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…
Browsing: Governance Top Stories
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 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: 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)…
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…