Source: Orthodox Christian Missions Center Celebrating 40 Years, Fr. Martin Ritsi, and Incoming Director Dr. Nathan Hoppe The Board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center convened on Nov 18-19, 2025 at its headquarters in St. Augustine, FL for a very special semi-annual meeting. Highlights included recognizing our 40th year of service and celebrating the upcoming completion of Father Martin Ritsis’ 27-year tenure as Executive Director. The Board also welcomed the incoming Executive Director, Dr. Nathan Hoppe. In his report, Fr. Martin reflected on his ten years as a missionary in East Africa and Albania and his nearly three decades of service as Executive Director: “In the first years of OCMC’s history, the annual budget was only $100,000. There were just two missionaries and only a few staff members,” he said. “Today we have…
Browsing: Fr. Martin Ritsi
Source: Orthodox Christian Mission Center Today, on behalf of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center Board of Directors, Board Chair Dr. Gayle Woloschak announced the selection of Dr. Nathan Hoppe as the organization’s new Executive Director. Dr. Hoppe will succeed Fr. Martin Ritsi and transition into his role in January 2026, following Fr. Martin’s retirement after more than 26 years of dedicated service. “We have been exceedingly blessed to have Fr. Martin chart the course of the organization all these years and we couldn’t be more confident in Dr. Hoppe’s ability to build on the legacy that Fr. Martin will leave,” stated…
Source: Orthodox Christian Mission Center On Thursday, January 30, Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, led a delegation of Mission Center Board, staff, and missionaries at the funeral service commemorating the life and falling asleep of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania at the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tirana, Albania. Fr. Martin––together with Board member and former missionary, Fr. Luke Veronis, and Assistant Missionary Director, Rev. Dr. Stephanos Ritsi––participated in the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Funeral, and Interment services with Orthodox clergy from throughout the world. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,…
Source: Orthodox Christian Mission Center Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, we announce the launch of an Executive Director search in support of the planned retirement of our beloved Father Martin Ritsi. It is with both heartfelt gratitude for his service and great optimism for the future that we embark on this new chapter. Fr. Martin’s unwavering dedication to Christ, to Orthodox missionary work, and to our organization has prepared us well for this moment. Beginning in 2020 and together with Fr. Martin, we established a…