OUR LEADERSHIP
Our Pastoral Leaders
Our clergy are ordained under the authority of the Orthodox Church in America to pastor and minister to the faithful of our community and those seeking the fullness of life found in Jesus Christ.
Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth &
Locum Tenens of the South
Hierarch & Spiritual Father
Born in 1961 in Torrance, CA, His Grace Bishop Gerasim attended the University of California Irvine and later the University of California Santa Cruz. He entered the St Herman of Alaska Monastery in 1981, was tonsured a monk in 1992, ordained to the priesthood in 1995, and elevated as Abbot of the monastery in 2000. He served as Abbot until August 2009, regularly visiting two monasteries in Alaska from 1996 to 2009, and overseeing an Orthodox mission in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
In 2012 he graduated from St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary magna cum laude, and was elevated as Archimandrite in 2013. Since September 2013 he serves as Dean of St Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral. On Wednesday, June 30, 2021, His Grace Bishop Gerasim was enthroned as Bishop of Fort Worth by His Eminence Archbishop Alexander.
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In July 2026, following Archbishop Alexander's retirement as Diocesan Bishop, Metropolitan Tikhon appointed Bishop Gerasim as the Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South.
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Father Jason Foster
Rector
Father Jason Foster is the founding priest and has served as the Rector of Holy Nativity for over 15 years. He has been blessed to oversee the growth of Holy Nativity from a small startup mission with a handful of families gathering at Barksdale Federal Credit Union South Bossier Branch on the weekend, and his house during the week, to the beautiful building with a vibrant community that gathers on the Southern Loop. As the rector, Father Jason oversees the community’s liturgical and pastoral needs as they journey toward fullness in Christ, as well as guides the vision for future parish health and growth.
In addition to his pastoral responsibilities at Holy Nativity, Father Jason also serves as the Director of Development of the Diocese of the South, and Dean of the Mississippi River Deanery. He has been married to his wife, Presbytera Katherine, for over 29 years. They have six daughters: Nonna (Christopher), Anna, Elizabeth (Athanasius), Gabrielle, Hannah and Mary Magdalene, two sons-in-law, and the first granddaughter on the way.
Father Jason and Family also have two prankster golden retrievers, Cypress and Boudin.
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Deacon James Cory
Deacon
Deacon James Cory, a native of Louisiana, has been part of Holy Nativity Orthodox Church since its earliest days as a mission in 2010. He was received into the Orthodox Church that same year and has grown in faith alongside the parish community. Over the years, he has served the Church — first as a reader from 2017 to 2021 then as a subdeacon from 2021 to 2025. In 2025, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Archbishop Alexander. Deacon James and his wife, Angela, are blessed with three children—Emily, Anna Grace, and Luke.
Father John Reavis
Assistant Priest
Fr John Reavis grew up in Houston, TX, along with his wife, Matushka Christina. Fr John and Christina were received into the Orthodox Church during their college years in Kansas City, MO, where Fr John received his masters degree in Social Work and worked for years with the Orthodox social service agency, Reconciliation Services. Fr John was ordained to the diaconate in 2019 by Metropolitan Longin of the Serbian Orthodox Church and continued to work with low-income families and people struggling with homelessness as a social worker. After a period of discernment, Fr John was blessed to attend St Vladimir's seminary in New York in 2023. He transferred to the OCA in 2024 and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in April 2025 by His Grace Bishop Gerasim. Following his graduation from St Vladimir's in 2026, he was blessed to return to the South and join the community of Holy Nativity in Shreveport, LA. Fr John and Matushka Christina are parents to their two children, Fayna and Basil.
Staff & Support
Who facilitate and assist with ministry in our parish.
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Donna Emelia Greening
Financial Secretary
Emelia came to Shreveport from south Louisiana during college to attend Centenary for accounting, and stayed in Shreveport after marrying her husband Reggie (Nicholas). They have been married for over thirty years and have three children together — Elizabeth, Reader Andrew, and Matthew. Donna and family joined Holy Nativity and converted to Orthodoxy in 2013. Emeila started helping the church as financial secretary in early 2014. Over the years, she feels she has been blessed to see the growth of the church, and looks forward to continuing to help the church as it continues to grow.
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Subdeacon Marcus Taylor
Subdeacon
Subdeacon Marcus Taylor is a founding member of our church, where he has faithfully served on the Parish Council and in the roles of Subdeacon, Reader, and sacristan. He has been married for 16 years to his wife, Laura, and together they have three children — Knox (13), Lawson (11), and Scarlett (10) — as well as two family dogs, Hobbs and Hank. Marcus and his family enjoy traveling, playing sports, and attending the Church’s Summer and Winter camps.
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Reader Joshua Andrew Greening
Reader
Born and raised here in Shreveport, Reader Andrew joined Holy Nativity and converted to Orthodoxy in 2013 with his family. He was tonsured and ordained a reader in 2021 by His Eminence Archbishop Alexander. Reader Andrew looks forward to being able to continue serving the church in his role as reader for many more years.
Parish Council
Sdn Marcus Taylor - Warden
Treasurer - Christopher Chrysostom Solomon
Secretary - James Euphrosynos Lambert
Member - Stephanina May
Member - Donna Emelia Greening
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Presbytera Katherine (Ashley) Foster
Choir Director
Presbytera Katherine (Ashley) Foster is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana. She met Father Jason in 1996, and they were married that same year. Together, they helped found Holy Nativity. In the early days of the parish, when there was a need for a choir director, Presbytera Katherine stepped in and has continued to support the musical life of the church ever since.
She is the mother of six daughters and shares her home with two golden retrievers. Outside of church, she enjoys running and spending time with her family. Presbytera Katherine has a special love for sacred music and helping newcomers feel at home in Orthodox worship.