Biography of Fr. Dimitri (Jim)
A native of Barberton, Ohio, the Very Reverend Father James Wright graduated high school in 1970, entered St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Kings College, both in Pennsylvania, later that year.
Fr. Jim was graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Kings in 1974 and a Master of Divinity from St Tikhon’s in 1975. Later that year, he entered the US Army as a Chaplain Assistant and progressed in rank and medals as far as possible during a peace-time, 4-year enlistment. During that time, he earned a Masters in Counseling from Rider University in New Jersey.
After his honorable discharge, he was married to Kimberlee Kimson in 1980, and he worked on the Pathological Gambling Unit at the VA Medical Center in Brecksville, Ohio. He also was hired as a Rehabilitation Counselor at Metro Health in Cleveland. Fr. Jim was ordained to the Diaconate in 1982. During that time, he completed the coursework for a Doctorate in Counseling at the University in Akron. Once Fr. Jim and Popadia Kim’s first daughter, Metra, was born, his attention turned to fatherhood, and a few years later, their second daughter, Sara, greeted the world much to the delight of all. Fr. Jim went on to be the Department Head of Vocational Rehabilitation at Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Hospital, where he worked until his predecessor, Fr. Christoff decided to retire. The St. Thomas Orthodox Church parish voted him as their new pastor and he was installed in 1994.
Fr. Jim has since earned three units in Clinical Pastoral Education at Akron General Medical Center and is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.