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…
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Source: Orthodox Christian Missions Center The Translation Department at the Mission Center is proud to announce the launch of DOXA Version 1.0 (Digital Orthodox Akolouthia), a digital platform built to protect, preserve, publish, and expand Orthodox liturgical translations. For decades, native translators have struggled with data loss, outdated or out-of-print editions, and inconsistent texts. DOXA solves these challenges by providing secure Cloud storage, version control to recover past drafts, and collaborative tools that allow translators to share work across dioceses. Templates and reference systems simplify the process, while digitization ensures that historic texts are preserved alongside new translations. Once entered, texts can be published…
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…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Hellenic College Holy Cross will once again recognize a couple for their exemplary vision and leadership in the Church. Helen and Archon Louis Nicozisis will each receive an honorary doctorate from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology at the upcoming 82nd Commencement on May 18, 2024. This highest honor the school can bestow will be granted to them for the impact they have made at Holy Cross and across the Archdiocese in the field of missions and evangelism. Partners in life and service for sixty years, Archon Primikirios Louis and Helen Nicozisis have…
Source: Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) OCMC is looking for Ambassadors in all-sized parishes, whether actively involved in missions or just exploring. Ambassadors play a vital role in spreading awareness and understanding of missions, answering the call to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Represent OCMC to foster a missions mindset in your community. Join existing Ambassadors to expand the Gospel’s reach, contribute to global mission work, and help spread Christ’s message worldwide. There are more than a billion people who have yet to hear the Gospel message. Yet less than 1% of the Orthodox Faithful in the United…
Source: Orthodox Christian Mission Center by Niko Birbilis This Friday, May 8, we’ll be interviewing another of our newest missionaries live: Elaine Piniat! Elaine is currently preparing to serve in Sweden and has had a remarkable journey that has led her to follow God’s calling to serve as a missionary.While she initially drew back from the idea of serving as a missionary, God gradually called her to get more and more involved in serving in the Church. Her first experiences of serving abroad were with short-term mission trips to China, Guatemala, and Albania. Meanwhile, she also spent a great deal of…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Saint Augustine, Fla. – Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos visited Saint Augustine, Florida, the week of September 30—October 4, as he began his new ministry as the Hierarchal Proistamenos of the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, as well as Synodal Liaison of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the USA to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) also headquartered in Saint Augustine. During the week Bishop Demetrios toured the Saint Photios Shrine, an institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America dedicated to the first colony of Greeks who came to America in 1768, and met…
Spring Board Meeting at Orthodox Christian Mission Center – OCL Board Members and spouses attending. (L-R): Susan Haikalis – CA; Christ Xeros – TX; John Regule – FL; Roy Snyder – MO; Harriet Pontikes – IL; George Karcazes – IL; Andrew Kartalis – OH; His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel – MI; Peter Haikalis – CA; Catherine Kartalis – OH; Bell Petkas – TX; Peter Zarras – NJ; George Matsoukas – FL; Peter J. Petkas – TX; George Pontikes, President – IL. Present but not in the photo: Bill Souvall – UT. [subscribe2]
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…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] The Orthodox Church in America, in partnership with the Florida-based Orthodox Christian Mission Center, will be hosting a mission teaching team to San Esteban and Pisaflores in the OCA Diocese of Mexico June 20-27, 2015. “Both Pisaflores and San Esteban are villages of native Aztec Orthodox Christians nine hours northwest of Mexico City,” said Archpriest Ted Pisarchuk. “In both villages, the homes are of simple concrete block construction with corrugated metal roofs and do not have running water or indoor bathroom facilities. Horses and burros are main forms of transportation. The people…