to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to the Anglican Catholic Church, and finally at home in the Holy Orthodox Church, Western Rite. He has been married to the former Karen Apel since 1987 and although he has no children, six rambunctious cats make home life interesting. He enjoys playing chess, reading, vegetable gardening, canning, and creative writing.
On a personal note, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to start a church in the great tradition that dates back to the time of the Apostles. You are welcome here, and should you eventually be added to the Orthodox Church, I hope that we can all work together in becoming more like Our Lord Jesus Christ in loving God and loving neighbor. I hope this church can be Orthodox and traditional in theology and morals, faithful in practice, Catholic in holding to the faith of the universal church, and evangelical in the best sense of the word. I hope and pray you feel welcome here.