Dairy farmer’s highly unusual conversion results in excommunication from his church, community
by Jim Carney
Josef Klarr wanted to know about the origins of the Christian church.
Klarr, 39, grew up Old Order Amish in Ashland County and began studying the roots of the church.
He went to the library at the Ashland Theological Seminary and read book after book when he wasn’t working on his farm milking cows or cutting wood at the saw mill.
A major influence in his reading was the writings of St. Basil the Great.
“I fell in love with him,” he said.
Klarr visited a Greek Orthodox monastery, St. Gregory Palamas Monastery near Mansfield, and attended an Easter service, called Pascha in the Orthodox church. Later, he spent seven hours meeting with Metropolitan Maximos, the Greek Orthodox bishop of Pittsburgh, who drove from Pittsburgh to Klarr’s home for the visit. His continuing studies and the lengthy session with Maximos brought him to the Eastern Orthodox Church, to which he converted in 1991. While Klarr’s conversion from the Amish faith may be unusual, his decision mirrors that of thousands flocking to Orthodox churches locally and around the country.
Orthodox churches are distinctive because of the icons on display — images of Christ and saints and angels, which Orthodox believers call ‘windows to heaven.’
Klarr’s wife, Ada, whose father is an Old Order Amish bishop, converted next. The couple has five children.
He attended Christ the Savior Seminary in Johnstown, Pa., graduating in May of this year. He was a subdeacon in the Greek Orthodox church for 3 1/2 years. And this August, he was ordained as a priest in the Ukrainian Orthodox church. He said the Orthodox church is an apostolic church — one which literally follows the teachings of the disciples of Jesus.
“A person from the second century could walk into the church and recognize it,” he said.
What is appealing about the Orthodox church, he said, “is it stands up to American culture and says, `No, you are not No. 1 in our lives.’ ‘
Klarr still has the appearance of an Amish man, replete with a long beard and the round, black hat he wears regularly. He plans to start an Amish Orthodox church in Indiana, Pa., where he will move later this month to work as a chaplain for the Eastern Orthodox Foundation. Father George Hnatko, executive director of the foundation, said that as far as he knows, Father Klarr is the first Amish person to ever become a Ukrainian Orthodox priest.
“I think he will do well,”
said Hnatko, who oversees the organization that is a personal care, transitional living and homeless shelter in Indiana, Pa.
“We are happy to have him and pray the Lord will bless him in his new endeavors.”
Klarr said several Amish families from Tennessee have expressed an interest in joining the community in Pennsylvania.
His conversion to the Orthodox church has resulted in his excommunication from the Amish church and community. Many members of his family shun him and no longer speak to him.
But in spite of the loss of some immediate families, his movement into the Eastern Orthodox community, he said, has given him a much larger Christian family. He and his family live in a rented house with electricity in Youngstown now and he drives a minivan. But after getting settled in Pennsylvania, he said, his family will resume living their Amish lifestyle and will begin dairy farming in a house without electricity.
The Gospel, he said, says to not conform with the world. Since becoming Orthodox, Klarr said, he feels comfortable and relaxed.
“It is the satisfaction of being totally satisfied spiritually,'” he said. “I didn’t feel complete when I was Amish.”
Thanks for posting this story. Very inspirational.
This happened in 1999, not 2011. (See source link.) I have read this story several times, and I have looked to find additional information. However, I have never been able to find this man’s name or any other reference to him or this story. If anyone knows what happened to him, as someone who lives as part of a plain, Anabaptist community, I would really appreciate learning “the rest of the story.” Michael
Fr. Josef is now a priest in the OCA diocese of the midwest. I saw him regularly at diocesan gatherings, clergy convocations, and even my own parish until 2008, when I moved to Arizona.
Thank you! I have wondered for years how this worked out, and, given that I could find no follow up stories (on a very unusual story), my inference was that the man had left the Orthodox church. Do you know if he has a particular work among plain Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites, et al)?
http://www.komu.com/news/crucifix-robbed-from-priest/
A Greek Orthodox priest in St. Louis is shaken but unhurt after a man asked, “Who do you think you are? Nelly?,” and robbed him of a crucifix. Josef Klarr serves St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. He was outside Ari’s Restaurant and Bar yesterday when the robbery occurred. Klarr pleaded with the robber not to hurt him and removed the crucifix from his neck. The robber, and another man who police believe was an accomplice, took it and ran away
I know Fr. Josef Klarr, and I’m very disturbed to hear this.
does anyone know where Fr. Josef Klarr currently serves and does he have a ministry among the Plain people (Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites?) would really appreciate more info. thank you!
I too am looking. for Father Josef and Ada. I worked with Father at the Eastern Orthodox Foundation in Penn Run PA many years ago. He and Ada befriended my husband and I. I haven’t seen them since I left the foundation and headed to Lutheran seminary. I would like to write Ada. I was the foundation chef and we use to spend time in the kitchen together. I do not believe he has a ministry among the Amish. I also believe he is still a priest but he would be much older now and the children should be all adults by now. I pray God leads me to them someday.
Fr. Josef is currently attached to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, St. Louis. If you email the church, it can be forwarded to him.
(I too converted from the Anabaptist tradition)
-Fr. Dn. Clayton Parks
Interesting story. My dad was Amish and my mom Mennonite. They left in their late teens and became Evangelical. I grew up in an Evangelical church. It was great and I’m blessed for that but I eventually found my way into the Orthodox Church. I was baptized in Serbia in December 2015.