Archpriest Moses Berry, 73, of Ash Grove, MO, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, January 12, 2024. Father Moses (Karl) was born on August 20, 1950 to Charles Berry Jr. and Wanda Lee ( Carlock) Berry in Lockwood. , Missouri. On May 7, 1983, Father Moses and Magdalena Arkin were married and shared more than 40 years of life together.
Father Moses grew up in Missouri, but traveled and lived across the country as a youth. After a harrowing experience with the law, he strengthened his faith in God by joining a national nondenominational Christian community where he eventually became a minister and later met his wife.
As their studies deepened, many members of the community became interested in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Father Moses would later be baptized and ordained a priest in the Orthodox Church, becoming the spiritual father of hundreds of people.
In 1998, Father Moses returned to Ash Grove after inheriting the farm built by his great-grandfather in 1873 – a farm his ancestors had started after being freed from slavery after the Civil War. Father Moses donated part of his family’s land to found Theotokos Unexpected Joy Church, an Eastern Orthodox church that he grew from a mission to a full-fledged congregation, introducing the faith of many inhabitants of the Ozarks.
The acreage also includes the family cemetery, established in 1875 and dedicated to “slaves, Indians and paupers,” people excluded from burial in traditional, segregated resting places. The cemetery, rededicated as Holy Resurrection Cemetery, is now on the national and Greene County registers of historic places. This is also where Father Moses will rest on Tuesday January 16, 2024.
Father Moses was known for his impact as a spiritual leader, often combining a deep love for African American cultural heritage with extensive knowledge of and commitment to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black, an organization supporting African Americans in the Eastern Orthodox Church, leading their annual conference for decades. Father Moses helped make hundreds of African Americans interested in Orthodoxy but concerned about inclusion feel more comfortable pursuing their faith.
In 2002, Father Moïse opened the Ozarks African American Heritage Museum on Main Street in Ash Grove with more than 100 artifacts and heirlooms, many of which were saved and preserved by his own family. He was a nationally popular speaker and advisor on African American history and issues of spirituality, often using the stories of his mother and grandmother’s strong faith as examples. A New York Times article once called Berry a “one-man racial reconciliation committee.”
Father Moses is survived by his wife, Magdalena Berry; son, Elijah Berry; daughter, Dorothy Berry; brother, Keith Berry; sister, Darla Jackson; other family and many friends.
Father Moses is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Berry Jr. and Wanda Lee Berry and his brothers, Charles and Gary.
The funeral services for Father Moïse are as follows:
Services will be held at “Unexpected Joy” Theotokos Church, 810 Woodbine Rd., Ash Grove, MO 65604.
Monday January 15
3:00 p.m. Visit
6:00 p.m. Funeral of a priest
Tuesday January 16
10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy and burial, followed by a meal
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holy Resurrection Cemetery and may be left at the funeral home or mailed to Wilson-Griffin Funeral Home, PO Box 217, Ash Grove, MO 65604.
Article from a local newspaper.
May the memory of Father Moses be eternal!
