OCL Prayer for Episcopal Assembly

February 26, 2010
To the Servants of God who attend the Orthodox Christian Church in the Americas.
Prayer for the Episcopal Assembly

At its February meeting, the Board members of Orthodox Christian Laity unanimously concurred that the most effective support Orthodox Christians in North and Central America – Hierarchs, Clergy and Laity, can provide to the more than [...]

Moscow clarifies its position on Orthodoxy in America

Source: Yahoo! Groups
[From the December 2009 Orthodox Christian Laity newsletter, vol. 5, Number 2]
The following letter translated from the Russian dated November 13, 2009 was received at the OCL Office via fax November 16. It is addressed to former OCL President Peter Petkas. It is from the Moscow Patriarchate, Russian Orthodox Church [...]

Metropolitan Jonah on Orthodox Christian unity

The Orthodox Church in America’s communications department has published a summary of Metropolitan Jonah’s remarks at Orthodox Christian Laity’s recently concluded Road to Unity conference. Highlights:
Central to the fabric of a united Church, Metropolitan Jonah added, is the need to “be missionary in every aspect of its existence, reaching out to bring the Gospel of [...]

Orthodox Christian Laity – Road to Unity (Audio)

The 2009 Road to Unity conference held at Antiochian Village in October 2009. The format was “conversational” in nature with panels, questions, and interaction between the attendees. Recorded by Ancient Faith Radio.
Metropolitan Jonah – Unity in Our Time (38:10)
OCA Primate Met Jonah gives the keynote address at the OCL Road to Unity conference.
[Audio clip: [...]

Orthodox Christian Laity Says Patriarch Bartholomew’s Remarks to SCOBA Boost Orthodox Unity Effort in America

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
Press Release
November 3, 2009
For more information contact: George Matsoukas 877-585-0245

Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) described Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s remarks to the recently-held SCOBA (Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas) meeting held in New York City on October 27, 2009 “as another important step on the road to Orthodox Unity in the [...]

Orthodox Christian Laity issued a call for broad community support and involvement in Orthodox Unity efforts which will formally begin when all Orthodox Bishops in North America meet after Pentecost in May, 2010.  
The independent lay movement announced its action plan on October 31 at the end of its 22nd Annual Meeting held at the [...]

Road to Unity: The A-word

Ann Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette picks up Day Two of OCL’s Road to Unity Conference:
Orthodox bishops in America are now free to use the A-word.
That’s autocephaly — meaning a self-governing church that doesn’t answer to an authority overseas. America is now divided into overlapping ethnic jurisdictions, most of which answer to a church in [...]

Thoughts on the OCL Unity conference

The Road to Unity; From Vision to Action was the title of the conference that just wrapped up this evening in Ligonier, PA. You can see the topics discussed here, and read some of the day to day activity on Fr. Peter-Michael Preble’s website.
Presentations were very good. Many of the people who spoke were first [...]

OCL’s Road to Unity Conference

Fr. Peter-Michael Preble is blogging from the Road to Unity conference here.
Ann Rodgers of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette covers day one with “Orthodox Christians in U.S. face obstacles before unifying.”

Sister Sara Elisabet Oftedal, co-founder of Martha and Mary House in Escondido, Calif., a small home for women who choose adoption over abortion, said her board has [...]

Ancient Faith Radio interviews George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity

Bobby Maddex interviews George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL), about the upcoming OCL conference titled “The Road to Unity: From Vision to Action—Orthodox Christianity in America.” The conference will take place from October 28th to the 31st at the Antiochian Village, and it will be broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
Listen here:
[Audio clip: [...]

Orthodox Christian Faithful Meet at Unity Conference

Get info on the OCL Conference here: www.ocl.org/roadtounity
Contact: George Matsoukas, Executive Director, Orthodox Christian Laity, 877-585-0245, ocladmin@ocl.org

LIGONIER, Penn., Sept. 11 /Christian Newswire/ — Orthodox Christianity in America stands at the threshold of a new era of renewal. As the ancient faith lays down new and dynamic roots in America, new and indigenous leadership is [...]

The Road to Unity. From Vision to Action: Orthodox Christianity in America

Orthodox Christian Laity Continuing EducationLearning and Growing in Understanding Orthodox Christianity in America
The Road to UnityFrom Vision to Action: Orthodox Christianity in America
October 29-31, 2009Antiochian Village Ligonier, PA
American Orthodox Christianity is already unified in doctrine and fellowship but we are not unified as jurisdictions. Orthodox Christianity can flourish in America and our Orthodox faith can [...]

New book. Orthodox Christianity at the Crossroad: A Great Council of the Church, When and Why?

By Archbisop Nathaniel of Detroit. HT: Orthodox News
As plans are moving ahead for the convening of preparatory meetings for a Great and Holy Council to take place in Cyprus in June 2009, you need to prepare yourself for what is at stake through these meetings.  How can you prepare yourself?  Pray that the Holy Spirit [...]

OCL responds to EP talk at Holy Cross

George Michalopulos, Orthodox Christian Laity board member and frequent contributor to the AOI blog, penned the official OCL response to Arch. Elpidophoros Lambriniadis’ recent talk at Holy Cross School of Theology. Original article is posted on the OCL website.
An OCL Board Member Responds to the Message of Chief Secretary of The Holy and Sacred Synod [...]

Met. Jonah calls for ‘internal reformation’

Ecumenical News Service interviewed Metropolitan Jonah, who called for better administration and more accountability in Church governance in light of the recent financial scandals in the Orthodox Church in America. The interview was republished by UK church news service Ekklesia.
… Jonah said, “There is a lot of ‘internal reformation’ that has to take place in [...]

Guroian on ‘Youth, Unity and Orthodoxy in America’

Dr. Vigen Guroian delivered a talk on “Youth, Unity and Orthodoxy in America” at the 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting of Orthodox Christian Laity in Glenview, Illinois, in November. The theme of the OCL conference: “The Need for a Great and Holy Council.”
Here’s Dr. Guroian (an advisor to AOI) on Orthodox youth:
The college or university [...]