Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Adapted from an article by Rev. Dr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMF “When I converted to the Orthodox Church, I was helped by two people who took me in hand and helped me integrate into the Church and the community. In a few years, I was completely integrated into both. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They are my best friends. I urge you to emphasize my experience in one of your columns to help converts become integrated.”   ~An E-mail respondent~ Like the individual quoted…

Source: Church Roadmap Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I have not communicated with you for the past three years because I have been deeply immersed in doctoral church research with a singular focus on identifying how to help parishes thrive and not merely survive. I emerge from that research with a clear conclusion: Your parish’s root cause challenges are solvable. If your parish has a clear long-term vision and plan, achieved complete financial stewardship independence from festivals & fundraisers, and if you have abundant ministries and volunteers, well-trained leadership, and growing sacramental and liturgical participation – Glory to God!…

Source: Orthodox Church in America Reflections in Christ by Fr. Alexander Schmemann About the Author Protobresbyter Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) was born in Estonia to Russian émigrés. As a child he moved to PaFrance. He taught for a time in Paris, and came to America in 1951 to teach at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He was dean of the seminary from 1962 until his death in 1983. An Urgent Issue No one would deny that the clergy-laity issue in our church here in America is both an urgent and confused one. It is urgent because the progress of the church…

Source: Assembly of Bishops: Inter-Parish Associations With great joy, the Assembly of Bishops’ Inter-Parish Associations ministry announces the establishment of 6 new Inter-Parish Associations in 2025. These areas include: Denver, Colorado Indianapolis, Indiana Northern New Jersey Manhattan, New York City Worcester, Massachusetts Youngstown, Ohio Inter-Parish Associations promote communication, camaraderie, and cooperation across Orthodox Christian parishes of all jurisdictions in a given geographical area. They are local (city/town level), parishes are the Members, and their leadership includes both clergy and laity. Their purpose is to break down barriers across Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and, as a unified Orthodox Christian community, witness Christ’s…

Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria has completed his first “Peace Visit” as a recently elected primate of a Local Orthodox Church.  It was a four-day (Dec. 25-28) visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  Before the visit, it was well-known that differences exist between Patriarch Daniil and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on important issues such as the status of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the existence of primacy at the universal level.  There are no indications that these differences were resolved by the visit.  However, the dialogue and personal contacts that occurred resulted in a visit that…

Source: Orthodox Observer By Office of National Ministries The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has embarked on a landmark survey with the aim of equipping parish clergy, ministry leaders, and ministry workers to build up healthy parish communities (cf. Ephesians 4:12). The study, launched on December 1, is designed to bring parish voices to the forefront and guide Archdiocesan ministry support, resources, and investment where they will most effectively strengthen parish life.    “Our parishes are the heartbeat of our Archdiocese,” said His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. “As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him…

Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to All the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Mercy and Peace from the Savior Christ Born in Bethlehem Most honorable Brother Hierarchs, Beloved children in the Lord, Having once again been found worthy of reaching the great feast of the Nativity in the flesh of the Son and Word of God, we glorify the “inexpressible and incomprehensible condescension” of the Savior of the human race and Redeemer of all creation from corruption, even…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] More than 100 clergy of the Orthodox Church in America gathered online for the Office of Pastoral Life’s Winter 2025 Synaxis on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The quarterly gathering offered space for prayerful reflection, shared learning and encouragement, and featured His Eminence Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska as keynote speaker. In his presentation, “Hard-Pressed Yet Not Crushed”: Avoiding Burnout and Promoting Flourishing, Archbishop Alexei invited clergy into an honest and hope-filled conversation about the interior and exterior pressures of pastoral ministry. Drawing from Holy Scripture, the Psalms and the pastoral wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, His…

Source: Orthodox Observer By Fr. Alexander Karloutsos This has been a historic week for the Roman Catholic Church in New York. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Vatican announced a major leadership transition that marks the end of an era and a significant shift in the church’s direction. Pope Leo XIV officially accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has served as the Archbishop of New York since 2009. Cardinal Dolan turned 75 in February 2025, the mandatory age for Catholic bishops to submit their retirement letter. Despite his “larger-than-life” personality and a legacy spanning 16 years of influential leadership in…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] The Orthodox Church in America has joined the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gračanica–Midwestern America, the Catholic bishops of Illinois and the Illinois Catholic Health Association in filing an amicus brief in the case NIFLA v. Treto in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The brief challenges a law that requires healthcare providers, which abstain from performing abortions, to nevertheless still provide patients with referrals to abortion providers and to deliver state-mandated statements promoting the supposed benefits of abortion in order to receive certain legal protections. The Orthodox Church has always taught that…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the Office of the Chancellor is announcing the publication of the newly updated A Commemorative List of the Departed Servants of Orthodoxy in North America: Diptychs of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in the Lord. This 2025 edition contains a revised and expanded list of departed clergy, monastics, and laity who have labored for the Orthodox Church in America, from the Alaskan mission to the present day. The Diptychs are now available for download as a PDF and printed copies will be distributed to all parishes,…

Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Since the controversial 2018 “unification” council in Ukraine, Fr. Yaroslav Yasenets has served as a priest in the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.” Recently, he left that structure citing a number of systemic issues which could perhaps be summarized as a prioritization of state loyalty over faith in Christ and adherence to Orthodoxy. In this UOJ-USA Exclusive, Fr. Yaroslav gives us an insider’s look at the state of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” its capture by the state and foreign actors, its crumbling relations with Istanbul, and how its clergy—and chaplains—weaponize state resources against the Ukrainian…