Fr Stephen Maxfield
The Very Revd Protopresbyter Stephen Maxfield brings decades of pastoral and academic experience to the symposium commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council. As Rector of Thyateira Midlands Ecclesiastical Seminary (TMES) and senior priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Shrewsbury, his insights into Orthodox liturgical tradition and canonical development are particularly valuable in understanding how the Nicene faith has been lived and preserved in worship.
Ordained into the Orthodox Church in December 1986 by His Eminence Archbishop Methodios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Fr. Stephen was instrumental in establishing an Orthodox presence in Shrewsbury—the community now dedicated to the 318 God-bearing Fathers of Nicaea. Under his guidance, this once small mission has flourished into a vibrant parish serving hundreds of faithful.
Fr. Stephen serves as the Archbishop’s representative to the Anglican General Synod and has contributed significantly to inter-Christian dialogue. His academic work at TMES has helped prepare a generation of clergy and lay leaders in the Orthodox tradition stemming from the Nicene faith.
A published theologian and former editor of Orthodox Outlook, Fr. Stephen’s experience in nurturing Orthodox communities throughout the UK uniquely positions him to speak on how the theological principles established at Nicaea continue to shape Orthodox parish life and mission in the contemporary Western context.
