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…
Browsing: Governance Top Stories
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.…
Source: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago LOMBARD, IL, November 6, 2025 – Following an affirmative vote by delegates of the 2025 Clergy-Laity Assembly, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago is returning to the City of Chicago. Subject to the approval of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), the Metropolis of Chicago will be located at 1290 North Clybourn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60610. Proceeds from the sale of the Burton Place property in February 2022 – previously approved by delegates of the 2019 Clergy-Laity Assembly and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – will be used to secure the new Metropolis Center.…
Source: Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries OYM recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jacob Sparks, a campus missionary with Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) serving the colleges of downtown Atlanta. Through Bible studies, reader services, one-on-one mentorship, and even creative solutions like an Uber fund to help students get to church, Jacob is working to bridge the gap between campus life and parish life. In this conversation, he shares how his own journey through OCF shaped his calling to ministry, the challenges of witnessing to Christ in an intense academic culture, and why the most meaningful evangelism often…
Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Have you ever enjoyed a book published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press? Have you or has someone you know—perhaps your own parish priest—lived or spent time on campus, worshiped in Three Hierarchs Chapel, or listened to a lecture at the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium from some of the most renowned Orthodox theologians of our times? However you might have interacted with the Seminary, whatever building you stepped into, or whatever good things you might have seen come out of the Seminary over the past half-century—more than likely Theodore (Ted) Bazil played an instrumental role in making it…