Source: Orthodox Christian Laity On October 10-11, 2025, the Saints Constantine & Elena Orthodox Christian Parish in Indianapolis, Indiana, generously hosted Orthodox Christian Laity’s 38th Annual Meeting and Conference, themed “Orthodox Christian Unity in Action,” attracting over 50 participants. Click Here to view the event Program. Special thanks to OCL Board member William Caras for producing the video recordings and photos. Recordings of the Presentations are available below. Click Here to view the slides from Alexei Krindatch’s Presentation Gallery of the photos from the annual meeting and conference
Browsing: United States
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: Orthodox Observer Today, the American Hellenic Institute reported that on September 15, 2025, 28 members of Congress (23 Members of the United States House of Representatives and 5 Members of the United States Senate) honored His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew by submitting comments to the Congressional Record “praising his religious leadership and advocacy for peace and human rights.” AHI, a non-profit Greek American think-tank and public policy center, commended the Members of Congress for submitting these remarks to the Congressional Record. The institute’s press release included the following excerpts: Submitted by Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), who represents the 10th district of…
Source: National Catholic Reporter Faith leaders across the U.S. are hoping a bipartisan bill, recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and House, might finally bring resolution to an immigration issue that has been hindering their service to their communities for more than two years. In March 2023, the Biden administration made a sudden change in how the government processes green cards in the category that includes both abused minors and religious workers. It created new backlogs that threaten the ability of thousands of pastors, nuns, imams, cantors and others to remain in the United States. The bill only tackles one…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPOKANE, WA [OCA] ADF attorneys file suit on behalf of the Orthodox Church in America and Orthodox Churches, priests over state law that violates constitutional rights On behalf of Orthodox Churches and priests, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, with co-counsel Eric Kniffin and George Ahrend, filed a federal lawsuit on June 16, 2025, to challenge a Washington state law that targets priests by criminalizing their religious obligation to keep confessions confidential. “The First Amendment guarantees that governments cannot single out religious believers for worse treatment,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John…
Source: Yankee Athonite by Michael Warren Davis I see that Vox published an article which, in part, scolds me for saying that Archbishop Elpidophoros—leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America—is a CIA asset: It’s why Michael Warren Davis, another Orthodox convert at the American Conservative, could directly call the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America a CIA asset without any evidence. Laypeople attacking their hierarchs is about the least “trad” thing one can do. It reveals just how little these conversions have to do with anything organic to these traditions, but are instead an act of rebellion against the American mainstream, with a…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is expected to visit the United States this coming fall [2025]. The exact dates have not yet been set, but exclusive information received by The National Herald suggests that the visit may take place between September and October. Sources of The National Herald in the Phanar in Constantinople stated that “the discussions are still in the early stages, and it will take some time to finalize the dates.” Regarding the purpose of the visit, it was mentioned that “beyond its pastoral nature, it will also have a political…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity This video presentation produced on the occasion of Orthodox Christian Laity’s 20th Anniversary includes: 1) A New Era Begins – The story of the historic Ligonier Conference on Unity 2) Welcome Home – The story of the Evangelical Orthodox Church
Source: N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home (August 11, 1938 – June 6, 2024) George Demetrios Karcazes fell asleep in the Lord on June 6, 2024, in the presence of his wife and children, and surrounded by their love, devotion, admiration, and their great comfort in knowing that their husband and father had lived a life of consequence, courage, and commitment to his ideals. George’s life was marked with the achievements of a clear-eyed idealist, in his roles as a longtime Chicago attorney, bank builder, community and church leader, and indefatigable volunteer for a host of endeavors in which he…
Source: Orthodox Reality A variety of maps showing the geographic distribution of Orthodox Christian Churches in the United States is available free of charge at: https://orthodoxreality.org/maps For each Orthodox Church (including both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches), state and county-level maps show: Number of parishes in each state or county Number of adherents (most inclusive category of church membership) in each state or county Number of adherents as a percentage of the total population in each state or county The state-level maps are accompanied by a short description (history, etc.) of the various Orthodox Churches. In addition: Two county-level aggregate maps…
Source: Orthodox History by MATTHEW NAMEE The following remarkable letter appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on March 18, 1915. It offers a well-informed but obviously partisan perspective on the Orthodox reality in America and globally in 1915 — in the midst of World War I. There’s so much happening in this letter, so many layers. It has to be one of the most fascinating historical records I’ve ever stumbled upon. I only wish I knew the identity of the author — all we can tell here is that he’s a Greek-American who knows a great deal about the entire Orthodox world. Read…
Source: The National Herald By Stavros Stavridis In the post-1922 period, the Greek church in the United States was divided along Venizelist and Royalist lines with the National Herald and Atlantis newspapers supporting the former and latter respectively. It should be noted that the National Herald reported on the movements of Metropolitan Joachim of Kozani during his visit to the United States, whereas the Atlantis overall remained silent. The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate had chosen Meletios as Ecumenical Patriarch, giving him jurisdiction over the Church in North America in early 1922 despite protests emanating from Athens. Joachim’s visit should…