2022 Clergy Synaxis @ the Antiochian Village (Oct. 17-20) that will include a pilgrimage to the graveside of St Raphael of Brooklyn at the Antiochian Village. This synaxis is for all Orthodox clergy of all jurisdictions. The speaker for the retreat is Fr. Stephen DeYoung, renowned biblical scholar, author and broadcaster. The title of the synaxis is “God is a Man of War.” The coordinator is Fr. David Hyatt ([email protected]). Click here for Registration Click here for the Schedule
Source: Orthodox Church in America BOLIVAR, PA [TiM]–On October 10th, 2021, Thriving in Ministry [TiM] hosted its annual facilitators retreat and workshop at the Antiochian Village Conference Center in Bolivar, Pennsylvania. Sixteen facilitators and board members gathered together from Sunday evening until Tuesday noon for workshops, fellowship, and retreat. Thriving in Ministry is a national program, as was reflected by the assembled participants. Facilitators traveled from across the country, including California and Chicago, to participate in the event. Two new facilitators were also trained, allowing for the future formation of new groups in the south and northeast. Monday’s presentations focused on skills…
Source: The New York Times Church leaders have backed government restrictions, but defiance by hard-liners and a commitment to the sacrament of communion, taken with a shared spoon, may undercut good intentions. By Niki Kitsantonis ATHENS — The coronavirus has dealt a double blow to the powerful Greek Orthodox Church, with the disease spreading through its ranks while the clergy fends off criticism that it has been stoking the pandemic. The church’s leader, Archbishop Ieronymos, declared from the outset of the pandemic in the spring that he was committed to supporting the conservative government’s public health campaign to halt the spread…
Source: Orthodox Observer New York, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros convened the Clergy of the entire Archdiocese today in order to discuss the current status of the Archdiocese Pension Plan. Over 350 members of the clergy attended the webinar regarding the Pension Plan which covers both the clergy and the lay employees of the Archdiocese. Following his prepared remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros answered questions of the clergy for over three hours. The Pension Plan is funded by contributions from the Archdiocese, the Clergy and lay employees themselves, and the parishes. It is administered by the Archdiocese Benefits Committee (ABC), whose…
Source: National Public Radio TOM GJELTEN NOEL KING, HOST: There are two interesting new polls out this month that show evidence of a change in U.S. culture that’s been developing for a while now. Americans are finding less meaning in organized religion, and they are less confident that ministers are able to help them. Here’s NPR’s Tom Gjelten. TOM GJELTEN, BYLINE: There are several pieces to this story. More people have been saying they have no religious affiliation. Church attendance is down sharply. And now, a new Gallup poll finds that barely 1 in 3 Americans say they have a…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America May 16, 2019 To the Reverend Clergy, The Esteemed Parish Councils, The Philoptochos Sisterhoods, The Youth Organizations, And the Faithful of the Holy Archdiocese of America: Today, May 16, 2019, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America held a teleconference call with the Hierarchs and clergy – active and retired, of the Holy Archdiocese of America. The call was organized by Metropolitan Methodios of Boston in his capacity as Archiepiscopal Vicar, with the cooperation of the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council. Over 400 clergy participated in the call. During the one-hour conference call, Archbishop Elpidophoros had the…
INDIANAPOLIS, IN [Lilly Endowment/OCA] Orthodox Christian clergy and the parishes they serve may wish to take advantage of grant awards being offered through the Lilly Endowment’s Clergy Renewal Programs for 2019. Through its religion grant making, the Lilly Endowment seeks to deepen and enrich the lives of American Christians largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes. The program is administered by the Center for Pastoral Excellence at Indianapolis’ Christian Theological Seminary. The Lilly Endowment provides funds to congregations to support renewal leaves for their pastors. Renewal periods are not vacations but…
The cross in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens. File photo Senior members of the Greek Orthodox Church expressed their opposition to the historic agreement between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos to remove some 10,000 priests and auxiliary staff from the state payroll. The agreement, reached on Tuesday, foresees the setup of a special fund to handle church assets, and changes in the salaries of clerics, who will no longer be civil servants but will be paid by the church through an annual state subsidy. Archbishop Ieronymos was forced to backtrack on Wednesday, stating…
During their Fall Session at the Chancery October 23-26, 2018, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops gave their blessing to release an updated set of “Social Media Guidelines for Clergy and Lay Leaders” of the Orthodox Church in America. Available in PDF format, the Guidelines had been approved by the Metropolitan Council on September 19. The updated Guidelines are recommended by the Holy Synod for implementation by the Central Church Administration, ministries, dioceses, parishes, clergy, lay leaders, staff and volunteers who work within the institutional, social, and legal environment of the Church. They should be adapted for use…
Source: Greek Reporter Europe By Philip Chrysopoulos The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has decided to allow a second marriage for Greek Orthodox priests in the event that they are widowed or abandoned by their wife, religious news website Romfea.gr says. The decision, that is considered historic in the Orthodox Church, specifies that a second marriage will not be allowed if the priest wishes to leave his wife and marry another woman. It is underlined that each case will be examined separately and the bishop of the priest’s parish will be sending the specifics to be judged by the Holy Synod…
Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos The issue of the salaries and benefits of the clergy comes up very often for discussion in many if not all parishes, and certainly at various gatherings of Greek-Americans through the country. Something has to be done to review this issue, because the way we are going, fewer and fewer parishes will be able to afford the high salaries and the demands of many of our priests. Let me say that I have great respect and honor for those faithful, humble, and ethical priests and bishops, no matter in what corner of the…
Source: The National Herald Theodoros Kalmoukos There are two types of clergy pastoring at the parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and as a matter of fact in the parishes of the Orthodox Church throughout the world, the married priests with a wife and children and the celibate priests who usually are holders of the officio of Archimandrite. Let me explain that the Archimandrite is basically the priest monk, in other words the monk who has been ordained a priest, who lives and acts in the world and not in the monastery where he actually belongs. The phenomenon…