OCMC’s Board reviews new strategic plan at annual meeting
The annual meeting of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s [OCMC] Board of Directors was held here May 9-10, 2016. Board members from across the country attended the meeting. Also present were participants on an OCMC short-term healthcare team who were preparing to serve in Indonesia. Board members participated in the commissioning prayer for the team, which will be using their professional skills to minister at the RSU Theotokos Hospital in Medan.
The Board welcomed two new members during the meeting, Armin Brown of Cypress, CA from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North Americae and Frank Catrickes of Boston, MA from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Also recognized were members of the Executive Committee whose terms are ending, especially the officers—Priest George Liacopulos, President; John Colis, Vice President; William Birchfield III, Treasurer; and Dr. Gayle Woloschak, Secretary. A new slate of officers will be voted upon and installed this summer.
“We appreciate the work that has been done and will continue to be done through the support of those participating in the work carried out through the OCMC Board,” stated Priest Martin Ritsi, OCMC Executive Director.
The Board received a positive report on the organization’s financial health. A report from OCMC’s independent outside auditor announced that the agency received a clean audit on its 2015 financials.
A large part of the meeting involved reviewing OCMC’s new three-year strategic plan. Father Martin led the Board in looking at the vision and mission of OCMC for the next three years and beyond. He mentioned the three core focus areas that drive mission efforts, which include bringing non-Christians to Christ, helping to establish the Church in places where it is newly emerging or re-emerging, and encouraging self-support for the programs and parishes that have been started in the mission field. These focus areas work toward OCMC’s overlying vision “to bring all people to know the saving love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
The OCMC Staff and Board, along with His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, retired Executive Director, enjoyed a dinner together on the evening of May 10, during which Indonesia Healthcare Team Leader Dr. Cheryl Johnson gave a presentation about her journey to Orthodoxy and how missions had been an integral part of that journey. Presentations such as Cheryl’s bring to life the work of OCMC in a way that makes it tangible and relevant for those who hear it. OCMC thanks God for the continued opportunity to make disciples of all nations through His grace and provision.
Focusing on foreign missions, OCMC is a pan-Orthodox agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. Its Board includes members of several jurisdictions, including the Orthodox Church in America. Currently, several OCA clergy and laity serve as OCMC missionaries, following the lead of many who have served on mission teams during OCMC’s three decades of ministry. Visit OCMC’s web site for a wealth of information on the agency’s ministries around the world.