Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Completion of the Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building
St. Augustine, FL - On April 13, 2009 the staff of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center began working in the Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building. The opening of this facility marks a new era in North American Orthodoxy’s mission movement. The building will prove to be a vital resource of the Church as more Orthodox Christians answer their call to share the Faith with people around the world through participation in the ministries of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
This is the first permanent facility of an agency of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA); it will serve as an international missions headquarters for North America’s estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians.
Formal dedication ceremonies will be held on May 21, 2009. Both His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, and His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, together with other hierarchs of SCOBA, will be at the dedication to celebrate this historical moment in Orthodox missions and to lead the gathered faithful in praying for the continuation of this vital work of the Church.
OCMC currently has 12 long-term Missionaries serving in three countries; and is in the process of deploying 6 more Missionaries this year. In 2009, OCMC will also send nearly 100 volunteers on 11 short-term Mission Teams that will serve in 8 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, and North America. The OCMC is committed to training and equipping these individuals and has developed intensive training programs for long-term Missionary Candidates and Mission Team Members. With an interactive learning center, a training room, and seven dormitories, over half of the building's 12,000 square feet are dedicated to training these mission workers. Commenting on the completion of this facility, OCMC's Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi stated, "The new Mission Center was designed for the needs of today, with a vision for the needs of tomorrow."
In response to Christ's final command to "make disciples of all nations," the OCMC is dedicated to helping the Church realize its missionary vision. In addition to sending Missionaries and Mission Team volunteers, the OCMC subsidizes the salaries of over 350 indigenous clergy in 18 mission countries. It helps train new church leaders by supporting seven seminaries around the world, and it funds numerous ministry and philanthropic projects of the Church abroad. In the new state-of-the-art Missionary Training and Administration Building, these programs will be able to work toward sharing the Gospel of Christ in more areas around the world in the years to come.
The ground for this new facility was broken in 2006, and its completion is the culmination of decades of growing prayer and support for missions among the various canonical Orthodox Churches of the Americas. The new building stands as a tribute to the many people who made its construction possible, and it reflects the Orthodox Church's growing commitment to missions.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the official mission agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). It is dedicated to proclaiming the fullness of the Orthodox faith in response to Christ’s last commandment to make disciples of all nations. For more information on OCMC and the May 21 Dedication go to www.ocmc.org.
This is the first permanent facility of an agency of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA); it will serve as an international missions headquarters for North America’s estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians.
Formal dedication ceremonies will be held on May 21, 2009. Both His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, and His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, together with other hierarchs of SCOBA, will be at the dedication to celebrate this historical moment in Orthodox missions and to lead the gathered faithful in praying for the continuation of this vital work of the Church.
OCMC currently has 12 long-term Missionaries serving in three countries; and is in the process of deploying 6 more Missionaries this year. In 2009, OCMC will also send nearly 100 volunteers on 11 short-term Mission Teams that will serve in 8 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, and North America. The OCMC is committed to training and equipping these individuals and has developed intensive training programs for long-term Missionary Candidates and Mission Team Members. With an interactive learning center, a training room, and seven dormitories, over half of the building's 12,000 square feet are dedicated to training these mission workers. Commenting on the completion of this facility, OCMC's Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi stated, "The new Mission Center was designed for the needs of today, with a vision for the needs of tomorrow."
In response to Christ's final command to "make disciples of all nations," the OCMC is dedicated to helping the Church realize its missionary vision. In addition to sending Missionaries and Mission Team volunteers, the OCMC subsidizes the salaries of over 350 indigenous clergy in 18 mission countries. It helps train new church leaders by supporting seven seminaries around the world, and it funds numerous ministry and philanthropic projects of the Church abroad. In the new state-of-the-art Missionary Training and Administration Building, these programs will be able to work toward sharing the Gospel of Christ in more areas around the world in the years to come.
The ground for this new facility was broken in 2006, and its completion is the culmination of decades of growing prayer and support for missions among the various canonical Orthodox Churches of the Americas. The new building stands as a tribute to the many people who made its construction possible, and it reflects the Orthodox Church's growing commitment to missions.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the official mission agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). It is dedicated to proclaiming the fullness of the Orthodox faith in response to Christ’s last commandment to make disciples of all nations. For more information on OCMC and the May 21 Dedication go to www.ocmc.org.
Monday, April 13, 2009
New Candidate Orientation Prepares Five Future Missionaries
St. Augustine, FL - Last week five future Missionaries and an observer joined the staff of OCMC for six days of intensive training. This New Candidate Orientation (NCO) featured classes that covered a broad range of subjects from enculturation and contextualization of the Gospel, to evangelism, team skills, budgeting and communications workshops. The NCO is just one phase of OCMC's new intensive missionary training program aimed at preparing missionary candidates for raising support and ministering to a culture different from their own. The candidates will return to the OCMC Home Office once more to complete their preparation by attending Pre-Field Training immediately before departure.
Each of the missionary candidates is planning to serve in Tanzania where, under the direction of His Eminence Jeronymos, the Church and its outreach ministries are growing at an astounding rate. Once deployed, these Missionaries will be providing assistance in nursing, public health education, text translation, communication, sewing programs, and diocesan administration. Each of these ministries is vital to the Church's efforts to share Christ with the Tanzanian people.
The candidates are now in the process of raising support for their missionary service. If you would like more information about James Hargrave, Michael Pagedas, Charita Stavrou, Felice Stewart, or Katie Wilcoxson, please visit http://www.ocmc.org/missionaries/missionaries.aspx. We encourage the Orthodox faithful and parishes everywhere to be generous in both their prayer and financial support for these missionaries who will be serving as living witnesses to the Orthodox faith in Tanzania. More missionaries are needed in other parts of the world. Contact the Missionary Department for more information at missionaries@ocmc.org.
Each of the missionary candidates is planning to serve in Tanzania where, under the direction of His Eminence Jeronymos, the Church and its outreach ministries are growing at an astounding rate. Once deployed, these Missionaries will be providing assistance in nursing, public health education, text translation, communication, sewing programs, and diocesan administration. Each of these ministries is vital to the Church's efforts to share Christ with the Tanzanian people.
The candidates are now in the process of raising support for their missionary service. If you would like more information about James Hargrave, Michael Pagedas, Charita Stavrou, Felice Stewart, or Katie Wilcoxson, please visit http://www.ocmc.org/missionaries/missionaries.aspx. We encourage the Orthodox faithful and parishes everywhere to be generous in both their prayer and financial support for these missionaries who will be serving as living witnesses to the Orthodox faith in Tanzania. More missionaries are needed in other parts of the world. Contact the Missionary Department for more information at missionaries@ocmc.org.
Volunteer Needed at OCMC
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), located in St. Augustine, Florida, is seeking 5 volunteers to join their Thank You Calling Team. Individuals on this team commit to calling a monthly list of OCMC donors and thanking them for their gifts on behalf of OCMC. Solicitation is not a part of this program. Training and orientation will be provided, and calls can be made from the OCMC offices or from home if the volunteer has unlimited calling. The time commitment is 3-4 hours per month. To find out more information, or to volunteer to become a part of this team, contact Kenneth Kidd, Annual Gifts Officer, at 877-GO-FORTH or at kenny@ocmc.org.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Debra Hile: Short-term Mission Team Member to Romania
Debra Hile, an Orthodox convert and a member of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church in Falls Church, Virginia, is always willing to meet a need at church. When I am in the Washington, DC, area, I often visit Debra’s church, and I have seen her sweeping the floor and cleaning the icons before joining the other chanters for Wednesday night Vespers. She also teaches a Sunday school class and is active in various women’s groups.
Recently Debra saw a need beyond her local church; she volunteered for an Orthodox Christian Mission Center Team. And when the OCMC assigned her to a Team going to Romania, she noted, “In many ways that seems so appropriate now that I am in a church under the Romanian Episcopate!”
It was not the first time Debra had participated in overseas missionary endeavors. “When I was an Episcopalian I used to go on mission trips,” she said, “but this was my first trip since becoming Orthodox. I waited two years to at least begin to understand and live Orthodoxy before going.”
And her understanding of her Orthodox faith grew deeper during the mission trip—an unexpected blessing. “I learned so much about what it means to be Orthodox by being present in a country where it is such a part of life,” she said. “It was a great joy to be in a country that is about 85 percent Orthodox. Being relatively new to Orthodoxy, I was able to learn much about the roots and depth of the Orthodox faith.
“Romania is full of churches, monasteries, and wayside shrines, as well as people who live a pious life. Even though the communist years in Romania shut down most churches and monasteries and limited faith to the older generation, the priests we met with said most Romanians do attend Liturgy on Sunday. And it is clear that some of the younger generation are finding their way to faith and seeking to find its fullness and life.”
In Romania, Debra and the other four members of the OCMC Team worked with the younger generation. They assisted at two youth camps, one for older teenagers and one for nine- to thirteen-year-olds. The team worked with a Romanian university student group called (in English) the Association of Orthodox Christian Students in Romania (ASCOR). Debra holds wonderful memories of her time spent with the campers, the ASCOR students, the priests, and her fellow OCMC team members. She formed ties that will last a lifetime.
She recalled, “Both camps started the day with morning prayer and held Vespers before supper. What delight to hear each of the campers taking turns participating in the readings and praying to God! The morning was taken up with talks by the Romanian priests and discussion groups. Our OCMC team members gave short talks on the North American saints. The remainder of the day was spent in sports and workshops such as making icons from prints, learning the knots to make crosses and prayer bracelets, and group games. In the evening gathering I experienced both the Romanians’ love of music and the beauty of their voices. We sang in English and Romanian and included songs about God, the Theotokos, the beauty of the ocean, and a Romanian Robin Hood.
“I loved the people—both the campers and the ASCOR volunteers. All the ASCOR students were overflowing with a love rooted in their faith, and they drew everybody else into that. We had a couple of blind campers at the first camp, and watching the ASCOR folks surround them with love, making sure they were included in everything, and then seeing the campers do likewise, was amazing. From my years of experience as a teacher and camp counselor, at the Romanian camps I would often notice a camper who needed a little comfort and direction. All I had to do was point it out to one of the ASCOR volunteers and they were by that person—talking, listening (I couldn’t do that in Romanian), and caring.”
Several of the campers stand out in Debra’s memory. For example, “Antonio, a dark, curly-haired camper, did not speak much English but he was a delight. He always had a big smile and welcome, and was quick to help at meals or getting ready for services of singing. He also was a fantastic soccer player. Father Oviduu [the Romanian priest at the first camp] also was a highlight of the camp. When he worshiped, he worshiped with all his heart, and you couldn’t help joining in. He taught us a beautiful song to the Theotokos in Romanian, singing with great love. He equally played with all his heart.”
Another delight to Debra was to worship in the beautiful Romanian monasteries and churches—and not just the large churches. “Some of the tiny, very old churches with their more primitive icons were wrapped in a depth of prayer and piety that you could feel as you walked in,” she observed.
“The churches had icons painted all over the walls and ceilings and were holy spaces of great joy. In the villages, piety was seen in the many pilgrims walking to monasteries carrying offerings of flowers from their gardens. What a joy to see several monasteries with many young monastics! The monasteries have been built on grounds where communities destroyed by the communists once stood, thus carrying on the history of the faith.”
She added, “The depth of piety of the ASCOR group we were working with was amazing. Many of them spend several hours at church almost every day of the week, and keep up a full academic load. The ASCOR priest in Cluj, Father Cyprian, provides weekly Unction, Vespers, and Liturgy, with extra services for feast days. He also teaches classes several days a week and asks most to come to confession on a weekly basis. The students are managing this and their heavy academic loads, and they are true examples of the faith.
“While we were told the church wouldn’t be full because it was summer holiday time, each service we attended there was full of young people. The depth of spirituality, the beauty of the surroundings in icon-filled churches, and the gentleness and purity of the chanting enfolded me in such a way that my lack of understanding the language made no difference as I participated in the sacraments of Communion and Unction at several different churches and monasteries.”
Debra asks Handmaiden readers, “Please pray that folks there remain faithful and aren’t drawn away by secularism and Western life.”
Debra and the other team members began their mission adventure at the OCMC office in St. Augustine, Florida. She said it was a joy to meet the staff and learn from them. “They are doing great work to support the sharing of the Gospel throughout the world. The Teams staff was a lot of fun—and really knew their stuff as they prepared us for the trip.”
The OCMC staff members are always looking for dedicated people willing to become a short-term mission Team Member or even a long-term Missionary. Debra urged, “Please consider joining a team and seeing God act both in your life and in the country you visit.”
She added, “To go on a trip, you fill out an application and get your priest to fill out a referral form and submit them to OCMC. The OCMC team is great at answering questions at any point in the process, and they are easy to reach by phone or email. They send you a packet on how to raise support. I was truly blessed in that my parish held a luncheon on my behalf and raised funds that were matched by our Ladies Guild. Many of the parishioners also gave me money or sent money to the OCMC for my trip.”
Article by Fran Presley
This article originally appeared in the "Women Making a Difference" Section of the Handmaiden, Vol 13. No. 1.
Recently Debra saw a need beyond her local church; she volunteered for an Orthodox Christian Mission Center Team. And when the OCMC assigned her to a Team going to Romania, she noted, “In many ways that seems so appropriate now that I am in a church under the Romanian Episcopate!”
It was not the first time Debra had participated in overseas missionary endeavors. “When I was an Episcopalian I used to go on mission trips,” she said, “but this was my first trip since becoming Orthodox. I waited two years to at least begin to understand and live Orthodoxy before going.”
And her understanding of her Orthodox faith grew deeper during the mission trip—an unexpected blessing. “I learned so much about what it means to be Orthodox by being present in a country where it is such a part of life,” she said. “It was a great joy to be in a country that is about 85 percent Orthodox. Being relatively new to Orthodoxy, I was able to learn much about the roots and depth of the Orthodox faith.
“Romania is full of churches, monasteries, and wayside shrines, as well as people who live a pious life. Even though the communist years in Romania shut down most churches and monasteries and limited faith to the older generation, the priests we met with said most Romanians do attend Liturgy on Sunday. And it is clear that some of the younger generation are finding their way to faith and seeking to find its fullness and life.”
In Romania, Debra and the other four members of the OCMC Team worked with the younger generation. They assisted at two youth camps, one for older teenagers and one for nine- to thirteen-year-olds. The team worked with a Romanian university student group called (in English) the Association of Orthodox Christian Students in Romania (ASCOR). Debra holds wonderful memories of her time spent with the campers, the ASCOR students, the priests, and her fellow OCMC team members. She formed ties that will last a lifetime.
She recalled, “Both camps started the day with morning prayer and held Vespers before supper. What delight to hear each of the campers taking turns participating in the readings and praying to God! The morning was taken up with talks by the Romanian priests and discussion groups. Our OCMC team members gave short talks on the North American saints. The remainder of the day was spent in sports and workshops such as making icons from prints, learning the knots to make crosses and prayer bracelets, and group games. In the evening gathering I experienced both the Romanians’ love of music and the beauty of their voices. We sang in English and Romanian and included songs about God, the Theotokos, the beauty of the ocean, and a Romanian Robin Hood.
“I loved the people—both the campers and the ASCOR volunteers. All the ASCOR students were overflowing with a love rooted in their faith, and they drew everybody else into that. We had a couple of blind campers at the first camp, and watching the ASCOR folks surround them with love, making sure they were included in everything, and then seeing the campers do likewise, was amazing. From my years of experience as a teacher and camp counselor, at the Romanian camps I would often notice a camper who needed a little comfort and direction. All I had to do was point it out to one of the ASCOR volunteers and they were by that person—talking, listening (I couldn’t do that in Romanian), and caring.”
Several of the campers stand out in Debra’s memory. For example, “Antonio, a dark, curly-haired camper, did not speak much English but he was a delight. He always had a big smile and welcome, and was quick to help at meals or getting ready for services of singing. He also was a fantastic soccer player. Father Oviduu [the Romanian priest at the first camp] also was a highlight of the camp. When he worshiped, he worshiped with all his heart, and you couldn’t help joining in. He taught us a beautiful song to the Theotokos in Romanian, singing with great love. He equally played with all his heart.”
Another delight to Debra was to worship in the beautiful Romanian monasteries and churches—and not just the large churches. “Some of the tiny, very old churches with their more primitive icons were wrapped in a depth of prayer and piety that you could feel as you walked in,” she observed.
“The churches had icons painted all over the walls and ceilings and were holy spaces of great joy. In the villages, piety was seen in the many pilgrims walking to monasteries carrying offerings of flowers from their gardens. What a joy to see several monasteries with many young monastics! The monasteries have been built on grounds where communities destroyed by the communists once stood, thus carrying on the history of the faith.”
She added, “The depth of piety of the ASCOR group we were working with was amazing. Many of them spend several hours at church almost every day of the week, and keep up a full academic load. The ASCOR priest in Cluj, Father Cyprian, provides weekly Unction, Vespers, and Liturgy, with extra services for feast days. He also teaches classes several days a week and asks most to come to confession on a weekly basis. The students are managing this and their heavy academic loads, and they are true examples of the faith.
“While we were told the church wouldn’t be full because it was summer holiday time, each service we attended there was full of young people. The depth of spirituality, the beauty of the surroundings in icon-filled churches, and the gentleness and purity of the chanting enfolded me in such a way that my lack of understanding the language made no difference as I participated in the sacraments of Communion and Unction at several different churches and monasteries.”
Debra asks Handmaiden readers, “Please pray that folks there remain faithful and aren’t drawn away by secularism and Western life.”
Debra and the other team members began their mission adventure at the OCMC office in St. Augustine, Florida. She said it was a joy to meet the staff and learn from them. “They are doing great work to support the sharing of the Gospel throughout the world. The Teams staff was a lot of fun—and really knew their stuff as they prepared us for the trip.”
The OCMC staff members are always looking for dedicated people willing to become a short-term mission Team Member or even a long-term Missionary. Debra urged, “Please consider joining a team and seeing God act both in your life and in the country you visit.”
She added, “To go on a trip, you fill out an application and get your priest to fill out a referral form and submit them to OCMC. The OCMC team is great at answering questions at any point in the process, and they are easy to reach by phone or email. They send you a packet on how to raise support. I was truly blessed in that my parish held a luncheon on my behalf and raised funds that were matched by our Ladies Guild. Many of the parishioners also gave me money or sent money to the OCMC for my trip.”
Article by Fran Presley
This article originally appeared in the "Women Making a Difference" Section of the Handmaiden, Vol 13. No. 1.
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