GATHERINGS: Delaware, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky
Newark, DE: Metropolitan Tikhon to address district OCF
With the fall semester approaching its mid-point this month, many Orthodox Christian Fellowships around the country are in “full swing” with a variety of gatherings and ministries.
On Saturday, November 7, 2015, OCF’s Philadelphia District will host His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, who will address college students and young adults on the topic “Ancient Spirituality in a Rock and Roll World.” The free lecture and discussion, followed by the celebration of Vespers, will begin at noon at the Saint Thomas More Oratory, 45 Lovett Avenue, Newark, DE. The public is invited.
Oberlin, OH: OCF to host talk on plight of Egypt’s Christians
Priest Marcos Ghali, Rector of Saint Mark Coptic Church, Cleveland, OH, will be the guest speaker at a presentation hosted by the Oberlin Orthodox Christian Fellowship at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2015. He will discuss the plight of Christians in Egypt in a talk titled “Sheep among wolves: How did they survive?”
The gathering will take place in Room 101 of Wilder Hall, 135 West Lorain Street, Oberlin, OH.
“Recently we have selected topics greated toward the political climate of our times, and certainly the slaughter of Christians in the Middle East could not be more timely,” said Chris Baymiller, Oberlin OCF Campus Advisor.
Students from OCF chapters in the Cleveland/Akron region as well as members of area parishes are expected to join OCF members for the evening. “One of our primary activities is our Orthodox Speaker Series, and while we are the smallest religious organization on campus, we undeniably have programmed more outside speakers than any other group. This is in part made possible due to fundraising and grants.”
Since its establishment in 2009, the Oberlin OCF has raised approximately $25,000.00 towards its ministry on campus. In addition, Saints Peter and Paul parish, Lorain, OH was awarded a parish development grant from the Diocese of the Midwest to further its relationship with campus communities. Such speakers as Fathers Peter Guilquist, Daniel Byantoro, Michael Oleksa, Antonio Perdomo, and Patrick Reardon and Presvytera Jeannie Constantinou, Jim Forest, Nathan Hoppe, Prof. Kyriacos Markides, and Khouriya Frederica Matthews-Green have offered presentations at the OCF’s invitation.
Under the guidance of Archpriest Basil Stoyka, Spiritual Advisor, OCF members also celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Tuesdays during Great Lent and pursue a variety of other ministries.
Kansas City, MO: Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black holds annual conference
The Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black held its 22nd annual conference at Saint Mary of Egypt parish, Kansas City, Missouri October 8-11, 2015. The theme came was inspired by the words of Abba Joseph, the early African desert father, who said, “Why not become all aflame?”
The brotherhood embraces individuals committed to multi-racial, pan-Orthodox fellowship and study of the Church’s ancient roots and to bringing Orthodoxy to the African-American community as a means of “expanding the Mission.”
The keynote conference speaker was His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey, who noted that the OCA’s 18th All-American Conference expressed the desire to reach out to the African-American community. He also reflected on the harmful racism he has witnessed in the Church over the years.
Additional presentations were offered by Archpriest Moses Berry, Priest Jerome Sanderson, Hieromonk Alexii [Altschul] and the Nun Katherine [Weston]. Their talks are available on Ancient Faith Radio.
Nicholasville, KY: Area parishes hold presentation on Syrian Crisis
Saint Athanasius Church, Nicholasville, KY, hosted a reception and presentation on the Syrian Crisis on October 10, 2015. Held in conjunction with the Lexington-area Orthodox parishes and the Jessamine County Ministerial Association, the gathering also served as a fundraiser for the vital work of the International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC]. A panel of speakers with direct experience of the ongoing humanitarian disaster in the Middle East addressed the 130-plus participants representing local Orthodox parishes, other confessions, and non-Christians, who raised $4,500.00 for IOCC’s ongoing ministries.
The program began with a welcome from Nicholasville Mayor Pete Sutherland, who voiced his support for the work of IOCC and expressed his personal concern for the people of Syria and Middle Eastern Christians in particular. Priest
Thomas Gallaway of Lexington’s Saint Andrew Antiochian Orthodox Church moderated the panel, which included Drs. Rezkalla Butros and Majd Makoul, who addressed life in Syria before the recent conflict broke out, and Iyad Jabbour, who spoke about the ravages of war, displacement, and terrorism.
“The speakers all emphasized how complex the problems facing the Syrian people – and the Christian community there in particular – are,” said Priest Justin Patterson, host Pastor. “They enjoined participants to support the Syrian Christian community through prayer and action. They added that at present, the only only two legal avenues to extend material aid to Syrian’s Orthodox community are the Patriarchate of Antioch and IOCC.”