Born on August 26, 1977, at the Spanish Town Public Hospital in St. Catherine, Jamaica, Marlon Marlondo Myers is the second of four children and the only son of Raphel and Audrey Myers. Raised in a deeply religious Pentecostal Holiness household—his father serving as a bishop and his mother as a licensed minister in the Church of God of Prophecy—young Marlon was set apart from the very beginning. While still in the womb, his mother made a promise to the Lord: if she were granted a son, she would dedicate him back to God, much like the Old Testament prophet Samuel. This pious vow would shape the trajectory of his entire life.

After completing his primary and secondary education, Marlon attended Moneague College in St. Ann, where he earned an Associate Degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Entertainment Management in 1997. His thirst for knowledge and service led him to the Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS), where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (2002) and later a Diploma in Teacher Education (2004). Deeply committed to the seminary's motto—"That I May Know Him—That I Might Make Him Known"—he immersed himself in local church ministries, community outreach, and nation-building initiatives. In 2003, he founded the Genesis Mentoring Center for Youths and served as a Youth Ambassador. Since 2005, he has faithfully served as a Probation Aftercare Officer (PACO) in the Department of Correctional Services of Jamaica, acting at various times as Senior Probation Aftercare Officer and currently as the acting Sex Offender Registrar. He also serves on the Child Diversion Committee in Trelawny, mentors youths through HEART/NSTA Trust, and works as a gazetted mediator authorized by the Minister of Justice.

Despite his active participation in Protestant ministry—serving as Choir Director, Youth Director, Evangelism Team Leader, and more—Marlon felt an unquenchable yearning for a deeper, more ancient connection with God. In March 2014, that yearning found its answer. While watching an old YouTube video of Pope Francis’s papal inauguration, he noticed a distinct, wise, bearded figure identified as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Curiosity ignited a profound spiritual journey. Hours of watching Divine Liturgies online—particularly the majestic services of the Russian Orthodox Church—moved him to tears. He prayed, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner," and was irrevocably convinced that he had found the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Christ at Pentecost.

Eager to join the ancient faith, Marlon reached out to various Orthodox jurisdictions and connected with Protopresbyter Christopher Grist of St. Spyridon Parish in Puerto Rico, under the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico. With his bishop's blessing, the first Orthodox mission in Jamaica was established as a vicariate on April 24, 2015. On November 14, 2015, Marlon was chrismated into the Orthodox Church, receiving the name Moses—after his patron, St. Moses the Black of Skete, a mighty figure renowned for his Ethiopian heritage and profound repentance.

From that moment, Moses (as he was now known in the Church) dedicated himself entirely to nurturing the fledgling flock. His efforts to strengthen and develop the Orthodox Vicariate of Jamaica bore swift fruit. On July 7, 2017, the mission's first local parish, St. Timothy the Apostle Orthodox Church, was formally established in Runaway Bay (later relocating to Kingston). On August 9, 2019, a second community was initiated in Discovery Bay, which was formally established as St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church on October 9, 2019, in Falmouth, Trelawny. Recognizing the need for canonical stability and a strong spiritual father, the parishioners of both the Northern and Southern communities met on December 8 and 15, 2019, and unanimously agreed to transfer their mission. It was renamed the Jamaican Orthodox Mission (JOM) and placed under the pious and steadfast jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) – Moscow Patriarchate.

Having shepherded the mission through its formative years, Moses’s lifelong calling to monasticism and the priesthood came to its sacred fulfillment. Answering the call to deeper spiritual perfection, he journeyed to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York—the spiritual heart of ROCOR—where he was tonsured a monk, taking up the angelic habit in a life of unceasing prayer and ascetic struggle. Shortly thereafter, he was ordained to the holy diaconate and then elevated to the holy priesthood, becoming Hieromonk Constantine. Now fully equipped to serve the sacramental life of the Church, he returned to Jamaica to faithfully minister to his growing spiritual children.

Today, Hieromonk Constantine continues to tirelessly strengthen and expand the Jamaican Orthodox Mission. Through pastoral care, catechism, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, and his ongoing professional work in correctional services and community development, he embodies the Orthodox faith in action. He remains unmarried, wholly devoted to Christ and His Church. Looking forward, his heart burns with the vision of establishing a monastery on the island—a beacon of prayer and spiritual refuge for the Caribbean.

His journey from a Pentecostal pastor's son to an Orthodox hieromonk is a powerful testimony to God's guiding hand. In his own words: "I have found what I was looking for and feel at home where I belong. The best is yet to come." Through his mother's faithful promise and his own courageous "yes" to the ancient Christian faith, Hieromonk Constantine stands as the steadfast founder and spiritual father of the Jamaican Orthodox Mission.

☆ WHY ONE JAMAICAN BECAME AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN

"Not all men are alike…I am not like all men."

Greetings, dear Reader! May the Lord's blessings and peace be upon you!

My name is Marlon Marlondo Myers. I was born on August 26, 1977, and I am the second child and only son of my parents, Raphel and Audrey Myers. I have three sisters: Sherna, the eldest; Anna-Kim; and Kathy-Ann. I am a Jamaican and work as a Probation Aftercare Officer at the Department of Correctional Services in Jamaica.

I grew up in a highly religious environment, raised by my parents in a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination. Specifically, we attended the Church of God of Prophecy in Roadside, Ewarton, St. Catherine. My father has been the local pastor of this church for over three decades, and he is also a bishop. My mother is a minister in the same church, and my sisters are active members as well.

My parents had always hoped that I would follow in my father's footsteps and become a pastor. I was very involved in church activities and community outreach programs, serving in various capacities, including Choir and Music Director, Sunday School and Bible Study Teacher, National and local Men’s Director, Youth Director, Evangelism Team Leader, Founder and Director of GENESIS Mentoring Centre For Youths, and so on. However, despite my active participation, I had no desire to become a pastor.

My father is an excellent role model for pastoral care, and I admire him greatly. But, instead of following in his footsteps, I focused on developing my skills in mentoring and counseling. I continued to grow in my professional career, as I am passionate about helping people. Seeing positive changes in people's lives is my greatest reward.

Since childhood, I have grown in grace and spiritual fervor. During my adolescence, I began devoting myself more to sincere prayer, fasting, and meditation. I had decided to dedicate myself entirely to the One who called me. My mother had promised the Lord that if she were granted a son while I was still in her womb, she would give him back to God, like Samuel, the Old Testament Prophet. No wonder I have always had such a strong desire for the things of God; connecting with Him has been an overwhelming passion. There are countless stories and glorious experiences I could share about my walk with the Triune God, and learning more about Him has birthed in me a continuous desire for more of Him. I so yearned for a deeper connection with Him. However, nothing seemed more satisfying than wanting to know Him, for I seemed so far away from Him, no matter how close I thought I was to Him.

After completing my college education, I started working in the Tourism Industry. However, my passion for ministry soon took over, and I decided to pursue seminary training and counseling. I enrolled at the Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS) between 2000 and 2004. During my time there, I was deeply committed to the seminary's motto: "That I May Know Him - That I Might Make Him Known." This experience further strengthened my resolve to devote myself entirely to God. Interestingly, I also began to admire Pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church around this time, which contributed to my thoughts of becoming a priest, though I had no intention of joining the Roman Catholic Church.

In March of 2014, I had an amazing experience that became a milestone in my life. While watching an old YouTube video on my laptop that featured the Papal Inauguration of Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, I noticed a distinct figure identified as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The wise and elderly bearded man caught my attention, and I became curious to learn more about him and the Church he represented - The Orthodox Church.

I didn't know anything about Orthodox Christianity before, and it was never mentioned during my Church History classes in seminary. However, my interest in the Ecumenical Patriarch led me to explore Eastern Orthodox theology in depth. I started watching more YouTube videos about the Ancient Christian Church and was exposed to its form of worship through the Divine Liturgy. I remember watching a video of the Divine Liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church, and it moved me to tears. I prayed, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner." From that moment on, I was determined to become an Orthodox Christian, and I had a deep conviction about it.

Although it is difficult to articulate my newfound beliefs in Orthodox Christianity, my interest in the Orthodox Church was the start of a journey that led me to discover that it is the original Christian Church founded by Jesus Christ and His Apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and has survived for over two millennia - The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

I was unaware that the Orthodox Church is one of the three main Christian groups, along with Roman Catholicism and Protestant Denominations, and that it is the oldest. It has over 400 million followers, making it the world's second-largest Christian group.

As I delved deeper into Church History, I came to realize that what we are taught in the Western Hemisphere is only a fraction of the truth about Church History and the One True Church. I also discovered that the fragmented Protestant churches/denominations that have existed since 1517 to the present lack Apostolic Succession, making their ministry null and void. Furthermore, the Bishop of Rome, who had broken away from the One True Church and formed the Roman Catholic Church (which had existed since 1054), had fallen into drunkenness and corruption.

After gaining a lot of knowledge about the Orthodox Church, I felt a strong desire to become a part of it. I reached out to several jurisdictions within the Orthodox Church through email and also interacted with many Orthodox Christians on social media, especially Facebook. With their guidance, I was able to connect with a priest from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico. With his help, the first Orthodox mission was established in Jamaica on April 24, 2015, under the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, which is led by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

I was chrismated into the Orthodox Church on November 14, 2015. I used to be called "Marlon," but now I go by "Moses," after the patron saint Moses the Black, who was renowned for his strength and Ethiopian heritage.

On July 7, 2017, the first local parish of the mission, St. Timothy the Apostle Orthodox Church, was formally established in Runaway Bay (St. Ann). It is now located in Kingston.

On August 9, 2019, the mission's second parish, St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church, was initiated in Discovery Bay (St. Ann). It was later formally established on October 9, 2019, in Falmouth (Trelawny).

On December 8 and 15, 2019, the parishioners of both the Northern and Southern Orthodox communities met and unanimously agreed to transfer the mission to become the Jamaican Orthodox Mission (JOM). It is now under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) - Moscow Patriarchate (MP).

The transition from Protestantism to Orthodoxy was not easy, as it involved a significant process of change. Even though I have personally become convinced of the truth and validity of Orthodoxy, some of my friends and family members found it challenging to accept my decision. However, they have eventually come to support my choice.

My ultimate goal is to spread Orthodox Christianity in Jamaica and serve as a missionary hieromonk after being ordained into the Orthodox Church. Sharing my story has helped many others learn about the Ancient Church and its faith, leading some to make a similar decision to become Orthodox Christians.

While I'm not perfect and have struggled in my Christian walk over the years, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a sinner. Looking back at my journey humbles me, but I know that the best is yet to come. In short, I have found what I was looking for and feel at home where I belong. Moreover, I'm keeping my mother's promise to God.