Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops’ Inter-Parish Associations (IPA) ministry seeks facilitators for growing IPAs across the country. The IPA Facilitator is tasked with accompanying local IPAs through the From Vision to Ministry mini course, be the main point of contact in the locale, and empower participating parishes through local leadership in preparation for the strategic planning process. IPA Facilitators will work closely with the local IPA Synergy Group and the AoB Director of Inter-Parish Associations. IPA Facilitators must be local to the specific IPA and are currently needed in the following areas: 1)…
Browsing: Governance Top Stories
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate History was made on Friday, November 28, 2025, when His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV met in the ancient city of Nicaea, the site of the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD, in order to commemorate the 1700th anniversary that historic gathering, one of the pillars and foundations of the Christian Faith in both the East and the West. On the shores of Lake Nicaea, the likely site of the Church of the Holy Fathers, where the Council of Nicaea was convened, His All-Holiness and the Pope spoke about…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate At the Phanar, the sacred center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople on November 29, 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV signed an historic Joint Declaration that reiterated their commitment, on behalf of both Churches, to continue to pursue dialogue for the ultimate goal of restoring full communion between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The Declaration also reaffirms the Hierarchs’ mutual rejection of using religion to justify violence. This Joint Declaration will form the foundation of future efforts to heal ancient divisions and heed the…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate In the presence of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All the East and recipient of the 2022 Athenagoras Human Rights Award, and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Archon Peter J. Skeadas, National Treasurer, representing the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on this historic pilgrimage, delivered in Constantinople an insightful address on the extraordinary global ministry of His All-Holiness and the central importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Archon Skeadas noted that today, November 28 is the birthday of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and in…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate In a historic moment—1,700 years after the First Council of Nicaea—His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV gathered in Nicaea, now Iznik, for a profound display of Christian unity. At the conclusion of the prayer service, they recited the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed together at the very site where it was first proclaimed and prayed: the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos.
Source: Orthodox Christian Missions Center Celebrating 40 Years, Fr. Martin Ritsi, and Incoming Director Dr. Nathan Hoppe The Board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center convened on Nov 18-19, 2025 at its headquarters in St. Augustine, FL for a very special semi-annual meeting. Highlights included recognizing our 40th year of service and celebrating the upcoming completion of Father Martin Ritsis’ 27-year tenure as Executive Director. The Board also welcomed the incoming Executive Director, Dr. Nathan Hoppe. In his report, Fr. Martin reflected on his ten years as a missionary in East Africa and Albania and his nearly three decades of service as Executive Director: “In the first years of OCMC’s history, the annual budget was only $100,000. There were just two missionaries and only a few staff members,” he said. “Today we have…
Source: Orthodox Volunteer Corps (OVC) Blessed Fast of the Nativity. As you begin your journey to Bethlehem, we invite you to walk a piece with OVC as well. Over the next forty days, we will share highlights from our first four years and glimpse into the next four. An early milestone on our path was October 2021. We traveled to Potomac, Maryland, to present a new idea to forty hierarchs at the annual meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. We outlined a program of service: selective recruitment, matching process with service placements, weekly seminars on…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America met for its Regular Fall 2025 Session from November 10–14, 2025, under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. The meetings were held at the Hotel Belvoir in Springfield, VA, and at St. Mark Orthodox Church in Bethesda, MD. The session opened on Tuesday, November 11, with a Molieben, followed by a retreat for the hierarchs facilitated by Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, former Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America. After lunch, the Holy Synod convened its first meeting, beginning with the Report of the…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SOUTH CANAAN, PA [STOTS] St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary received a grant of $920,107.00 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Sowing for Plentiful Harvests program. The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is intended to help theological schools across the United States and Canada strengthen their educational and financial capacities/programs and enhance their financial viability so they are better able to prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future. The program,…
Source: Orthodox Observer Corinna Robinson From Nov. 4-6, the Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) of Hellenic College Holy Cross (HCHC) hosted a conference entitled “Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches: Moving the Dialogue Forward.” Gathering leading scholars, hierarchs, educators, and students, the conference addressed past statements, current research and modes of co-operation, and outstanding obstacles. Conversation included theological, liturgical, and pastoral approaches. “The second half of the twentieth century saw many unofficial consultations and official meetings between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox church families. Their resulting documents—full of promise—were formally received by only a small number of churches from either side, while…
Source: Orthodox Observer A new documentary, entitled In His Own Words, premiered on Oct. 23, 2025 at the Huffington Ecumenical Institute of Hellenic College Holy Cross’s memorial tribute marking twenty years since the passing of Archbishop Iakovos. The film includes previously-unreleased footage and uncommonly-published photos of Iakovos and his tenure as Archbishop of North and South America.
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Opening Remarks of the Chairman at Assembly of Bishops XIV My Beloved Brothers and Concelebrants in the Holy Spirit, I commence my remarks today by greeting you in the spirit of fraternal love and appreciation for your presence in this Fourteenth Convening of our Assembly of Bishops. In this year when we celebrate the Seventeen Hundredth Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, I perceive a true momentum, a genuine Kairos, inspired by the Holy Spirit within our Holy Orthodox Church, not only in these United States, but around the world.…