Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity By Dr. Gayle E. Woloschak Over the years, many people have complained to me that our Orthodox Church has not achieved unity in America after decades of work. For example, the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) has published pamphlets, held conferences, and engaged in dialogue with parishes about unity throughout its 40-year existence. I remember attending an OCL conference in Chicago in my youth, after which I was inspired (and even to this day remain inspired) to strive for unity in the Church. Nevertheless, it is easy for those who have worked for so long to become…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America VIDEO: Ancient Paths, Enduring Faith: Highlights of the Pilgrimage to Lebanon and Jordan (short video) (full video) From June 13-July 3, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba led 29 seminarians, recent seminary graduates and clergy on a sacred pilgrimage through Jordan and Lebanon. The group enriched their spiritual formation and strengthened their understanding of the Church’s history and mission in the Middle East. They visited and prayed at dozens of churches, monasteries, holy sites and archdioceses. They celebrated two ordinations. And they connected with their Father in Christ, His Beatitude Patriarch John X; His Eminence…

Source: Orthodox Observer Salvatore Ambrosino We have published His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s address to the Templeton Foundation in its entirety here. Last night, the Templeton Prize was conferred on His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his enduring commitment to the environment that has transcended the political seasons of the secular world. Instrumental in Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s nomination for the Templeton Prize, world-renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall offered congratulatory remarks at New York City’s Lincoln Center. She was followed by former Vice President Al Gore, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also praised the Ecumenical Patriarch for his devotion to God…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Job Title: Director of Training and Development Location: Remote position with occasional travel Department: Youth & Young Adult Ministries Reports to: Chairman of Youth & Young Adult Ministries   Position Overview: The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is seeking qualified applicants for the full-time position of Director of Training and Development within the Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries (YYA). This role is dedicated to strengthening the department’s ministry across the Archdiocese by coordinating workflows, fostering collaboration, and designing meaningful training and development opportunities for clergy, lay leaders, and volunteers serving youth and young adults.…

Source: St. Phoebe’s Center for the Deaconess September 23, 2025 Dear Supporters of the St Phoebe Center, This report is an update following the Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) 21st All American Council (AAC) held in Phoenix AZ in July of 2025. We offer this update in love for the Church and with our prayers for its flourishing in America and everywhere. Earlier this year, many of you who are members of the OCA provided the St. Phoebe Center with your responses to the Metropolitan’s solicitation for reflections on the life of the Church in advance of the AAC. Thank…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] Since 2022, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America has designated the first Sunday of October as Church Musician Sunday. The yearly recognition of church musicians is thus connected with the memory of Saints Saint Romanus the Melodist Romanus the Melodist and John Koukouzelis, commemorated together on October 1. This celebration, marked this year on October 5, highlights the essential role of liturgical music in Orthodox Christian worship and the important role of church musicians in the life of the Church. As Church Musician Sunday approaches, parishes are encouraged to: Mark this…

Source: The National Herald NEW YORK – Patriarch Bartholomew met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a communiqué and photographs released by the Patriarchate. The communiqué stated the following: “In a cordial atmosphere, on the afternoon of Monday, September 22, His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch met with His Excellency the President of Ukraine, Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in New York, at the headquarters of the Ukrainian Mission to the United Nations. His All-Holiness wished courage and strength in the struggle of the Ukrainian people, and the President thanked the Patriarch for his support of the people and soldiers…

Source: Orthodox Observer Article by Ben Malian Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, is currently Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Holy Cross School of Theology, where he is Professor of Theology. He also serves as theological advisor to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The author of numerous books on patristic theology and contemporary issues such as climate change, his most recent publications include Creation as Sacrament: Reflections on Ecology and Spirituality (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019) and The Letters of Barsanuphius and John: Desert Wisdom for Everyday Life (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022). In this piece, Ben Malian, a contributing writer…

Source: Orthodox Observer Yesterday morning, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew went aboard the R/V Peconic-Southampton from Stony Brook University’s marina to tour an inlet of Shinnecock Bay, in the east end of Long Island. Aboard a trawler, His All-Holiness heard from some of the university’s researchers. The Ecumenical Patriarch was joined on the tour by hierarchs, clergy, and faithful, including His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. The event highlighted the environmental advocacy of the Ecumenical Patriarch, as well as the vital role Stony Brook has had in preserving the bay’s aquatic ecosystem. A Marvel of Environmental Restoration Dr. Chris Gobler…

Source: Orthodox ObserverThis morning, in Southampton, Long Island, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons. At the end of the service, before a crowd of nearly 500, His All-Holiness announced two “surprises” to the parish–conferring the title Megas Protopresbyteros of the Holy and Great Church of Christ upon Proistamenos Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and elevating Dormition Church to the status of Cathedral. Fr. Alex and his wife, Pres. Xanthi Concelebrating the liturgy were members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, including His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, as…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Report and photos from the Patriarchate of Antioch Photo album Damascus, September 21, 2025 His Beatitude Patriarch John X, accompanied by Bishop Arsenius (Dahdal), inspected the progress of the rehabilitation work at the Church of Prophet Elias the Zealot in Dweilaa, Damascus, Syria following the brutal terrorist bombing on June 22 that gave the Orthodox Church 22 new martyrs. His Beatitude commended the efforts made thus far. He also gave his directives for the house of worship to be restored to its former glory. Earlier this month, the church baptized 22 babies in the…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] The Orthodox Church in America is drawing attention to a growing problem for parishes and nonprofit institutions: so-called “copyright trolls.” Specialized law firms scour the internet for unauthorized uses of copyrighted images and issue costly settlement demands. A simple mistake in using an image found online can become an expensive problem for a parish, monastery, or other institution. To address this issue, the Orthodox Church in America is sharing a new article by Dn. Kenneth Liu, Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Attorney Network and an experienced intellectual property attorney. In his…