Browsing: Governance & Unity News
Parent of Governance Category
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: Public Orthodoxy Dr. George Demacopoulos Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson Family Chair, Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University According to the New York Times, young, conservative men are flocking to the Orthodox Church because it provides an all-too-rare space that celebrates masculinity. This “Orthodoxy as Masculinity” narrative is not new. It has been pushed by social media monetizers and tabloid reporters for a few years. And there is some truth to it—there is an aggressive online “Orthobro” culture, consisting of recent male converts. The uptick in male seekers to the Church is, at least in part, explained by the…
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…
A Sermon for Antiochian Village In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Your Eminence, Your Grace, Reverend Fathers, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Good morning! Today, in this short sermon, I would like to share a few reflections on the legacy of St. John Chrysostom—from Antioch to America—and how his vision continues to shape the life of the Orthodox Church in our land. The Prayer for Unity in the Liturgy At the very beginning of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the deacon or priest proclaims in the Great…
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 Christian Laity On October 10-11, 2025, the Saints Constantine & Elena Orthodox Christian Parish in Indianapolis, Indiana, generously hosted Orthodox Christian Laity’s 38th Annual Meeting and Conference, themed “Orthodox Christian Unity in Action,” attracting over 50 participants. Click Here to view the event Program. Special thanks to OCL Board member William Caras for producing the video recordings and photos. Recordings of the Presentations are available below. Click Here to view the slides from Alexei Krindatch’s Presentation Gallery of the photos from the annual meeting and conference
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.