Meet Our Team

Fr Johannes Jacobse

Founder

Fr. Hans Jacobse has been a priest in the Orthodox Church for over thirty years. His service to men began in earnest over ten years ago when a young man approached him asking for help in learning how to become a man. As he embarked on this work more young men approached him and as he gained experience it grew to where men began contacting him from all around the country. 

Fr. Hans has a BA in History from the University of Minnesota, studied the Greek Language from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece where he lived for a year and started an English language school, a sought-after speaker, and contributed numerous articles to various venues on religion and culture (some of which appear on the St. Paisios Brotherhood website).

Gary Metz

Founder & Executive Director

Gary Metz is the executive director of the St. Paisios Brotherhood. He converted to Orthodoxy in 2010.  As an active layman of St Barnabas Orthodox Church, Costa Mesa, CA he has served on the parish council and men's ministry. 

Throughout his adult life he has been focused on supporting men in the pursuit of their destiny. This ultimately led to the establishment of the St Paisios Brotherhood with Fr Hans and the rest of the board.  He is a convert from Protestantism, has been an award-winning investigative journalist, apologist, publisher.

He is currently the managing partner of an Internet Technology firm: Ingenious Geeks, which is a technology security and cloud specialist firm with a focus on the unique needs of America's entrepreneurs.

Fr Michael Butler

Founder

The Very Rev. Archpriest Michael Butler is pastor of Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church (OCA) in Livonia, MI. 

He has been a priest for 26 years. He has degrees in archetypal psychology and theology, and a PhD in church history & patristics. His interest in men’s work began over 30 years ago. He is particularly interested in rites of passage, masculine archetypes, sacred space/time, initiation, and in ways that traditional Orthodox psychology and spirituality can help men today become the best they can be.  

Fr Stephen Lourie

Founder

Father Stephen is Pastor at Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, in Venice, Florida (hsoc-venice.com) since 2013 and a co-founder of The St. Paisios Brotherhood.

He is well known for his uncanny leadership skills in dealing with the challenges facing modern men. He understands the issues of our time, how they affect young men and what it takes to become the men we are called to be.

Fr Stephen has been an Orthodox priest since 1996, in Alaska, Pennsylvania and now in Venice, Florida. He has been married for 42 years and has 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

He has been leading a St Paisios Brotherhood chapter at Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Venice Florida since 2020.

Jacob Sinkovitz

Battle Teams Director

Jacob Sinkovitz is the Director of the Saint Paisios Battle Team program and a ragamuffin working towards healthy and authentic Orthodox masculinity.

He has been Orthodox since 2019 along with his wife of ten years and their three children. He has been actively involved in parish life as a parish council member and co-leader of his parish’s men's group. While involved in brotherhood men’s work in the past, Jacob found the Saint Paisios Brotherhood at a pivotal time when he was desperate to integrate his therapy, men’s work, and Orthodox faith.

After growing up Roman Catholic and later becoming a Protestant pastor and working in Protestant Christian higher education, Jacob has an interesting background of American Christian experiences that have enriched his understanding of the Orthodox Christian journey.

Outside of Church, Jacob has played ice hockey throughout his lifetime and is now involved in coaching one of his son’s hockey teams. He also enjoys woodworking when any rare free time arises.

Jacob is honored to be a small part of the Saint Paisios Brotherhood to pursue his passion to help men on the journey to holistic Orthodox masculinity.

Gary Ballard-Toney

Boot Camp Director

Gary “Theo” Ballard-Toney is the Director of the Pledged Member Boot Camp program.  He was received in the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church on Holy Saturday of 2019.  His Patron Saint is Theodore the Tyro (Recruit).  Theo is a parishioner of the St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, San Antonio, TX where he currently serves as a Parish Council Member, Sunday Church School teacher, and men’s ministry leader.  For many years, Theo has been engaged in men’s ministries either as a participant or facilitator.

Theo is married and the father of six young adult children.

He is currently Senior Manager of Enterprise Applications and Systems leading a team of Enterprise Application Engineers and Administrators at a Financial Institution.  Theo is U.S. Air Force Retired having served nearly 21 years.

He has been certified in Information Technologies and Cybersecurity, as well as, completed Computer Information Systems and Management degrees. Theo is pursuing a Master of Theological Studies degree from the Antiochian House of Studies.