Orthodox Entrepreneurs Launch Artos Marketplace to Support Faith-Based Commerce

A team of Orthodox Christian entrepreneurs has launched Artos, an online e-commerce platform designed exclusively for Eastern Orthodox Christian sellers, with the goal of strengthening Orthodox businesses, parishes, monasteries, and families through what its founders describe as "Kingdom First Commerce."

Founded in November 2025 and officially launched during Great Lent 2026, Artos was created by Tim Deschamps (Chief Executive Officer), Liam Davis (Chief Technology Officer), and Sam Spencer (Chief Design Officer), who first began collaborating in 2024 through the St. Paisios Brotherhood men's group.

The platform allows baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians and Orthodox organizations to sell products, while remaining open to buyers of all backgrounds. According to the founders, Artos was created as an alternative to mainstream online marketplaces, which they say often promote products and values contrary to Christianity. They told UOJ-America:

"Ultimately, we want the quality of the platform, customer experience, and products to point to the real treasures that are not of this world but rather beyond this life in the only Kingdom 'where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.'"

Artos' mission statement is, "Kingdom First Commerce — In Pursuit of Truth, Beauty, and the Love of God," the founders said, adding that the marketplace seeks to apply Orthodox principles to modern e-commerce while supporting the Church's growing global community.

"Secular e-commerce marketplaces and platforms are based on maximizing revenue and shareholder value at the expense of product quality and the customer experience," the Artos team stated. "In contrast, Artos is built on Orthodox values like truth and beauty, and the marketplace is curated to ensure the vendors and products live up to those ideals."

The idea for the platform originated through conversations with the Orthodox Small Business Alliance, whose founder highlighted the need for an Orthodox commercial network independent of large technology companies and vulnerable secular marketplaces. Davis developed the first prototype in the summer of 2025, after which the three founders began building the business and expanding its capabilities.

Artos now offers features comparable to major online marketplaces, including integrated payments, shipping management, refunds, digital product sales, email marketing, and custom domain pages. Current development is focused on partnership pages featuring Orthodox content creators, as well as expanded collaboration with Commonwealth Crowdfunding, an Orthodox charitable fundraising platform. Under the partnership, Artos will donate 10 percent of its marketplace fees to charitable causes administered through Commonwealth.

The founders said they are actively seeking additional Orthodox businesses, monasteries, and parishes to join the platform. Sellers are currently accepted from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, with plans to expand into Greece, Romania, and other predominantly Orthodox regions.

Artos has also introduced a Parish Partner program that allows participating parishes to receive commissions when parishioners make purchases through a dedicated referral link.

Apart from the marketplace itself, Artos also houses a journal with helpful articles on topics such as the meaning of Orthodox iconography, how to make a prayer corner in your home, and how to use a prayer rope.

Deschamps, a parishioner of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church (OCA) in Berlin, New Hampshire, was received into the Orthodox Church in 2021 and previously served as deputy director of the St. Paisios Brotherhood. Davis, a software engineer and convert to Orthodoxy, attends St. John Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR) in Massachusetts with his wife and children. Spencer, a software product designer with more than a decade of experience, is currently preparing to be received into the Orthodox Church at St. Sabbas Church in Harper Woods, Michigan.

The founders emphasized that there is no cost to open a shop or list products on Artos, with selling fees charged only after a successful sale and kept below those of major secular competitors. They also asked Orthodox Christians to support the project through prayer, feedback, and participation as vendors, expressing hope that the platform will strengthen Orthodox families, businesses, monasteries, and parishes for years to come.

"It has been a great honor and blessing to get to know so many of our amazing vendors already on Artos," the Artos founders said. "We are very grateful for the support we've received and are excited to meet even more wonderful Orthodox family businesses in the future and help them succeed."

Previously, the UOJ reported on a fundraiser hosted on the Commonwealth Orthodox Crowdfunding site.