Help Us Build a Permanent Home for Annunciation Orthodox Church – Jacksonville, FL

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ is in our midst!

Our thriving Orthodox parish has outgrown its current space and found our future home—a purpose-built church waiting to fulfill its sacred destiny.

I am Rev. Oleksii Rukavytsia, pastor of Annunciation Orthodox Church in Jacksonville. Alongside our wonderful parish family, I'm excited to share with you an incredible opportunity that God has placed before us.

Prior to the pandemic, we dreamed of building our own church from the ground up. COVID-19 along skyrocketing construction costs seemed to crush that hope. As our community continued outgrowing our rented facility, we began to see God had different and better plans for us.

A Brief History of Our Parish

Our church began humbly in the late 1990s within the community of St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church, an English-speaking parish under the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Russian-speaking clergy would visit monthly to minister to the faithful in their native language.

By 2012, our community had grown enough to establish a separate parish. With the blessing of the Church, Annunciation Orthodox Church was founded and held its first Divine Liturgy on September 2, 2012, at our current rented location:

8535 Baymeadows Rd, #45, Jacksonville, FL 32256.

Over the years, we've grown into a vibrant, multi-generational parish with a Sunday School, small library, and learning center—all of which now need more space.

Our Opportunity – and Our Challenge

After years of searching, we have finally found the perfect building—originally constructed to be a church, though never used as one. The owner is eager to see this space finally serve its intended purpose and has offered it to us below the market value.

Purchase Price: $1,200,000

✅ Loan Approved: $550,000

Cash Contributed by Parishioners: $450,000

❗️Remaining Amount Needed: $200,000

We are now reaching out to our fellow Christians, people of faith, and all people of goodwill to help us raise the final $200,000 needed to make this dream a reality. Every dollar brings our community closer to owning our spiritual home where we can serve God and our neighbors for generations to come.

Why This Matters

As parents, we dream of our children having a proper church home where they can grow in faith. Our current space, while blessed, is simply too small for our Sunday School classes, youth activities, and the fellowship meals that strengthen our Orthodox community. We need room for our children to run and play safely, space for community gatherings, and areas where multiple activities can happen simultaneously.

This is more than a building—this is a spiritual home for future generations - A place for worship, sacraments, community, learning, and service, a place where the name of the Lord will be glorified.

“I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

— Matthew 16:18

How You Can Help

Your support — whether large or small — brings us one step closer to securing our church's future.

Please consider donating today. Every gift—large or small—brings us closer to our goal and helps establish a permanent place of worship in Jacksonville.

Share this campaign with friends, family, and fellow believers. Your network may include someone who feels called to support this mission.

Post on social media - share our story on Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms with the hashtag #AOCJAXBuilding.

⛪ Mention us to your pastor - interfaith support for building projects strengthens the entire Christian community in Jacksonville.

Most importantly, please keep us in your prayers as we work toward this goal and prepare to serve God in our permanent home.

For questions or to speak with us directly, feel free to contact:

Rev. Oleksii Rukavytsia