Kansas Priest to Receive Social Entrepreneurship Award

Fr. Justin Mathews speaks during an event for Reconciliation Services. Photo: Taylor Wilmore/Startland News

KANSAS CITY — Fr. Justin Mathews, priest at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Overland Park, Kan., has been named the recipient of the Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship given by the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). 

To avoid confusion, Fr. Justin's parish is on the Kansas side of Kansas City while the school is on the Missouri side. The parish belongs to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

“Acknowledging the importance of social entrepreneurship points us back to the heart of KC itself — neighbors turning struggle into strength and strength into opportunity,” Fr. Justin told Startland News.

Fr. Justin serves as CEO of Reconciliation Services, a non-profit organization aimed at addressing the root causes and symptoms of poverty and trauma in Kansas City. From the non-profit's website:

"Desiring to accept the challenge to 'love thy neighbor,' we approach each person with dignity and love, seeing them as made in the image of God. Our programs strategically address community needs for affordable food access, safe environments to gather to combat social isolation and build positive community connections, and increased access to social and mental health services that lead to improved health and self-sufficiency."

The organization was founded in 1987 by then-David Altschul – who today is Hiermonk Alexii, founder of Holy Archangel Michael and All Angels Skete in Weatherby, Mo. – and his wife, Thelma, who would later be received into the Orthodox faith along with her husband.

After founding the St. Mary of Egypt Serbian Orthodox parish in Kansas City, they became Fr. Paisius and Matushka Michaela. Following the repose of Matushka Michaela, Fr. Paisius spent time discerning the call to monasticism before being tonsured as the monk Alexii. Direction of Reconciliation Services was passed on to Fr. Justin in 2013. Today, Fr. Turbo Qualls serves as the parish priest at St. Mary of Egypt.

Hieromonk Alexii Altschul pictured at a Reconciliation Services event. Photo: Reconciliation Services

In honor of Matushka Michaela, "Thelma's Kitchen" was founded in 2018 by Fr. Justin as a community cafe and additional ministry of Reconciliation Services. The non-profit also offers a foster grandparent program, the REVEAL program (which offers social services, case management, and therapeutic services), and the Social Leader program, which offers leadership training.

More recently, Reconciliation Services opened the Chapel of St. Maria of Paris at its location on 31st and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, which is adorned with iconography by Seraphim O'Keefe.

The street is named after Dr. Benoist Troost, who was Kansas City's first physician and a slave owner. In the past, Fr. Justin has been part of efforts to change the name of the street and implored the city to "fund and undertake simultaneously the work of reconciliation."

“None of this happens alone,” Fr. Justin said to Startland News about the award from UMKC. “I’m grateful for my family, our incredible team at Reconciliation Services, and the many partners and neighbors who are striving to make social and economic reconciliation more possible today than it was yesterday.”

He also said that overcoming poverty and division isn't just a task for charity, but our "common vocation."

The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at UMKC's 39th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Previously, UOJ reported that the OCA had won a major lawsuit defending the Sacrament of Confession.

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