OCA Chancery
Syosset, New York
September 2004
Dearly Beloved in the Lord,
The theme chosen for the 14th All-American Council is Our Church and the Future. This is an exciting theme that will allow us to explore not only where we came from as a Church, but also where we presently are and most importantly where we are going. It is a theme that invites us to reflect upon the past and present and to act to shape the future work and mission of the Church and how the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards can support that work and mission.
There is no doubt that the decisions we make today will shape the future direction of our Church. I liken this to a road map with many different roads. Some roads will lead us to our intended destination, others, if taken, will lead to a dead-end. Yet there is another alternative, if we just stand still and do nothing, then we will go no further.
The road that leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven, although a narrow path it is well lit with the Light of Christ, with His saints as sentinels pointing us in the right direction. In the life of our Orthodox Church in America, the light and lives of our North American Saints inspire us to move forward into a future full of hope and joy built upon the virtues of prayer, fasting and sacrificial giving.
Each September, as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, I invite you to join me and the thousands of other faithful and friends of our Church in making a free will gift to the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. This year’s appeal to you is especially important because I have placed the challenge before us, as members of the Church, to raise an additional $150,000 in new FOS gifts in the next six weeks.
With on-going FOS support and with these new FOS gifts, the Orthodox Church in America’s Departments will be fully funded at their budgeted level of $470,000. These Departments can then continue to minister to our youth, young adults and college students, to our missionaries, church schoolteachers and students, pastors and those less fortunate. Our Church’s website and newspaper can continue to reach out to people around the world with news about the life of Christ and His Church.
Dearly beloved, each hour of every day our Church commits $54.00 to help support these and others Church Departments, Offices and Ministries. It is only through voluntary gifts that we fund these efforts. I am now asking you to become as FOS supporter. If you are already a FOS supporter, please increase your current FOS support as much as possible.
As good stewards of Christ’s Church, we are called to journey on the road that leads to the Kingdom of God. Let each of us today make the choice to support the work of the Church that FOS so generously funds. Let us be part of a future stronger and more determined to answer the daily call of our Lord to preach the gospel and share the Good News of the Lord with all people.
I look forward to your generous response.
Yours in Christ,
+ HERMAN
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada