St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Cedarburg, Wisconsin is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1989 by Fr. Bill Olnhausen who converted from Episcopalianism, the mission started with 6 families and has now grown to over 100 families and 225 people. In 1994, the congregation purchased a church building and became St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. The anniversary celebrations will include the blessing of new icons and talks by bishops who helped establish the church.

1. PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OCTOBER 15, 2009
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church celebrates 20 years in Cedarburg
CONTACT: Fr. Bill Olnhausen, 414-379-0842, frbillo@wi.rr.com
CEDARBURG--Back in 1989, Fr. Bill Olnhausen took a leap of faith. At the age of 51, he left his home
in the Episcopal church where he had been priest for 24 years, to convert and found a new Orthodox
mission church in Ozaukee county. With two children in high school and college and his wife a full-time
mom, he left behind a salary, benefits, and most of his congregation. Only 6 families came with him to
start the new mission.
"Yes, there were times my wife thought I was crazy," Fr. Bill admits about his mid-life venture off the
beaten path.
His faith was well deserved. This month the mission, now St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church,
celebrates its 20th anniversary. The original 6 families has grown to over 100 with more than 225 souls.
And the church is growing. About a quarter of the congregation is young families with children. On most
Sundays, the children's line for communion extends all the way to the back of the church.
In the early years, the mission met in Mequon, first in the old Mequon Women's Club, and later in the
basement of the old Lindenwood School. Finally, after much prayer and by the intercessions of St. Nicho-
las, in 1994 the congregation, then numbering about 50 families, purchased the church building on
Cleveland and St. John Streets in Cedarburg from First Immanuel Lutheran Church, and the mission of-
ficially became St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Many people think that the little church with its well-known baklavah booth at Cedarburg's Strawberry
and Wine Harvest festivals is Greek Orthodox, but that is another diocese. The Antiochian Orthodox
church is based in the Middle East and is in union with the Patriarch of Antioch. Antioch is mentioned in
Acts 11:26 as the place where followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Antioch was the first mis-
sionary center of the Christian Church after the disciples fled from Jerusalem, and was one of 5 original
patriarchates--the others being Alexandria, Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Rome. The Bishops of the
Antiochian Church can be traced back in an unbroken line from Christ himself, to the Apostle Peter, where
he stayed for 7 years before going to Rome, all the way to today's bishops and the head of the Antiochian
Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, Metropolitan Philip. Services in the Antiochian church in Ameri-
ca are in English.
Father Bill was not alone in desiring to worship the traditional way that the apostles and early fathers
worshipped, by starting a new Orthodox mission. In fact, St. Nicholas in Cedarburg is part of a wave
of thousands of conversions to Orthodoxy that began in the 1980s. Greek, Russian, Serbian and other
Orthodox churches have all seen a rise in converts in the past few decades. With all services in English,
the Antiochian has perhaps the highest number. The Antiochian church has accepted in thousands of
converts, mostly from protestant faiths, but also from Catholicism.
The celebrations for St. Nicholas will be held the weekend of October 24-25. In town for the festivi-
ties will be His Grace Bishop Mark of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest, His Grace Bishop Antoun
Page 1 of 3

2. of Florida and the Southeast who established the church in 1989, and Father Peter Gillquist, chairman
of the department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, who guided the
church's founding. Gillquist, a former evangelical with the Campus Crusade for Christ, led a mass con-
version to Orthodoxy of over 2000 individuals in more than a dozen churches all over North America
in 1987. In addition to the celebrations, eight original new icons for the iconostasis, painted by parish
iconographer, Katherine deShazer, will be blessed.
All are welcome at the following events that weekend: 1) Hierarchical Great Vespers on Saturday, Oc-
tober 24 at 5 p.m. 2) Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 25 at 9:30 a.m. 3) Father Peter
Gillquist will speak on Sunday at 1 p.m. on The Future of Orthodoxy in North America. For the location
of Father Peter's talk or for other details, call Father Bill Olnhausen at 414-379-0842.
Saint Nicholas Church is located at N65 W6503 Cleveland Street, the corner of Cleveland and St. John,
in downtown Cedarburg.
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33
A Timeline of Church History
Pentecost (A.D. 29 is thought 325 The Council of Nicea settles 1054 The Great Schism occurs. 1517 Martin Luther nails his 95
to be more accurate.) the major heretical challenge Two major issues include Theses to the door of the
49 Council at Jerusalem to the Christian Faith posed Rome’s claim to a universal Roman Church in Wittenberg,
(Acts 15) establishes precedent when the heretic Arius asserts papal supremacy and her starting the Protestant
for addressing Church disputes Christ was created by the addition of the filioque clause Reformation.
in Council. James presides as Father. St. Athanasius defends to the Nicene Creed. The 1529 Church of England begins
Bishop. the eternality of the Son of Photian Schism (880) further pulling away from Rome.
God. Nicea is the first of Seven complicates the debate. 1794 Missionaries arrive on Kodiak
69 Bishop Ignatius consecrated Ecumenical (Church-wide)
in Antioch in heart of New 1066 Norman conquest of Britain. Island in Alaska; Orthodoxy
Councils. Orthodox hierarchs are replaced introduced into North America. Luther’s
Testament Era. St. Peter had
been the first bishop there. 451 Council of Chalcedon affirms with those loyal to Rome. 1870 Papal Infallibility becomes 95 Theses;
Other early bishops include apostolic doctrine of two 1095 The Crusades begun by the Roman dogma. Reformation
James, Polycarp, and Clement. natures in Christ. Roman Church. The Sack of 1988 One thousand years of begins
589 A synod in Toledo, Spain, adds Constantinople (1204) adds to Orthodoxy in Russia, as Church
95 Book of Revelation written, 1517 of
the filioque to the Nicene Creed the estrangement between East Orthodox Church world-wide
probably the last of the
New Testament books. (asserting that the Holy Spirit and West. maintains fullness of the England
proceeds from the Father and Apostolic Faith. Meanwhile
150 St. Justin Martyr describes 1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends 1529
the Son.) This error is later in N. America, a movement
the liturgical worship of the Orthodox practice of
H
RC
adopted by Rome. returning home to Orthodoxy
hesychast spirituality and the
the Church, centered in the begins with mass conversion of
u
CH
Eucharist. Liturgical worship 787 The era of Ecumenical Councils use of the Jesus Prayer.
2000+ Evangelicals in 1987.
ends at Nicea; the Seventh
iC
ol
is rooted in both the Old and 1453 Turks overrun Constantinople; St. Nicholas Cedarburg
Council restores the centuries-
ATH
New Testaments. Byzyantine Empire ends. established in 1989.
old use of icons to the Church.
NC
313 The Edict of Milan marks an
988 Conversion of Rus’ (Russia) 1854 1870
end to the period of Roman
begins.
The Crusades
m A Dogma of Dogma of
Ro
persecution of Christianity.
E Immaculate Papal
1095 TH Conception Infallibility
New 1291
Testament Era Seven Ecumenical Councils
oNE HolY CATHoliC & APoSToliC CHuRCH THE oRTHoDoX CHuRCH
1782
33 69 150 325 397 451 589 787 988 1054 1066 1204 1453 First publishing 1794 1871 1988
Pentecost Bishop Justin First Synod Council of Filioque Icons Conversion The Destruction Sack of Turks of the Missionaries St. Nicholas 1000 years of
Ignatius Martyr Council of Chalcedon clause added approved of Russia Great of Orthodoxy Constantinople overrun Philokalia, arrive on establishes Orthodoxy in
consecrated describes of Nicaea Carthage to Nicene at Seventh Begins Schism in Britain Constantinople a classic of Kodiak Island, Japanese Russia
in Antioch liturgical Nicene Creed ratifies Creed by Synod Ecumenical Alaska mission
spirituality
worship established
biblical canon in Spain Council
The Apostle Peter founded the first missionary center of the Christian Church in Antioch after the disciples fled from
Jerusalem. He oversaw it for 7 years before going west to Rome. Antioch was one of 5 original patriarchates--the
others being Alexandria, Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Rome. Through a series of Ecumenical councils beginning
in 325, the Orthodox church determined what books would become the Bible. In 1342 the Patriachal See of Anti-
och was relocated to Damascus, where it remains today. The current patriarch is Ignatius IV, beginning in 1979.
He is the 170th since St. Peter. Under the leadership of Metropolitan Philip, in 2003 the Antiochian Orthodox
Archdiocese of North America achieved Self-Rule, in union with the Patriarch of Antioch. Besides being translated
into English, the richly symbolic and very spiritual Orthodox worship service remains virtually the same as was
practiced by the Apostles and early church fathers. All services are in English.
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3. Parish member Mike Huber examines 4 of the new icons hand-written in the Byzantine style by iconographer Kath-
erine de Shazer. The icons will be blessed during the services with His Grace Bishop Mark and His Grace Bishop
Antoun this weekend at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Cedarburg.
Bishop Mark of Toledo and the Midwest,
Assistant to the Metropolitan Phillip. Bishop
Mark, a former Catholic priest, will be in
town for the celebration of St. Nicholas' 20th
Anniversary in Cedarburg the weekend of Oct.
24.
Fr. Peter Gillquist, former evangelical leader of the Campus Crusade for Christ, who
led over 2,000 to be Chrismated into the Orthodox faith, as chronicled in his 1992
book, Becoming Orthodox: A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith. Gillquist assisted
in the establishment of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cedarburg, which Page 3 of 3
celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.