Metropolitan Tikhon Encourages Support for Stewards of the OCA
November 11, 2020
Protocol 11/007
To the Very Reverend and Reverend Parish Priests of the Orthodox Church in America:
Christ is in our midst!
I write to you today with great thanks for the many labors and efforts that each of you make for the furthering and growth of the Orthodox Church here in North America. May our Lord always protect and guide all of those who faithfully serve in His Name!
As has been previously announced, this year’s Stewards of the Orthodox Church in America Sunday will take place on Sunday, November 15, 2020. The Stewards of the Orthodox Church in America have the special role of financially supporting the work of the nation-wide ministries and departments of our local church. As parish clergy, you all surely already have familiarity with some of this work, such as the regularly updated liturgical texts, the mission planting grants of the Department of Evangelization, or the conferences of the Office of Pastoral Life, just to name a few examples.
These kinds of works have steadily benefited the entire Church for some time, and I hope that through their continually being supported, they will continue to benefit each and every soul at the parish level. For it is true that together, all of the works that we do in the Church, at all of the different levels of her administration or structure, serve the exact same united purpose:
“To be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that [He has] commanded’ (Matthew 28:20), so that all people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”
- Mission Statement of the Orthodox Church in America, adopted by the Holy Synod of Bishops in 1990
May all of us, through our free giving of the gifts that we have received, become participators in Christ’s Great Commandment, and thereby, bring more and more souls into the inheritance of His Kingdom.
With Love in our Lord Jesus Christ,
+ Tikhon
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada
You can help support the ongoing work and expansion of OCA ministries which support parishes, clergy, and the faithful by giving a one-time or monthly gift of any amount. Thank you!