Source: Orthodox Christian Laity It is time for the Orthodox Christian laity to speak up and to act. We come to the end of the ecclesiastical year and the beginning of a new one. This is a time for serious reflection concerning canonical leadership and responsibilities related to church governance. What do we expect from the Assembly of Bishops? We begin the new ecclesiastical year with the meeting of the Assembly of Bishops which will take place in Cleveland on October 1-4, 2018. As of late August, there is no information on the Assembly’s web site about the meeting. The…
Browsing: Assembly of Bishops
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity State of Orthodoxy in the U.S.A. Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) completed its 30 years of service calling for transparency, accountability, unity and advocating to maintain the voice of the laity as an equal in the administrative life of the Orthodox Church, thereby contributing to Church renewal. As we have seen and experienced in 2017, disrespect and disregard for this principle has contributed to the disorder, financial mismanagement and disunity that has furthered the decline of Orthodoxy in the USA. The census statistics, surveys, research on the status of growth, retention and development confirm this decline. Since…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA This report represents a large amount of work under the coordination and authorship of the Assembly of Bishops’ Research Coordinator, Alexei Krindatch. It is in response to the Assembly VII decision to endorse a US nationwide study on the present state of inter-Orthodox parish-to-parish cooperation on the local level. The analysis of replies to a nationwide clergy survey identified 54 cities and geographic areas with a high level of inter-Orthodox communication and cooperation. Of these, the study identified 21 cities and geographic areas in the US where well organized and active…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity LAS VEGAS, NV. March 30, 2017 — The Board of Directors of the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) adopted the following Resolution at its recently concluded Board meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada: “OCL respectfully calls upon the Assembly of Bishops of the Orthodox Churches in the United States to publish all of the work of its committees over the seven-year course of its meetings, so that the faithful clergy and laity in the United States will be informed and have the opportunity to provide input that can assist our beloved Hierarchs in fulfilling the charge given to…
Source: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta My Beloved Ones, I am writing to you during a very active time in the life of our Metropolis. I have just returned from Detroit, where I was blessed to be a part of the 7th Annual Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, which includes all Orthodox Bishops from across the United States, whether they are Greek, Russian, Antiochian, what have you. Over the course of the past six years we come up with ideas to “unify” our churches. I use the word unify in quotations for you to understand that I am speaking from…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Being an Assembly of Bishops in a geographic area (USA) where the Church is administratively managed in a state of canonical disorder, allowing parallel jurisdictions and more than one bishop in one city; and, since the Council held in Crete in June 2016 did not address these issues; how will the Assembly proceed? Will it address the real issues that bring about canonical order? Will it establish clear rules of procedure and parliamentary order? Who will replace Bishop Basil of Wichita as Chair of the Secretariat? How will the dissenting Georgian, Russian, Antiochian and…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity The Assembly of Bishops will meet during the first week of October in Detroit. How will this meeting be different from all other such meetings? Where is the leadership? The work of the Holy and Great Council has been completed, and little action was taken to address the uncanonical situation of the parallel jurisdictions that make up the Orthodox Christian Church in the USA. This situation is unacceptable, because it keeps our message, outreach and mission fragmented and wastes the resources of the lay stewards of the Church. This fragmentation continues to cause a decline in…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Assembly of Orthodox Bishops Offers Prayers for the People of France Saturday, November 14, 2015 With heavy hearts, the members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops offer their prayers for the people of France who mourn the tragic loss of life that resulted from last night’s terrorist attacks in Paris. We convey our deep condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and we beseech the Lord Jesus Christ to grant a speedy recovery to those injured and eternal repose to those who have fallen asleep. Our thoughts and prayers…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Overview on the Chronology and Work of the Assembly of Bishops Presented on Friday, November 5, 2015 Open Forum at the OCL Annual Meeting held at St John of Damascus Orthodox Church, Poway CA: ORTHODOX WORKING TOGETHER – George Matsoukas, presenter Will the Orthodox Christian Church in the USA remain as separate colonies of the fourteen Old World Patriarchates and autocephalous churches, or will it finally be a mission Church to the faithful in their own country? This is the question for the Hierarchs of the Church to solve in their deliberations as the Assembly…
Source: Orthodox Church in America OCA Holy Synod releases Position Paper on Canonical Regional Planning SYOSSET, NY [OCA] The Holy Synod of Bishops has released the text of a Position Paper delivered in response to the plan presented by the Committee for Canonical Regional Planning during the sixth annual meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the USA in Chicago on September 15, 2015. The text was reviewed during the Holy Synod’s fall session held in Detroit October 19-23. [See related stories here and here.] The text reads as follows. POSITION PAPER OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA…
Source: Ancient Faith Radio Antioch On The Record: Orthodox Administrative Unity in North America October 21, 2015 Length: 52:42 In this special edition of Ancient Faith Today, the V.R. Patrick O’ Grady of St Peter the Apostle Antiochian Orthodox Church in Pomona, California represents the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America in explaining the reasons behind its recent statement at the 6th Assembly of Bishops and why it appeared to many that its long-held support of Orthodox administrative unity has changed. CLICK HERE to listen. Sponsor a transcript for $39.75. [subscribe2]
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Assembly of Bishops Releases New Study on Orthodox Theological Schools in the US The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has released a new study report today. The study focuses on US educational institutions that offer programs in Orthodox theology. It is based on a survey of 12 Orthodox theological schools in the US. The report examines degrees and programs offered by these schools, questions of their accreditation, student body, and faculty. Data-gathering was finalized in September 2014; all data was accurate at that time. The study was initiated…