OCA representative reelected to OCF Board
Deacon Alexander Cadman, the Orthodox Church in America’s representative on the Board of Trustees of the national Orthodox Christian Fellowship [OCF], was reelected to another two-year term at the OCF’s annual meeting on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology here in December 2014.
Deacon Alexander also will continue to serve as Secretary of the OCF’s Executive Committee.
“To say that 2014 was a challenging year for the OCF would be an understatement,” said Deacon Alexander. “In late May, financial difficulties forced the Board to discontinue the Executive Director position, which had been held by Mrs. Jennifer Nahas for the three years. What followed was an all-hands-ondeck operation by the Board of Trustees to refocus its members, restructure the organization, redirect the staff, and return OCF to financial solvency, all without sacrificing our commitment to our students and our core programs, competencies, and principles.”
The effort has been time consuming and challenging, yet spiritually rewarding, he added.
“God has shown forth His great mercy and compassion by strengthening us through this process, reminding us that we exist for His glory and the salvation of the young adults that are—and are to become through outreach—a critical part of His Church,” Deacon Alexander continued. “Consultants from International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], engaged to advise us through the restructuring process, outlined a series of objectives and stress tests.”
These included presenting organizational renewal efforts and Board structure alignment to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the USA; generating a financial appeal with a $10,000 goal directed to parishes on College Student Sunday; performing a review of financial systems, policies, procedures, and administrative functions by senior IOCC staffers; developing and implementing a direct mail appeal to current and past donors, facilitators, student leaders, and others utilizing technical assistance from IOCC; establishing a Board-approved operating budget for 2015; and developing and adopting a Board-approved fundraising plan for the coming year, also with IOCC’s assistance.
“All of these objectives have been met, OCF’s debts have been paid off with cash in reserve, and the 2015 budget features a surplus with $20,000 specifically set aside for development activities,” Deacon Alexander noted.
Among the other highlights of the meeting was a report from Operations Manager Donna Levas, chapter Relations Coordinator Christina Andresen, and Student Leadership Board Chairman Andrew About indicating growth in every metric of student services, including College Conference and Real Break enrollment. The National Chaplaincy program was reinstated, and two priests will oversee the Eastern and Western halves of the US. A new $10,000 fund was created for regional retreats and activities, while the Parish Partner/Liaison Program will be expanded in 2015.
“As part of Board renewal, each member was tasked with specific liaisons and roles within the organization,” Deacon Alexander added. “My areas of focus include acting as the liaison between our Board and the Student Leadership Board, as well as overseeing the management of OCF’s web site and mobile app, which made its debut in December.”
Looking ahead to 2015, Board members tasked themselves with by-law and documental revision “to ensure we remain compliant under all ecclesial and civil authorities, while a timeline for the reinstatement of the Executive Director position in 2016 was established,” Deacon Alexander concluded.
OCF is the official campus ministry organization of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. For additional information, visit the OCF’s web site.
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