Episcopal Assemby

Source: Ancient Faith Radio

Metropolitan Jonah

Met. Jonah:

In Batumi – at the end of the Soviet period about 15 years ago, there were only two or three churches that were operative in the province…those that were operating were basically mostly empty and 80% of the population was Muslim. After 15 years and one zealous bishop they baptized 80% of the population into the Orthodox Church…they built 60 churches…they built a dozen monasteries…and how did they do this? First they built hospitals, first they built schools, first they built orphanages and nursing homes…and they showed the Church cares….and it’s palpable. The love of Christ..Christian charity…can turn back the tide of Islam.

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Source: Ancient Faith Radio

Q and A Following Met. Jonah’s Talk

Met. Jonah:

There are certainly two very distinct models.* And I believe one of the reasons it is so important for us to have a full voice in this whole process is so that our vision, that really is our inheritance, going back all the way to St. Innocent and before, that we have a single united church in this country, that has a single synod of bishops, that’s very important…what we need is a single synod of bishops that elects it’s own primate and… that is I believe the message that we need to convey to the rest of the church in this country. That’s also a message that I believe resonates not only in the OCA, but with the Antiochians, and with the Serbs and the Romanians and the Bulgarians and with the great bulk of faithful in the Greek Orthodox Church.

*Ed: The two models are 1) the American missionary model, and 2) the Constantinopolitan centralized control/feudal monarchy model.

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In a largely unscripted, friendly, and very optimistic account of the Episcopal Assembly, Bp. Basil of Wichita (AOCA) recalls his experience at the First Episcopal Assembly in New York. Orthodox unity Bp. Basil says, may be coming sooner than we think. Video takes a minute to load.

Metropolitan Jonah

From Ancient Faith Radio

Metropolitan Jonah addresses the assembly with his perspective on the Episcopal Assembly process currently underway in North America.

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Matthew Namee talks with His Grace Bishop Basil, the newly elected Secretary of the Episcopal Assemblies. We learn of his impressions of the historic May 26-28 gathering in New York as well as the assignment he has been given to coordinate the work of the committees that will be formed leading up eventually to a Great and Holy Council.

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Transcript: (HT: Orthodox History)

Matthew Namee: I’m privileged today to be sitting here with His Grace, Bishop Basil of Wichita, the new Secretary of the Episcopal Assembly. His Grace has graciously agreed to sit down and chat with me a little bit about the Episcopal Assembly, the process, and his own impressions of it. Thank you very much for your time, Sayedna. First of all, could you tell us a little bit about what your impressions were of the meetings? What was it like to be one of the hierarchs there?

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