Caring for you and your families​

Meet Our TOF family

Rooted in the Orthodox Christian faith, The Orthodox Family, a team of Orthodox faithful and marriage and family professionals, brings together the wisdom of the Scriptures, the lives of the Saints, and Holy Tradition. We approach these conversations not as experts with all the answers, but as fellow pilgrims—shaped by the journeys we have walked and lessons we are still learning along the way.

Sarah Brangwynne​

Sarah Brangwynne is a wife, mother, psychotherapist and writer. She loves being with her family, gardening, exploring the natural world, reading, creating and dancing. A native of New Hampshire, Sarah lived, studied, and worked along the North and South Eastern United States, the West Indies, and Germany. Working in community mental health and school counseling in the past, Sarah now has a private psychotherapy practice focusing on life transitions (especially new parenthood) and perinatal mental health. She a co-author of a Sacred Beginning: Nurturing your body, mind, and souls during baby’s first forty days. Sarah is grateful to be co-creating an Orthodox Christian ministry for families with such a talented and dedicated team and will be focusing on all aspects of Parenting. She can’t wait to answer questions families have in “Ask the Orthodox Family.”  

Chaplain Athanasios Williams is a New Jersey native and was a standout high school athlete before attending The Ohio State University. He enlisted in the Army in 2001, later joining Ohio State’s Buckeye Battalion ROTC as its first outright Chaplain Candidate, graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate and commissioning in 2004. He earned degrees from Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Columbus, OH) and later completed ThM and Diaconate studies at Hellenic College Holy Cross (Brookline, MA) in 2024. An Army Chaplain, he has deployed to Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria, specialized in Combat Medical Ministry and Military Marriage and Family Life.  He retired from the Army after 25 years of honorable service and now serves as the Pastoral Care Manager at North Austin Medical Center (Austin, TX). Athanasios enjoys public speaking and writing in his spare time. A former book publisher and best selling author his greatest passion is in helping families look forward to the fruitful legacies they can build.He is married to Crystal Williams where they reside in Central Texas with their children. The Williams family are proud members of Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, TX. 

Fr Vasili was raised in the Santa Cruz mountains of California. He and his wife Presvytera Maria have five boys and have been serving at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Anchorage, AK since 2011. Fr Vasili has an M.A. in History from San Jose State University, an MDiv from St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, an MTh in Pastoral Counseling from the University of Balamand, and recently received his PhD from the University of Essex in the UK. His doctoral dissertation was a study of the best of modern secular couple’s counseling (Gottman Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy), and Saint Sophrony of Essex’s theology of personhood and relationships. Fr Vasili serves as a member of the Family Wellness Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, with a special focus on marriage and the science of attachment theory as it relates to marriage and parenting.

Tatiana Baier was born in Moscow, Russia, and baptized at the Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra, where her godfather, Fr. Benedict, has served as a teacher at the Theological Seminary. Her Orthodox faith and Russian heritage remain an important part of her life and family. Tatiana has lived in the United States since 2016, when she married her husband, Paul. Together, they are raising three children in the Princeton, New Jersey area. She holds a Ph.D. in Sport Science and brings more than 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, wellness, and international sporting events, including the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. At The Orthodox Family, Tatiana brings together her professional experience, international perspective, and family life to help create meaningful resources and connections for Orthodox families.

Mary Barber attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Shoreline, WA, where she serves on the Parish Council and helps lead the production and distribution of the monthly E-Bulletin and Holy Apostles Corner Podcast. She also creates and edits video content for parish events as well as the weekly sermon recordings shared with the community. By day, Mary is a Senior Manager in technology at a professional services firm, overseeing onboarding operations and managing device lifecycle logistics. As Content Editor for The Orthodox Family, she brings her editorial and communications experience to helping shape resources that support families in growing in Christ and sharing the beauty of the Orthodox faith and the sacred gift of family. A lifelong Orthodox Christian, Mary lives in Seattle with her 13-year-old dog, Charlie, and loves hiking, camping, and paddleboarding.

Marilyn Gardner is a registered nurse and writer who lives on the North Shore of Boston. After a long journey, Marilyn entered the Orthodox church in 2014 along with her husband and youngest son and has not looked back. Marilyn grew up in the country of Pakistan and as an adult has lived in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, and the United States. As a woman who has birthed and raised five children on three continents, she is deeply committed to seeing Orthodox families grow in integrating their faith into daily life in our fast-paced modern world. Marilyn has written two books—Between Worlds: Essays on Culture & Belonging and a memoir, Worlds Apart: A Third Culture Kid’s Journey. She loves her passport, family, and faith in reverse order.