OCN to Provide Live Coverage of the Dedication of the New Archbishop Anastasios & Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training & Administration Building

St. Augustine, FL – Several hundred Orthodox Christian faithful from throughout the country and as far away as Albania and Romania will be in St. Augustine this week for the dedication of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administrative Building of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). This new facility will serve as the international missions headquarters for North America’s estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians. Events begin with an evening banquet Wednesday, May 20, and continue on Thursday with a Divine Liturgy service at 7:30 a.m. The actual Dedication ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 21, to be followed by a luncheon.

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 cooperation, and to lead the gathered Faithful in praying for the continuation of this vital work of the Church. Also participating are current and former OCMC missionaries who are serving or have served in various worldwide locations; mission team volunteers; members of the OCMC board of directors; benefactors; staff; and other Orthodox clergy and laity.

Coverage of this historic event, including photos, interviews, and a live blog, will be provided by Fr. Chris Metropulos of Orthodox Christian Network (OCN). Logon to www.MyOCN.net on May 21st to share in this monumental expression of Orthodox Christian unity in North America and the continued growth of the Orthodox missions movement.

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 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.

Invitation to OCMC Dedication

The Board of Directors and Staff of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) are pleased to invite the Orthodox faithful of the Americas to the dedication of the Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building. This building, the first permanent facility of an agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), holds 12,000 sqare feet of training space and offices. Among those planning to attend are His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, and the Head of the Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church; and His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, as well as other hierarchs representing canonical jurisdictions in the Americas.

The dedication will begin with a banquet on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, located on 500 South Legacy Trail in St. Augustine. Tickets are $65 per person. A celebration of the Divine Liturgy will take place on Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, which is located at 2940 CR-214 in St. Augustine. The liturgical service is open to the public.

The dedication ceremony, which will take place at the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building, is also open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m. Dedication ceremonies will be followed by a reception and building tours at 11 a.m. Events conclude with a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. Tickets for the luncheon are $40 per person. Reservations for the banquet on the 20th or the luncheon on the 21st must be made by May 15 by calling (904) 829-5132 or visiting www.OCMC.org.