Alexander and Eleni Melirrytos
Find out about our trip to the 2nd Annual European Workshop!
Read about the recent family retreat at Omonia.
Read about last year’s Women’s Conference.
View more pictures of Greece and the Women’s Conference.
Alexander and Eleni were born and raised in Athens, Greece, making their home at Glyfada, a seaside suburb at the southern region of Greater Athens. Alexander is a trained merchant marine sea-captain, having sailed to eighty-six countries over the world since the age of 22. Eleni, a second-generation Christian met Alexander in 1978, being instrumental in his conversion to Christ since day one. They have been happily married since August 29, 1980 and they have two children, Orestis, 25 and Danae, 21.
The Melirrytos are also graduates of a Bible college in Louisiana. They have been actively involved in a rewarding ministry of the Lord’s Church in Athens, Greece. They call Nashville, Tn. as their home-away-from-home, having close relationships with their fellow Christians – a good number of them often visiting their home in Greece.
Because of its unique geographical location since the dawn of history – this been also witnessed in our days following the fall of the iron curtain – the city of Athens was, is and will be a melting pot of cultures, a blend of many nations; evident in every aspect at the makeup of the Omonia Church. Unique feature of this congregation is the co-existence of four assemblies/ethnic groups meeting at the same building on Sunday at different worship and class hours, in Christian fellowship and love with each other. The formation of these four groups has been essential because of the great variety of languages spoken by the Athenian population, a vibrant metropolis of 5,500,000 souls.
Sunday services at Omonia are conducted in four languages – Greek, Bulgarian, Russian and English. Because of this “language challenge” the worship service has been translated so that church members or visitors – we have quite a few – can hear the message in their own language. The four congregations, alternatively, enjoy a fellowship meal weekly, while also gather for a joint worship service and fellowship meal on a monthly basis.
Through the years, God has blessed the Omonia Church both in spirit and in numbers. The congregation has sought and practiced “new” ways of “searching the scriptures” together. In addition to the regular Sunday worship hours and the Bible classes, the Wednesday Bible class hour, the house groups, the visitation program and the one-day church excursions every two-or three months, members now enjoy a family retreat during the summer and a women’s conference in the fall.
The annual family retreat – a great encouragement to all who have attended – is now held at a picturesque hotel of a Cenchrea, a small, biblical village right on the Aegean Sea, just a short walking distance from the ruins of a 5th century basilica. Each day of this week-long retreat begins with a devotional – followed by in-depth classes for all ages. The families return to Athens revived by the beauty of the sea and the bounty of the scriptures.
“Philadelphia” has been a source of strength and harmony to all the women of the Omonia Church for several years. In 2006, sisters from the Evrou St. congregation in Athens were able to join for a day of fellowship, praise and devotion. Several women from the U.S. or from neighboring Balkan countries like Bulgaria and Albania take a trip to Athens only to be a part of this wonderful gathering; encouraged by the words spoken, the hymns being sung and the message received. God has blessed these two events in the life of His church at Omonia in a powerful way.
Much has also changed in the Melirrytos’ family life. Orestis and Danae are now young adults. Orestis is living in Greece. Danae is completing her education at Pepperdine University. Along with caring for the congregation at Omonia, both spiritually and physically, Alexander and Eleni face the same challenges we all come to, having aging family members who require constant care. Eleni’s mother and aunt are both elderly and in poor health. Please continue to pray for Eleni and her relatives as they move through this transition in their life.
If you happen to know Eleni, you know she is still “cooking”. She has published two cooking calendars with healthy, delicious recipes and words of Christian wisdom on table fellowship and good food. This ministry has been Eleni’s one more passion for many years, as she continues to seek ways to proclaim the God’s message to man through the gift and blessing of table fellowship and the discipline of Christian hospitality – the caring preparation and sharing of a meal.
Alexander and Eleni have responded to invitations, being asked to participate as speakers at annual University Bible lectures in the U.S., or lead annual campaigns of Churches in South Africa, England, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania. Four years ago, following the disastrous tsunami of December 26, 2004 in Southeast Asia, Alexander and Eleni responded to invitation by Healing Hands International and visited Colombo, Sri Lanka and the local Churches of Christ. Their mission was to record most urgent needs, as the great and loving support from the Churches in the States would follow immediately. During that time Alexander and Eleni also made multiple visits to a number of communities at the southwest part of the island at arranged camps, having offered all kinds of service and encouragement to the afflicted.
Eleni returned from a 15-day trip to Northeast Nigeria recently, following a food preservation seminar that was conducted among 70+ wonderful ladies of a Muslim community.
Alexander has also translated and printed into Greek, Albanian and Bulgarian a number of books, among which the “Fundamentals of the Christian Faith” by Dr. John Parker, professor at Lipscomb University, as well as “The Holy Spirit” by Sammy Flanary of the Sunset International Bible Institute. The Melirrytos continue to seek the Lord’s will for His field in Athens and the nations. Please pray that the Lord may provide directions and guidance to their service – to continue proclaiming His love and word of promise in a powerful way in the years to follow.
Read the March Report from Athens.
Read the November Report from Athens.