The first mention of a place of worship in Derby is associated with the personality of the priest Dr. Dimitrij Najdanović in 1952 when the Serbian Orthodox Parish of Derby was founded.
A session of the Parish Council was held on 5 October 1952 and on that occasion a number of councillors were appointed for certain places and areas in the west of central England.
Family life was formed in 1953 when women and children from Yugoslavia began to arrive. At that time, church life gained momentum and the idea of creating permanent places of worship emerged. As early as 1955, the construction of a chapel and a home began. Otherwise, the service of God was performed in British churches, without any disturbances, except for time conflicts, so that services sometimes had to start in the afternoon. The first parish priest in Derby was the priest Dr. Dimitrije Najdanović from 1.1 .1952. to 18.6.1960.
In the year of his departure, Fr. Milenko Zebić served, and when Fr. Radovan Miljković also left Birmingham for America, Fr. Milenko Zebić moved to Birmingham, and on 1.1.1961. priest Vojislav Maluckov arrived. After his departure, the parish was again served by Fr. Milenko Zebić, and then a graduate theologian Milivoje Cvetković came to Darba, ordained in Darba and served from 1.4.1965.-13.08.1966. After another short service by Fr. Milenko, priest Vojin Đorđević came from Yugoslavia, who served in Darba from 27.04.1967. to 4.11.1969. and was succeeded by priest Jovan Košević, who remained until 1 1.4.1977. The ninth parish priest was Archpriest Vladimir Rozdjanko from 15.5.1977. to 1 1.3.1979. The tenth was Abbot Serafim Skuratov from 24.3.1979. to 27.1.1982. After his dismissal, the parish priest was Sinđel Georgije Đokić, who remained at the parish until the election as Bishop of Canada, in May 1984., when the eleventh priest Radomir Aćimović took up the post of parish priest of Darby on 18.11.1984. until 1995. The twelfth priest in the order was Archpriest Slobodan Radojčić from 1995 to 2007, after which the thirteenth priest Radmilo Stokić came and remained until 2014. At the beginning of 2015, the fourteenth priest Vido Vukojević remained in the position of parish priest until 2016, when Archpriest Boris Medak arrived on July 15, 2016, who is the current parish priest of the Darbije parish.
The presidents of the church communities were Dr. Radoje Marinković, Captain Gavrilo Golubović, Stevo Bačko, Đuro Novaković, Gavrilo Golubović, Milenko Torbica, Todor Perković, President Milan Krneta, Đuro Đurđeviđ, Branko Mijakovac and Anđa Zarač.
At the Church of St. Nicholas, there was a Circle of Serbian Sisters, founded in 1967, which celebrated the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, and which also included a girls’ choir, which sang under the direction of Marija Blažić. There are two more Serbian Sisters’ Circles in the parish, called the Chetnik Circle of Serbian Sisters in Darby, the Chetnik Circle of Serbian Sisters in Leicester, and also the folk groups ”Tromeđa” in Leicester and ”Drina” in Donington, which is no longer active.
The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Darby was purchased from the Anglican Church in 1978, and the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George in Leicester was also purchased from the Anglicans and the handover took place on 26 April 1983, while in Donington, a warehouse was adapted into a chapel dedicated to the transfer of the relics of the Holy Father Nicholas, which was consecrated by Bishop Lawrence in May 1975.
