Governance & Unity Essays - Orthodox Christian Laity

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From Kevin Allen’s FB Page: I Support an “Autocephalous” American Church

By Webmaster on August 6, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Kevin Allen From Kevin Allen’s FB Page: I Support an “Autocephalous” American Church I have changed my position and perspective on canonical “administrative unity” for the Orthodox Church in the U.S. (This does not reflect the opinion of AFR or anyone else). The only “unity” model/solution I would support to the non-canonical fragmentation of multiple bishops and “jurisdictions” – acknowledged as a canonical “anomaly” by many (not all) our hierarchs – is an “autocephalous” American Church; represented on its Synod with all the respective bishops that are currently on the Canonical Assembly of Bishops. The US Synod would have…

Questions for Metropolitan Joseph and the Faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese

By Webmaster on June 30, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Uncategorized

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Where is ANTIOCHIAN participation in the Assembly of Bishops in the USA and in Europe? Where is the participation of the Laity of the Antiochian Archdiocese on the matter of Unity? Why have the many years of leadership – promoting Unity, the legacy Metropolitan Philip, been reversed by Metropolitan Joseph? Why do the problems of the Patriarchates in Europe and other regions have ripple effects on the work of the Assembly of Bishops in charge of the spiritual lives of the faithful in the United States? Controversy between Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem caused a directive to…

Reflections on a Conference in Preparation for the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church

By Webmaster on June 30, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity George Karcazes, Vice President and George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) had the privilege of attending the recently-held conference co-sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America (OTSA ) and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University held at Fordham University School of Law, Lincoln Center Campus, on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, 2015. On Friday evening, the Florovsky Lecture on “The Decisive Importance of Councils in the Life of the Church” was delivered by His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware at the Leon Lowenstein Center of the Lincoln Center Campus,…

Defend Your Flock! Please.

By Webmaster on June 29, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Women in Theology by Maria Gwyn McDowell The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has issued a statement regarding the recent Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage. I appreciate the following from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon: The ruling does not change the teaching of the Church, but it does remind us of the need to be Christ-like in our dealings with everyone. The state has the responsibility to enact laws that protect the rights of each individual. The Church, while it does not bless “same-sex marriages” or view them as sacramental, does see the image of Christ in every individual,…

The Scorecard on Orthodox Christian Unity: June 2015 – One Week before the Meeting in Istanbul

By Webmaster on June 6, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, OCL News, Orthodox Christian Laity

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity The Assembly of Bishops has been meeting for six years. June 2015 is a critical month and time period in their efforts to develop a plan to make the administrative life of the Orthodox Church in the United States canonical. Orthodox ecclesiology dictates that the Church be organized in geographic areas with one bishop in one city. Overlapping jurisdictions weaken the Commandment of Christ to make disciples of All Nations. Bishops are not foreign agents. Governments of other countries have no place in directing the actions of Bishops in the USA. We need a single Synod…

Liberal Folly and Conservative Heresy

By Webmaster on June 4, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Orthodox Reformer Orthodox Christians have one of the lowest rates of retention across Christian and non-Christian denominations. Only 53% of adults who were raised in the Orthodox Church still identify themselves as Orthodox Christians. Compare that to Hindus (80%), Jewish (75%), Mormon (64%) and Catholic (59%). – Courtesy Go Truth Reform , data from pg. 39 of the PEW Report The past month has been a whirlwind for the GOA. The recently published Pew Report and informal reports coming from GOA insiders portray a general decline in our churches nationwide. Unrest has been spreading around the internet and a…

PEW study reveals critical decline in Orthodox religious membership

By Webmaster on May 28, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Editor’s note: The Orthodox Christian Church in the United States is in Crisis. What actions will the Assembly of Bishops take? Stonewalling and ignoring the facts only contributes to the decline of Orthodoxy in the USA. By a Layperson in the New Jersey Metropolis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese An extensive, highly-cited study of religious trends and affiliation of Americans [America’s Changing Religious Landscape] published on May 12 by the well-regarded Pew Research Center found that the Christian share of the U.S. religious population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion…

Dokos/Kantzavelos Scandal Damages Parish in Illinois

By Webmaster on May 4, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: The National Herald April 25 – May 1, 2015 edition To the Editor: The removal of Fr. Angelo Artemas and his replacement with Fr. James Dokos by Bishop Kantzavelos has caused irreparable and immeasurable harm to my parish, Sts. Peter and Paul in Glenview, IL. The spiritual damage of being ministered by a priest for two years who has been charged with felony theft by the Milwaukee, WI District Attorney is incalculable. My parish lost 54 donor families between 2012 and 2014. The scandal has divided the faithful between those who are calling for the removal of the Bishop/Chancellor…

Who Was at the Cross and Tomb? – Laity!

By Webmaster on April 2, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays

Source: Seeds of Hope – Orthodox Christian Healing & Counseling Pascha – a Reminder for All! from our Board of Directors and Advisors: It was Laity – Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and John among others. As we approach Holy week and Pascha, Scriptures remind us, it was Laity at the cross and at the empty tomb – the first disciples to follow Jesus, proclaiming the Good News now for over 2,000 years. Seeds of Hope, Orthodox Counseling & Healing continues to follow Jesus and His Holy commandment. Orthodox Laity are needed…

A LETTER FROM A GREEK ORTHODOX PRIEST

By Webmaster on March 4, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Greek Orthodox Christians for Truth and Reform A LETTER TO ONE OF OUR EDITORS FROM A GREEK ORTHODOX PRIEST Dear Editor, I miss Archbishop Iakovos dearly. As a Priest of 30 years, I feel compelled to write this, albeit with some degree of anonymity to protect myself (even though I have fully disclosed who I am to you). This is my confession that I feel most sorrowful for. The poor leadership that our GOA is plagued with is a multi-faceted problem that has its roots from the Seminary. The Church is suffering. If you don’t realize we are, you…

Report of the OCL Executive Director for the Quarterly Meeting held in St. Augustine, FL on February 19, 2015

By Webmaster on March 3, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, OCL News, Orthodox Christian Laity, Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in Unity.” Psalm 133:1 What a joy it is to hold our OCL meeting at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), a truly pan-Orthodox outreach mission to the world. The agency has had its struggles and triumphs, but working together in unity, they make a difference for Christian outreach. Together with IOCC, they are examples of what we accomplish in unity. Can you imagine if the Orthodox Christian Church in the USA was united – what we can accomplish? A unified Orthodox Christian Church would be…

AT LAST, A COUNCIL FOR THE AGES?

By Webmaster on March 2, 2015 Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: First Things THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN 2016 by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis A Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church has been scheduled for 2016. In March of 2014, the leaders of all the autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Churches met in Istanbul, the sacred see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which historically (since at least the fifth century) coordinates such assemblies, facilitating unity while serving as a center of appeal among these churches. Arguably the foremost decision unanimously agreed upon at that assembly of church heads was the convocation of a Great Council in 2016, tentatively planned…

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Browsing: Governance & Unity Essays