Fr. George Nicozisin

Fr. George Nicozisin was one of the most respected clergy in the Greek Orthodox Church of the last generation. Reading through this essay he wrote a while back (I could not find the date), you can see why. There were (and presumably still are) men who understood the evangelical mission of the Orthodox Church. Fr. George was such a man. Read through the essay and see how some leaders used to think, and ponder too how far the preoccupation with ethnicity has directed the Church away from its commission to preach and baptize to all nations. Where are men like him today?

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Greek Orthodox Diocese of America

Prologue

Thanks to Alex Haley we have come to appreciate the importance of “roots.” We, too, must take a look at our roots in order to comprehend, grasp and accept the mission of the parish here in America. However, before we address the current mission of the parish, we first need to turn to the lessons of the past and look at how church history in America affected the mission of the parish. This historical backdrop notwithstanding, we will see that the aims and purposes  in short  the mission of the parish remain the same. The parish was and continues to be the rallying point and force around which Orthodox Christians find both solace and strength. The Church began with humble beginnings and grew by leaps and bounds. During the Great Depression the Church was there to counsel and nurture. And even though many changes have occurred from the early years of this century through World War II and since, the mission of the Church and parish remain constant: to evangelize, to safeguard family values and to share the beauty and fullness of Orthodox Christianity with the rest of America. Join me in a historical jet trip through the past, to help us better understand today and the future.

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