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He completed his undergraduate studies at Thomas Edison State College, and earned his Licentiate of Orthodox Sacred Theology at the [[St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Bound Brook, New Jersey)|St Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary]]. He also completed a M.A. Ed. degree, with Honors, at the University of Phoenix; a D. Min. in Marriage and Family Therapy (''Summa cum laude'') at Southern Christian University; and a Ph.D. in English and Applied Linguistics at Rhodes University. Recently he has further earned a Th.D. in Practical Theology from the University of South Africa with his doctoral dissertation on ''The Impact of Neptic-Psychotherapeutic Treatment on Self-Reported Depressive Symptomatology and Comorbid Anxiety''. He was also elected to "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" in recognition of his academic accomplishments and scholarship.
He returned to Australia in 1981, and after receiving the [[monastismmonasticism|monastic]] [[tonsure]], he was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[diaconate]] on [[January 29]], 1988, and to the [[priest]]hood on [[February 15]], 1989. After his ordination, he served as assistant priest in St. Mary's Orthodox Parish in Sydney, Australia, where he was instrumental in bringing many converts to Orthodoxy, several of whom now serve as Orthodox [[clergy]]men. He also served as interim [[rector]] of Holy Annunciation Romanian Orthodox Parish and of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Parish, both in the Sydney metropolitan area.
From 1982 through 1995, Fr. Andrew served as director of St. Mary's Orthodox Community Welfare Center and coordinator of the parish's Community Refugee Sponsorship Program. He was also the administrator of the Archdiocesan Community Housing Program, which provided low cost housing for underprivileged families. Additionally, he served as Archdiocesan Religious Education Coordinator for Public Schools from 1991 through 1995.
