The first church dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring” was built in the 5th–6th centuries over a healing spring in Constantinople (Byzantium). Subsequently, numerous churches and monasteries around the world received the same name, and America was no exception.
The city of Hot Springs has been renowned for thousands of years for its thermal springs with healing waters. It is therefore no surprise that the term “life-giving” applied to the local springs appears in American publications long before the arrival of an Orthodox church bearing that name. Here is a characteristic example from an 1876 book:
“In a narrow gorge between two bold spurs of the Ozark Mountains, in Garland County, State of Arkansas, are found the most wonderful thermal springs, in point of curative properties, now known in the world. Early travelers, who landed on our southern coast, heard from the natives of these wonderful life-giving springs” (A History of the North-western Editorial Excursion to Arkansas, 1876).
For this reason, the establishment of an Orthodox church named “Life-Giving Spring” specifically in Hot Springs feels especially fitting and symbolic. The first “Life-Giving Spring” church (Greek: Ζωοδόχος Πηγή, Zoodochos Peghe) was founded by Greek immigrants in the mid-20th century in the very center of the city, not far from the National Park. It became the first Orthodox church not only in Hot Springs but in the entire state of Arkansas.
The First Temple stood until the middle of 2025, and shortly afterward, a new one with the same name appeared in Hot Springs — the Life-Giving Spring Orthodox Church. It belongs to the Slavic Vicariate of the American Archdiocese and is notable for having one of the natural springs located directly inside the church building — a unique case in the history of Orthodoxy in America.
The door-opening ceremony and the minor consecration of the church took place on July 10, 2025. The service was led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. In honor of the event, holy water was specially brought from Constantinople and used during the consecration. The Archbishop also blessed the spring itself inside the church.
Following the service, Archbishop Elpidophoros presented the Archdiocese’s highest award — the Medal of the Apostle Paul — to Ivan Belya, the founder and primary benefactor of the new church and parish. Certificates of gratitude were awarded to everyone who labored to create this holy place.
The dedication to the Icon of the “Life-Giving Spring” is especially symbolic here: the healing water of the spring inside the church beautifully echoes the ancient miracle of the Byzantine icon and the centuries-old fame of Hot Springs’ thermal waters.
