SPRING 2006 Volume 22, Number 1support center. Is it worth it? Should we be sacriﬁc-ing to carry...

V o l u m e 2 2 , N u m b e r 1S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l M i s s i o n A g e n c y o f S C O B A

Executive Director Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Fr. Martin Ritsi, OCMC Executive Director

Celebrating Twenty Years of Sending Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Fr. George Liacopulos, OCMC Board Member

Missions: Growing Orthodox Reality in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Fr. Alexander Veronis, President Emeritus

Impressions on Serving As Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Fr. Luke A. Veronis, 10 years missionary service in Albania

Reflections from Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Timeline & Quotes from past & present missionaries

Answering the Call—Capital Campaign Completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Seraphim Chip Southworth, OCMC Development Director

Our Journey to Touch the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Letter of Thanks by Helen Nicozisis, OCMC Board Member, Past President

The OCMC’s Mission Magazine is published twice a

year for members of the Saints Cyril and Methodios

Orthodox Mission Society by the Orthodox Christian

Mission Center.

EDITOR: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fr. Martin Ritsi

INTERIM MANAGING EDITOR: . . . Oksana Klufas Willower

DESIGN: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron Thorp

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official

international mission agency of the Standing Conference of

Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).

For more information about OCMC visit our website at www.ocmc.org

or contact us atOrthodox Christian Mission Center

P.O. Box 4319 St. Augustine, FL 32085

PH: (904) 829-5132 Fax: (904) 829-1635Toll Free: 1-877-GO-FORTH (463-6784)

Email: [email protected]

or visit us at: 85 S. Dixie Highway, St. Augustine, FL

Program Contacts:Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fr. Martin Ritsi

Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maria Gallos

Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew J. Lekos

Capital Campaign &

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seraphim Chip Southworth

Agape Canister & SAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Barrett

Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Klees

OCMC Missionaries and their families:Alaska: Paul Sidebottom Albania: Georgia Gilman •

Nathan, Lynette, Tristan and Katherine Hoppe • Dr. Charles,

Maria, George, Anthony, Joanna, Adrian and Melania

Linderman • Melanie Linderman • Driko (Andrew),

Christine, Anthony and Constantine Pappas • George,

Pauline, Christopher and Madeline Russell • Panayiotis,

Shannon and Sophia Sakellariou • Maria Mavrikou •

Dn. Hector and Katerina Firoglanis Argentina: Cynthia Bald-

win-Thanos Guatemala: Christina Hagelios, Edwin Pier

Romania: Floyd and Ancuta Frantz Uganda: John Burnett,

Peter & Sharon Georges

OCMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Mr. Cliff Argue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President

V. Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President

Fr. Raymond Velencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer

Fr. George P. Liacopulos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary

Fr. Alexander Veronis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President Emeritus

Fr. Nicholas Anctil, Fr. John Chakos, Fr. Louis Christopulos, Mr. George Conopeotis, Mr. Patrick Crosson, Mrs. Cina Daskalakis, Dr. John Demakis, Fr. Peter Gillquist, Mr. Robert Gremley, Fr. John Harvey, Fr. Gregory Horton, Fr. David Hudson, Fr. Nicholas Jonas, Dr. Spero Kinnas, Fr. Dimitri Leussis, Mr. George Maragakes, Fr. Constantine Mersinas, Fr. Luke Mihaly, Mr. Scott Mitchell, Mrs. Helen Nicozisis, Fr. Ted Pisarchuk, Fr. David Rucker, Mrs. Elizabeth Slanta, Fr. Matthew Tate, Fr. Constantin Tofan, Fr. Nicholas Verdaris, Dr. Gayle Woloschak, Mr. Andrew Yiannakos

Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of OCMC. We reserve the right to edit all articles and all submissions for length and content. Articles may be reproduced and used with written acknowledgement of the source.

Spr ing 2006 • Vo lume 22, Number 1

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE The Starfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Cleo Constantin—Mission Team MemberKaribuni! Welcome! Faraha na aman! Joy and Peace! . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Catherine Chisnall—2005 Endowment Recipient and Tanzania Team MemberFundraising for a Mission Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Ninos Oshaana, Mission Team Member—Tanzania 2005AGAPE: Living Waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Amy Barrett, Agape Canister & SAMP Coordinator SAMP – Letters from the Hearts of SAMP Recipients . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Mission News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

FEATURES

CONTENTS

MISSION M A G A Z I N E

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center: Helping Orthodox Christians respond to Christ’s call to preach, teach, baptize, minister to the poor and make disciples of all nations.

On the cover: With smiling faces,Tyrone Emery and a group of children greet the Tanzania Mission Team.

2 O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • W W W . O C M C . O R G

Day after day, we stood face to face with hundreds of Africans, crowding

to see us after having walked two to three hours from their remote homes. They gazed upon us with their deep brown eyes, their features worn by the harshness of their lives. As newly sent missionaries standing before them we asked: God why are we here? What do we have to offer as strangers in this land? Shouldn’t we be serving in our homeland where there are so many needs among our own families and churches?”

Many Orthodox Christians still ask these questions but there are many who know the answers: those who send, those who have been sent, and those who have received!

This year the Orthodox Christian Mis-sion Center marks its twentieth year of sending missionaries around the world. In this issue, we reflect on these twenty years of service. Founding board mem-bers and missionaries comment on the impact of their service.

Twenty years ago, Fr. Dan and Pres. Nancy Christopulos traveled to East Africa as OCMC’s first missionaries. To-day, over 75 missionaries and well over 1000 short-term mission team members have traveled to distant lands in their footsteps. Aid is given to those who suffer, clinics are built and supported, schools are erected, orphans are cared for and thousands are baptized by our missionaries, while tens of thousands

are baptized by those they have trained and who are supported by the Mission Center. In return, our Church at home is strengthened and invigorated by the en-thusiasm of those returning from these experiences and those who have been blessed by supporting them.

In addition, this issue celebrates a new step for mission outreach in the years to come: the completion of a six million dollar campaign to establish

endowments and build a permanent missionary training and administrative support center.

Is it worth it? Should we be sacrific-ing to carry our Orthodox Faith to distant lands? Let me answer that with what I came to understand that day in the hot African sun, standing on a barren, dry hillside with so many eyes gazing upon me as a new and young missionary that had come to visit them from America:

“These eyes, which reflected their suffering, looked to us - but with joy and with hope. And now, we stood naked before them, with nothing to give. It was during this journey that we were finally led to understand just why we had come to Africa and what the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ really is - not only for Africa but for the entire world! While giving is a part of being Christian, we have seen that all our giving in East Africa looks insignificant when com-pared to what the people have received in Jesus Christ.

To be assisted, freed from material needs, to be affluent, or even to live a life of luxury is of no value to a soul which is suffering. But to be filled with love and hope, to have an understanding of life, and to live in harmony with God and one’s community, gives a quality to life which even the harshest of condi-tions cannot destroy. While in the midst of hardship, many of the eyes before us were filled with that hope and knowl-edge of God. And not only did they have a new hope for the future—but their ’today’ had become fuller. Because God is love and His love is sanctifying their existence.”

My question at the end of that mov-ing experience was no longer: “Why are we doing missionary work” but, “Why haven’t we gone out sooner to the rest of the world which still hungers and thirsts for Jesus Christ?”

May the Lord continue to bless our Church and its efforts, that His Name may be proclaimed among all nations!✠

Father Martin RitsiExecutive Director, OCMC

E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r ’ s M e s s a g e

Twe nt y Ye a r s o f M i s s i o n a r y S e r v i ce … S o W h at ?By Father Martin Ritsi

“

ABOVE: Above: Fr. Dan Christopulos enjoys taking a break with fellow seminar-ians from the Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary where he taught Canon Law and Pastoral Theology LEFT: Presbytera Nancy Chris-topulos shown surrounded by Kenyans BELOW: With joy and hope in their eyes, the Kenyan people look with thirst of learning more about the Orthodox faith as mis-sionaries preach the gospel.

3O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Ever since the time of that

conversation, I have realized

that the words of the Athonite

monk perfectly apply to the work

of our Mission Center, since one

of our goals is to inspire others to

transform their lives into one long

evangelistic outreach to people

for the glory of God. The current

evangelistic revival has infused a

growing number of Orthodox Chris-

tians in America with a deepened

awareness of, and commitment to,

mission and evangelism.

Hundreds of faithful have served

on short-term teams and increasing

numbers of believers are commit-

ting themselves to long-term ser-

vice in other countries. Many of our

parishes have hosted priests from

other countries and have heard

American missionaries speak about

overseas accomplishments. OCMC

bulletin boards and pictures of mis-

sionaries adorn many church com-

munity center walls, and several

parishes have included a special

line item for mission in their church

budget. Mission and evangelism

as a total way of life has also been

inspired by the many tapes, videos,

CDs, brochures and books that are

being viewed and read by the faith-

ful across the country.

My personal hope and prayer is

that future generations of church

historians will look back upon our

generation as a time when God

used the Mission Center as a cata-

lyst to inspire countless numbers of

believers to embrace mission and

evangelism as a total way of life.✠

CELEBRATING TWENTY YEARS OF SENDING MISSIONARIES

By Father George Liacopulos, OCMC Board Member

In 1981, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit

Mount Athos as a pilgrim. During that visit, I remem-

ber asking a monk to teach me how to pray. Instead

of offering me a long-winded and detailed explana-

tion he simply said, “Your whole life should be one

long prayer to God.”

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Hundreds of faithful have served

on short-term teams and increas-

ing numbers of believers are com-

mitting themselves to long-term

service in other countries.


5O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Orthodox Christianity has a continu-ous history of missions in its 2,000 year existence.St. Paul, Sts. Cyril & Methodius, St.

Kosmas Aitolos, St. Stephen of Perm, Sts. Herman & Innocent of Alaska, St. Nicholas of Japan and Archbishop Anastasios of Albania usually capture the highlights when Orthodox speak of their foreign missions.

However, God has always spoken to the hearts of believers to spread the eternal gospel and “make disciples of all nations.” The growth of missionary consciousness in America during the latter part of the 20th century offers one more example.

In 1962, a program began at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Lancaster, PA, focused on foreign Orthodox missions. It was called the Lenten Self-Denial Club (LSDC) which challenged the faithful to sacrifice meals during Lent and offer the equivalent cost to neophyte Orthodox missions in Uganda, Mexico and Korea.

In 1966, the Greek Orthodox Arch-diocese Clergy-Laity Congress created a Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Missions Committee, based on the expanding success of the LSDC project in the first diocesan district.

For the next 18 years, (1967-1985), this Missions Committee met twice annually at the Archdiocese. Bishop Silas served as the Episcopal head and I as the Coordinator. Twenty interested clergy and lay leaders served with us, all volunteers.

The Missions Committee used the model of the LSDC to raise funds. Yearly, 200,000 Lenten Mission Coin Cards were mailed to all Archdiocesan parishes. Income rapidly increased from $10,000 to $200,000.

The Clergy-Laity Congress of 1984, with the blessing of Archbishop Iako-vos, expanded this Missions Committee into a Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Mission Center to be located at the St. Photios Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida.

Fr. Dimitrios Couchell became the first full time paid Executive Director.

Volunteer members of the former Archdiocesan Missions Committee continued to serve as the Board of Directors for the Mission Center. They were appointed by the hierarchs of all the Archdiocesan Dioceses to represent a cross-section of the national Church.

Archbishop Iakovos and the 1994

Greek Orthodox Clergy-Laity Con-gress, with the blessing of SCOBA, transformed the Mission Center into a SCOBA program with a new name: Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).

By 1996, the Mission Center in-creased its annual income to over one million dollars, supporting Orthodox missions in twenty countries world-wide. The success and growth of the program caught the attention of other Orthodox jurisdictions in America under SCOBA (Standing Conference of Ca-nonical Orthodox Bishops in America).

From 1995 to the present, the OCMC has reached out to over 31 countries worldwide with mission programs. Fr. Martin Ritsi, with ten years of mission-

ary experience in Kenya and Albania, has ably served as the Executive Direc-tor for the past eight years.

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N

The OCMC’s history reveals again how God blesses a small beginning! As a

young priest starting out in 1961, mind-ful of how the gospel had changed my life, I initiated the LSDC to introduce a

greater mission consciousness in one parish. Little could I imagine how it would impact American Orthodoxy in time!

The positive response of the faithful to sending Orthodox missions from America was immediate. Theologian Anastasios Yannulatos (presently Arch-bishop Anastasios of Albania), whom I met while studying at the University of Athens, was arousing interest in mis-sions in the Church of Greece through his publication and organization “PORE-FTHENDES…GO YE”, (based on Mat-thew 28:19) in the mid-20th century. His writings and correspondence motivated me to imitate his efforts in America.

In 1988, I had the privilege of head-ing a team of 25 to Kenya to build a

A GROWING ORTHODOX REALITY IN AMERICA

The OCMC is firmly committed to fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 and bringing

the hope and light of Christ to the world.

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MISSIONS:By Fr. Alexander Veronis, President Emeritus


7-room medical clinic at the invitation of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannulatos). The team included Presvytera Pearl, our son Luke, a nurse and a teacher from our area in Lancaster, PA, as well as two physicians, four engineers, several more teachers and others. Fr. Martin and Presvytera Renee Ritsi were then serving as full-time missionaries in Kenya. They had replaced Fr. Dan and Nancy Christopulos, the first long term missionaries serving under our Archdi-ocesan Mission Center.

Transformed spiritually by this mis-sion trip, Luke went on to become a priest/missionary/teacher. He returned to Africa five times over a seven year period and spent ten more years in Albania where he taught at the Resur-rection Orthodox Seminary. Archbishop Anastasios of Albania continued to be his Spiritual Mentor during all this time. Presently Fr. Luke teaches missiology at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary. He and his dedicated Presvytera Faith, parents of four children, also serve a small Greek Orthodox parish in Webster, MA.

Another couple from Lancaster, Fr. Deacon Hector and Diakonissa Katerina Firoglanis, are now serving as long term missionaries in Albania.

I could not imagine in earlier years that by 2006, the OCMC would be:

• Supporting missions in over 31 countries

• Educating hundreds of church

leaders serving missions today• Sending hundreds of people on

short-term summer mission trips • Giving financial support to 267

missionary priests through SAMP worldwide

• Building a new Missionary Training and Administrative Support Center

• Offering scholarships to seminar-ians interested in missions

• Enjoying the enthusiastic support of SCOBA through our chief liai-son and advocate, Bishop Dimitri-os of Xanthos, the first Executive Director of the Mission Program.

The OCMC is firmly committed to fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 and bringing the hope and light of Christ to the world. As God continues to bless its ministry, the future for missionary outreach appears without limit!

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST FOREVER!

Fr. Alexander VeronisPresident Emeritus of the OCMC

Board

Become an Agape Canister partner today. All that is required is to place canisters in local res-

taurants, stores and in your church narthex or school. Once a month, partners empty the canister, count

the money, and send a check to the OCMC. There is no financial com-mitment. It only takes a few minutes

to do and the rewards are great.

For more information or to become a Partner contact Amy Barrett, Agape

Canister Program Coordinator at 1-877-GO–FORTH (463-6784)

or [email protected].

“What does love look like? It has

the hands to help others. It has the

feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery. It

has ears to hear the sighs and

sorrows of men.” –Blessed Augustine

1988 Mission Team to Kenya which included Fr. Luke Veronis and Presbytera Faith (before he was ordained) with other parish members from Lancaster, PA and Kenyans.

O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Faith and I served as missionaries in Albania for more than 10 years. As a newlywed couple, we entered a new culture, learned a new language,

adapted ourselves to a new lifestyle and were adopted by a new people. Over the years, we tried to become Albanian, understanding and identifying with the people and culture. Sure it was hard at times. Yes, we made plenty of humbling mistakes on our journey of learning. We definitely sacrificed certain comforts of America but, looking back, we realize how the entire experience incredibly enriched us. The sacrifices seem insignificant compared to the

blessings we received!Although we traveled to a land of

saints and martyrs, we also under-stood the massive work needed to resurrect, cultivate and nourish this faith among the generations of people who knew nothing of Christianity after decades of militant communism! So we worked side by side with our beloved shepherd, Archbishop Anastasios, the Albanian faithful and co-missionaries from the OCMC and Greece to help resurrect the Church.

Thank God, during our years of service, we saw countless examples of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ touched and transformed the hearts of numerous people. Sometimes we planted the seeds of faith, other times we cultivated the ground, many times we simply took people where they were and walked with them and encouraged them on their journey of faith. We real-ized very clearly how we acted within the Body of Christ, together with other missionaries and indigenous leaders, as well as with our partners in the United States who supported us spiritually and financially, making it possible for us to serve in Albania.

What an incredible calling in life! To enter a new culture, to learn strange customs, to plant and culti-vate and spread the eternal Gospel and to watch people discover a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ for the first time. This calling demands certain sacrifices, but they are all well worth it when compared to the immeasurable meaning in life it gives someone. For me, there can be nothing more thrilling and blessed than to serve our Lord as a priest and as a missionary!

“The life of a ‘missionary’ provides one with a very unique and satisfying opportunity to serve God and His Church. I ask that you, the faithful in America, remember our Orthodox brothers and sisters in East Africa in your prayers. The needs here are many, for sure, and we in America, who have so much, could easily share more with those here who are without.” – Faye Cokinos, Kenya

Vol. 4, No. 1 - 1988

“Where do we fit in, what do we have to offer them? The Holy Gospel. We can help them teach, we can help by show-ing them that God is with everyone and helps each one of us throughout the world in a very special way.” – Dean Triantafilou, Tanzania

Vol. 5, No. 1 - 1989

“Having faith in God really makes a difference. Without it, you’re lost; with it, you can survive anything”. – Dean Triantafilou, Kenya

Vol. 6, No. 1 - 1990

“Many people have tried to remind me about the needs that exist here in America and they can’t understand why I need to go abroad to serve God. My only response is that God has a concern for all people through-out the world, and in many places the need for Christian workers is more urgent than here. I am simply trying to follow a call I have received from God. As I think and pray about this challenge, it sometimes overwhelms

me. Learning a new language, acting as a witness of Jesus Christ in a country where the majority profess allegiance to atheism and Islam, and living in an economically devastated country are only a few of the chal-lenges that await me. However, I gain strength from the fact that we have a mighty God who is greater than anything I may face”. – Fr. Luke Veronis, Albania

Vol. 10, No. 1 - 1994

“This project of reclaiming church property will hopefully be a fruitful one. It may take some time, but with the blessings of the Archbishop and with God’s help, the countryside of Albania will once again reveal to any passerby that this land is a land of faithful Christian people.” – Michael Stravropoulos,

Albania Vol. 10, No. 2 - 1994

“We are so privileged to be Americans. How precious is the word freedom, and how glorious to be able to share

Tirania

ALBANIAALBANIA

GREECE

Impressions on Serving As MissionariesFr. Luke A. Veronis

“

”

We worked side by side

with our beloved shepherd,

Archbishop Anastasios,

the Albanian faithful, and

co-missionaries from the

OCMC and Greece to help

resurrect the Church.

the Harvest:Voices From

Dean Triantafilou in the cornfields with villagers while serving in Tanzania in 1989

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Orthodoxy with the world. If you ever consider missionary life, know that it is not a vacation and can be at times lonely, but the rewards received fill your heart with love forever.” – Fr. Dimitri & Pres. Kyriaki

Leussis, Slovakia Vol. 12, No. 2 - 1996

“I am utterly humbled before people of such strong character and it is from them that I am given the price-less lesson of persevering through life with joy”. – Dn. Hector Firoglanis, Albania

Vol. 16, No. 1 - 2000

“We are so blessed to have this opportunity to share our training and experience by helping these children in Romania. Not only are we able to share new ideas and procedures for caring for caring for hurt children in an institutional setting, but we also benefit from the rich heritage of Orthodox Christianity in Romania”. – Fr. James (Craig) & Victoria

Goodwin, Romania Vol. 13, No. 1 - 1997

“All I can recall is a contingent of people and clergy more appropriate for a dignitary or a bishop crying and

praying us off to Albania. We could actually feel all the prayers whisking us off to our new adventure. All Maria and I could say was, ‘Here we are, Jesus.’” – Dr. Charles Linderman,

Albania Vol. 16, No. 2 - 2000

“God granted me an incredible op-portunity for spiritual growth through my involvement in missions with the OCMC. It was during these life chang-ing experiences that I was forced to learn to completely trust in the Lord. During these times, I experienced such

joy, great sadness and incredible hope for eternity. And during these times, I learned the humbling gift of how much more you receive than offer. During these experiences, I witnessed Orthodox hierarchs who lived a life of sacrifice while always displaying Christ-like love to all. Joining the work of the OCMC and following our Lord’s last command tests you, challenges you, rewards you, humbles you and changes your life. I thank God for the blessing of allowing me to participate in missions.” ˜– Christine (Kouros) Pappas,

1992 Uganda & 2004 Albania

THEN“Tanzania is a unique struggle in the world of missions. You cannot understand the sit-uation—good and bad—unless you have witnessed it yourself. Instead of your un-derstanding, we ask for your love, support, and prayers. For they are the true champi-ons of Christ’s Commission.” – Nicholas J. Chakos, Tanzania

Vol. 12, No. 1.–1996

NOW“During my years in Tanzania, I was moved not only by the plight of the people, but also by their hap-piness. Many Tanzanians live a life more difficult than most of us can imagine—dealing with hunger, illness and economic hard-ship on a daily basis. Yet through it all, they are happier than the majority of people living “developed” lifestyles with big houses, two cars and within arms’ reach of supermarkets, malls and hospitals. Tanzanians have an excellent grasp of what is truly important in life founded upon a deep sense of spirituality and a oneness with God. There is so much that our respective cultures have to offer each other and through God’s grace, we can build a stronger community, a just civilization—if we unite in our efforts to follow in the path of Christ and to put into action the teach-ings of the Gospel, no matter how difficult the circumstances that we face.” – Nicholas J. Chakos,

April 2006, US Program Coordinator for the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)

T a n z a n i a

“ If you ever consider missionary life, know that it is not a vacation and can be at times lonely, but the rewards received fill your heart with love forever.” – Fr. Dimitri & Pres. Kyriaki Leussis,

TOP: In 1996, Bishop of Bukoba Jonah (presently His Eminence in Uganda) with Fr. John Chakos, accompanied by his son Nicholas Chakos and a seminarian prepare to return from their short-term mission trip from Tanzania

Fr. Martin (while serving as a long-term missionary to Albania) along with Fr. Luke Veronis (before he was ordained) and six-month intern Mary Danakos (in sun-glasses) answering questions from youth in the town of Tirana, Albania in 1994.

The 1992 short-term mission team to Uganda which included Christine (Kouros) Pappas, in the striped dress, take a group photo before their departure.

9

This year the Orthodox Christian Mis-sion Center celebrates its twentieth an-niversary of sending missionaries into

the field to proclaim the Good News. The past twenty years were filled with stories of success, love, conversion and church growth. Those who have been baptized, clothed, fed, educated, given medical care, preached to and housed are innumerable and this work continues everyday through the ministries of the Mission Center. At the beginning of 2006, the Mission Center

had the highest number of OCMC mission-aries in the field than ever before!

Twenty years of sending missionar-ies isn’t the only reason that the Mission Center has to celebrate. This year a huge milestone has been reached in the realm of Orthodox Missions. We experienced the culmination of a Capital Campaign that began nearly five years ago. It was a great success, with over six million dollars being raised to fund the construction of a facility for missionary training and support as well as the administration of all OCMC min-istries along with the funding of endow-ments. The Campaign’s endowments are to support philanthropic efforts, missionary

projects and scholarships for seminarians in the United States in order to help plant seeds of mission work in their hearts. The ultimate goal of the campaign was reached: to provide more resources that will help carry the Gospel “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

On May 5, 2006, in St. Augustine, Florida, the Mission Center’s Board of Directors, staff, friends, family and sup-porters took part in a monumental ground-breaking ceremony. This groundbreak-ing will kick off the construction of the Mission Center’s new Missionary Training and Administrative Support Center. On behalf of SCOBA, the Standing Confer-ence of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, of which OCMC is the official foreign missions agency, His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, who was also the founding director of OCMC, will officiate at the blessing ceremony.

What was once a dream for so many will now become a reality. The Orthodox Church will have its first permanent Mis-sion Center where Orthodox faithful who are called to be OCMC Missionaries or Mission Team Members will be trained prior to their departure to spread the Gospel. The new Center will also provide an educational experience about Ortho-

dox missions for visitors. It will include a chapel, a small museum and an interac-tive learning center. At the new Mission Center, all will be able to learn about the legacy of former and present OCMC Mis-sionaries and experience bits of culture and lore that have been brought back from the mission field to enrich our cultural under-

standing. 2006 will be remembered as the year that Orthodox Christians took a major step towards a mission-centered faith and the Mission Center will be an international beacon of Christ’s love reaching out to those around the world who have never heard the Gospel.

Thank you to all the parishes, individu-als, OCMC Board Members and staff who are helping to make this dream a reality!

Our new home: Missionary Training and Administrative Support Center

By Seraphim Chip Southworth

Answering the Call Answering the Call

“ The awareness of the missionary

dimension of the church is something

absolutely central to the identity of the

Orthodox Church. ”

– Archbishop Demetrios Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Chairman of SCOBA

“ The OCMC Campaign will allow

Orthodox Christians here in America

to assure the continuance of missions

into the future.”

– Rt. Rev. Bishop Basil

Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese Diocese of Wichita and Mid America

““Missions is not an appendix of our

faith, of our own Church life, it belongs

in the essence of our own identity.”

– Archbishop Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania

O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • W W W . O C M C . O R G1 0

THE STARFISHThe entire board and staff took a bold step as close to $650,000 was pledged by

them towards achieving the six million dollar goal of the Capital Campaign.I remember well that this commitment emboldened a group of us to work

tirelessly to make this dream and prayer a reality.Along the journey to touch the future, I remember fondly and am thank-

ful for all those who assisted the OCMC family as we traversed the landscape many times.

I a m t h a n k f u l …… to the Almighty for guiding every footstep… to His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory,

who personally encouraged me throughout the campaign… to the missionaries and mission team members who we seek to assist in

bearing the Light of Christ across the globe… to the many donors who opened their hearts and homes… to the many donors who became advocates on behalf of

OCMC with their friends and associates … to the many who helped us create endowments of $3 million

to grow and enhance our programs and ministries… to the many who made the building a reality with their blessed

philanthropy of $3 million… for OCMC Executive Director, Fr. Martin Ritsi, who, immersed in this

vision of the future, has nurtured the campaign’s laborers in numerous ways.

a l s o …… for the entire staff who worked tirelessly to achieve the goal… for Athan Stephanopoulos who helped us launch the Capital Campaign

as our first Director… for Seraphim “Chip” Southworth who, as the next Capital Campaign

Director, made the goal an achieved reality… for Fr. Anthony Scott who helped us form a roadmap to success… for my sister in Christ, Cina Daskalakis whose spirit in the Lord is like

sunshine—warm, bright and soothing.

On an even more personal note, I also want to let the readers know that throughout the five year history of these fund-raising endeavors, I enjoyed the personal encouragement of my dear husband, Louis, and our children. Lou was in a unique position of watching and living through my three year Presidency of the OCMC board which overlapped my efforts on behalf of the Capital Campaign. I will always be thankful for his patience, love and encouragement and for his deep commitment to the ministries and programs of the Mission Center.

So many of us, with God’s Blessings, have taken Our Journey to Touch the Future. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for permitting me to be on this journey with you !

Helen Nicozisis

OCMC Board Member & Past President.

“ As I reflect on the journey of completing the Mission Center’s Capital Campaign, I am reminded of the many steps we took, by God’s grace, to make it a reality and the many people who made it happen.”

T h a n k Y o u

THE STARFISHBy Cleo Constantin

“There are too many people in need. Isn’t it useless to try to help so few? The poor will always be with us. There are tens of thousands who do not know about Christ. Aren’t all of our efforts just a drop in the bucket?”

Do these questions and statements sound famil-iar? We hear them all too often. They are the words of those who have difficulty seeing the world through the beseeching eyes of Christ when he told us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Each soul is priceless and important to God and the following parable illustrates the value of ministering to even just one in need.

T H E S TA R F I S H

Once upon a time there was a wise old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of

walking on the beach just before sunrise in preparation for doing his work.

One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a youth, bending and reach-ing with flailing arms, seeming to dance on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day that was just to begin. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day, so he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the sand, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As the old man got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.”

“I guess I should have asked why you are throwing starfish in the ocean.”

“The sun is coming up and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they’ll die.”

“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and thousands of starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely, then bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

Ponderings

“ O u r J o u r n e y t o To u c h t h e F u t u r e…”

1 1O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Karibuni!

Joy and Peace!

Karibuni! Welcome!

Faraha na aman!

O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • W W W . O C M C . O R G1 2

by Catherine Chisnall

Standing in the small church on the bright red

soil of Tanzania with the other five members

of my team, we were embraced in joy.

We worshipped in open-air glory, in a small

church constructed of casuarina limbs, kangas,

(colorful native shawls blessed with an astound-

ing ability to multi-task) and faith. Cradling us

with their joyful smiles, eager handshakes and

ebullient greetings were

our Orthodox brethren

of Africa.

Basking in the glow-

ing warmth of welcome

and the afternoon sun,

we listened, clapped

and swayed together as

the Swahili hymns of praise shook the still

beauty of the country with spirited energy. I

felt my arm clasped and turned to see a beam-

ing mother offering her hand to me, her baby

lovingly bound to her back, bouncing to

the unique rhythm of their praise. The child

ducked it’s head in a bashful greeting and I,

with equal shyness, opened my hand to my

new friend.

We were late. It had been a long day. The

expectant community had been waiting for

hours to greet us. They patiently endured long

stretches in the sun with little shade or com-

fort, in order to honour us, their guests, upon

our arrival. And now we stood, almost two

weeks into our journey to this a place so far

from the safety of home and familiar faces,

drowning in hospitable love.

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We worshipped

in open-air glory,

in a small church

constructed of

casuarina limbs…”

“


Our team, hailing from places as far-flung as Hawaii and Canada, New York and the Bahamas, set out in mid-August on a short-term mission. Diverse in our own backgrounds and experiences, we ventured forth, well-equipped with energy, enthusiasm and mosquito repellent, to serve as a teaching team. We were to share fellow-ship and learning with a group of young Orthodox Christians, all of whom were teachers in their own communities, and eager to be

armed with knowledge and tools of the faith.

Our host, His Grace Bishop Jeronymos of Bukoba, had coor-dinated this project before with OCMC and, thrilled by its inspir-ing response and impact, kindly invited us to join him again in satisfying the great hunger for Or-thodox education and the training

of young leaders. So, after some

adventurous days of being bumped down dusty roads through the astounding beauty of Africa, we settled to the task of sharing basic catecheti-cal instruction in the small town of Rubale. Our ‘students’, who all outshone me

in wit and wisdom, enveloped us in their loving enthusiasm for the Orthodox faith. We were greeted daily with songs, smiles and ques-tions as we discussed subjects rang-ing from Chastity and Fasting to Church History and Prayer.

I was deeply touched dur-ing those days of laughter in the classrooms and lunches under the acacia trees by the tremendous desire I witnessed and that desire to know Christ. The desire to learn the Orthodox way and live the faith. Our lessons were de-voured for every morsel of enrich-ing knowledge. I was humbled to experience the look of joy on so many faces as they realized they had encountered new knowledge of Christ, that they had uncovered a way to know Him more pro-foundly.

Standing hand-in-hand in that small church in a village with a name I never knew, I held on to

“If there was material poverty, it was concealed by the wealth of spiritual joy.”

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1 4 O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • W W W . O C M C . O R G

a perfect stranger, who reached out to me in perfect welcoming love. We knew nothing of each other, but that we shared a love of Christ.

Overcome, I bowed my head and wept. My face downwards, I saw her tattered sandals close to my dusty feet, and was shocked to be reminded of how little these people had to call their own. In the face of such abundant welcome and love, I had forgotten the simplicity of the surroundings. If there was material poverty, it was concealed by the wealth of spiritual joy.

With joy we were embraced. With JOY we honored God and one another. With joy we talked and sat and ate and worshipped together. A great wave of loving joy radiated from every encounter.

That small church of sticks, stand-ing strong in its humble condition on a hilltop far away shall forever be a symbol of the purest happiness to me. Without ornamentation, it remains an unapproachable memory of beauty. For in an open hand, the smallest of kindnesses, I encountered the joy of Christ.

May we pray for our Orthodox Missionaries, that live with open and loving hands, guiding others to Christ.

And may I also one day open my hand in Christ-like love to another.

Faraha na Aman. Joy and Peace.

Catherine, with fellow team member Nina Hladio, walk with the Tanzanian catechist in Rubale to the classroom buildings in the background.

With joy we were em-braced…. A great wave of loving joy radiated from every encounter.

2005 Tanzania team members: (from left to right): Fr. Stephen Close, Ninos Oshaana, Georgia Giannikouris, Nina Hladio, Catherine Chisnall, and Tyrone Emery.

Fr. Stephen Close points out a bible verse to a student in Rubale, Tanzania.

O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6 1 5

In the Spring of 2005, the missions committee at St. Basil the Great Greek

Orthodox Church in San Jose, CA, made an appeal to our fellow parishioners: Seminarians in Uganda were desperate for Bibles!

Our parish responded and in a matter of weeks we delivered several boxes of Orthodox Study Bibles to the Seminary in Uganda. A month later, the church received a warm thank you letter signed by all the seminarians, including a photo of them holding their new bibles. Smil-ing proudly, each one cradled it like a priceless treasure. These seminarians had come from the poorest villages in Uganda to become Orthodox priests. They don’t have much, except their voice and love, and these they have given to God.

This was the event that inspired me to go on a short-term mission trip. At first, I didn’t know what country I want-ed to serve in but after hearing about the zeal of the missionaries in Uganda and the dramatic growth of the church there, my heart was drawn to Africa.

I asked our priest, Fr. Gregory Koo, for his blessing. When I got home that afternoon, I visited the Mission Center’s website to learn more about the various projects around the world that needed short-term missionaries. Each mission team project sounded like such a won-derful and challenging experience! After struggling for some time in choosing a project, I decided to leave it up to God and sent my application to the OCMC with a special request to put me wher-ever the need was greatest.

A few days later, a letter arrived from the Mission Center with my as-signment. I was accepted to be on a six-person Catechism mission to Tanzania! My heart raced, I was filled with joy at being accepted and especially for being able to serve in Africa.

But there wasn’t any time to day-dream. There was work to be done! In fact, my mission had already started. My first task was to raise awareness plus the

required funds for my trip. These funds would facilitate my travel, expenses and a portion that would go directly to sup-port the church in Tanzania. The total amount I needed to raise was $4,025.

I have to admit, that number made my heart race as well. I was so caught up in the excitement of going on a mis-sion trip that I didn’t think about the costs or whether I could really handle raising that much money. But that’s just it; I wasn’t going to handle anything. I told myself if God wanted me there then he would provide a way. That didn’t mean I would just sit around and wait for a check in the mail. Fundraising takes dedication and energy but, most importantly, it takes a sense of purpose and conviction.

However, when you first start fund-raising, a myriad of emotions can spring up and some of the following thoughts might creep into your mind as they did mine:

The Guilt Factor: How can I ask people to give me that much money? I feel so bad for asking. Maybe I’ll just sell my car and pay for the whole thing myself.

Answer: They are not giving it to you. They are giving it to God. Besides, you need your car to visit people for fundraising!

The Worthiness Factor: Am I really quali-fied to be a mission team member? My friends, family and parish are depend-ing on me to represent them. How can I live up to these expectations? How can I ensure that their donations make a dif-ference for the people I will meet?

Answer: The only thing you need in order to “qualify” to be a mission team mem-ber is love for God and His creation. The acceptance process is handled by the Mission Center. The people who will donate money for your mission trip are

those who share that love and the Holy Spirit inspires them to give. The money that you raise will be allocated for your travel, food and lodging expenses and a portion will go directly to the people you are serving. But these things are just logistics. The real mission is the change your presence, smile and fellowship will make in the lives of the people you will meet. And that is priceless.

The Stress Factor: I haven’t done any fund-raising since I sold magazine subscrip-tions in high school! I have no idea how to get started! What do I do, what do I say? Help!

Answer: God will provide. You will be amazed at how generous people at your church, near and distant friends, and family will be in supporting you. You might even get donations from total strangers as I did. But it’s your job to in-spire them. There is an old Arab proverb in which, when roughly translated, God says: “From me light, from you action”. God lights the way but you have to do the work. People will be inspired by the information you present to them about your mission as well as your personal testimony.

The time for our departure to Tanza-nia had arrived and by this point I had raised $4,970 for my mission trip. I actually raised enough to cover my costs and an additional surplus of $945! In-deed, God does provide. So don’t let the anxiety of fundraising keep you from becoming a mission team member.

By Ninos Oshaana, Mission Team Member—Tanzania 2005

Fundraising for a Mission Trip

The author (far right) enjoys getting to know the local clergy.


Here are some practical ideas for a guilt-free, stress-free fundraising experience:

1. Pray: “How many times have I prayed for what seemed a good thing for me and not leaving it to God to do as He knows best and having obtained what I begged for, I found myself in distress because I had not asked for it to be, rather, ac-cording to God’s will.“

- St. Nilus of Sinai

2. Learn: Read the Holy Bible every day. Read books about missions and the lives of missionary saints. Many of them lived right here in America. Also learn about the country you’re going to, its cultures, customs and language.

3. Share: Ask your priest for permission to give a short presentation about your mission trip after Divine Liturgy. Sign-up to be the coffee hour host on the Sunday of your presentation and along with treats and refreshments, provide informa-tion about the Mission Center and your personal testimony for wanting to become a mission team member. Place a donation box for people to use and be ready to answer any questions.

4. Get Online: If you’re Internet savvy, create a simple one-page website with photos, informa-tion about the country you plan on visiting and people you’ll be serving as well as your testimo-nial and the goals of your mission trip. Be sure to also add detailed donation instructions, phone numbers and addresses. Next, send a short email to all your friends, family, co-workers and teach-ers inviting them to visit your website. If creating a web page is too difficult, simply send an email with the same information or mail a nice hand-written letter.

5. Give thanks: Send a thank you note to all those who participated in your mission fundraising efforts. Because of their kind hearts and generous donations, you were able to go on your mission trip. Ask for their prayers and remember that they are also part of your mission team because you will represent them and be their ambassador of Christ’s love.

To consider going on a mission trip yourself, visit the Mission Center website at www.ocmc.org and find your mission today!

O C M C M I S S I O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Living Waters “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” – John 7:37-38

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By Amy Barrett, Agape Canister Coodinator

C a m e r o o nIn many places in Cameroon there

is no running water. People must rely on public wells to obtain water. Waterborne illnesses are a major concern and unsafe, poorly made wells perpetuate this problem. Thousands of people, especially children, die each year from pre-ventable waterborne diseases. In other areas where there are no wells, people must either travel several hours, often by foot, to get water or rely on unsafe water sources such as rivers and lakes. The average yearly salary, in many of these areas is $80 a year, there-fore they have very little chance of improving their circumstances without outside help.

OCMC’s Agape Canister Pro-gram is proud to be working with His Eminence Gregorios, Metro-politan of Cameroon, to enrich the lives of thousands of people in Cameroon through the Potable Wa-ter Wells Program. In 2005, Agape

gave a grant of $10,000 to aid His Eminence in this enormous effort.

Since November 2005, three new wells have been drilled. They will provide hundreds of people in the surrounding areas with a safe, clean, water source. Five hand water pumps, four of which were paid for by the Agape grant, were also purchased and/or repaired for existing wells. The new pumps will cover and seal the wells as well as keep the water inside from getting contaminated. Instead of lowering a bucket into the well which contami-nates the water, people will now be able to pump the water out of the well. These new pumps will greatly reduce the number of illnesses attributed to poor water quality, therefore enhancing the quality of life for the people of the area. His Eminence estimates that 50,000 people will be helped through this effort.

Agape needs your help! The well program in Cameroon is only one of the 12 projects around the world that Agape will help in 2006. By joining a network of nearly 300 people and business owners who have agreed to place small, plastic canisters in their homes, churches and local busi-nesses, you could become a part of this network of hope that fulfills the basic needs of communities around the world. Please join this effort and become an Agape Partner today! Your once-a-month commitment will make a huge impact! ✠

For more information on becoming an Agape Partner, please contact Amy Barrett at [email protected] or call the Orthodox Christian Mission Center at 1877-GOFORTH (463-6784).

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CameroonMission Profile

The average yearly salary, in many of these areas is $80 a year and so they have very little chance of improving their circumstances without outside help.

Country: Cameroon

Project: Potable water Wells Program

Mission:

The money collected helps to sup-port medical clinics, orphanages, feeding programs and other educa-tional and social programs around the world.

Urgent Needs:

Additional Agape donors needed to support this project and 11 other worthy projects all around the world.


Recently OCMC received reports from priests in South Africa, Ghana and

Indonesia reminding us of how difficult their ministries are, how much joy they have in serving the Lord and how thank-ful they are for the generous support they receive from the Mission Center. We would like to pass these thanks on to you, our donors, because these suc-cesses are due to your efforts!

His Grace DAMASKINOS Papandreou, Bishop of Holy Diocese of Ghana writes:“Well done OCMC for your won-derful support!!! On behalf of the Holy Diocese of Ghana, the Bishop wishes to express His profound gratitude to the individuals who donate through OCMC’s Agape and SAMP programs for the progress and well being of the Mission Work in our Diocese. It is His prayer and wishes that the Almighty God bless and repay whatever you have given and whatever you are going to give for the glory and growth of Orthodoxy in the Diocese of Ghana.

May the Lord God grant you many years.”

Fr. Athanasios Akunda –South Africa“St. Raphael started with six seminarians, since it is located in the seminary compound. The

Archbishop suggested that we could have an English speaking community for Sundays and soon we had 5 other people join. Now, I count about 60 to 70 people, most of them youths. A great number of these youths are from the nearby home for the street and abused children run by the government.

It is amazing that some of these children had never been to the church before, but the response has been so good that the numbers are going up day by day and the center seems to have confidence in us. We have even some who have become readers and chanters. Some may even be candidates for seminary next year. For me this is a miracle.”

Fr. Matthew Budiharjo, Cilacap, Indonesia:“The name of our parish in Cilacap is St. Catherine. The community has 25 people who are already baptized.

We also have a mission commu-nity in the village of Kawunganten which is about 40 km from Cilacap. The distance is not too far, but it takes me 1.5 hours to get there because the road is so bad and we have to pass through a forest. There are 18 baptized people in this community. I serve there every second week of the month.

In 2005, I baptized 4 babies and 4 adults.”

LETTERS FROM THE HEARTS OF

For more information on how you can Support A Mission Priest, please con-tact Amy Barrett at [email protected] or 1-877-463-6784.

SAMP RecipientsSAMP RecipientsG h a n a

I N D O N E S I AS O U T H A F R I C A


Cameroon meeting both physical and spiritual needs

Under the leadership of HIS EM-MINENCE GREGORIOS, METRO-

POLITAN OF CAMEROON, the Orthodox Church of Cameroon reports a holistic ministry which meets both physical and spiritual needs of the community. Through the grace of God and generous donations, the following wonderful things happened. His Eminence GREGORIOS, and the Metropolitan of Xanthi, His Grace PANTELEIMON, consecrated St. Pan-teleimon church in the village of Geure. In the village of Tchatibali, St. Irini Church was built. Six and a half tons of rice were distributed in North Cameroon when a late rainy season caused an extreme food shortage. Notebooks and pencils were distributed to 490 child refugees from the Central African Republic. His Eminence preached and a Christmas meal was provided for 1300 inmate’s children from the prison in Yaound. His Eminence visited a prison in Mbalmayo, preached to the inmates and provided them with the 2006 Church calendar and the first volume of the Orthodox Catechesis. He also donated food to the prison and medical supplies for the prison infirmary.

His Eminence GREGARIOS con-veyed his appreciation for OCMC’s par-ticipation in the ministries in Cameroon.

He specifically thanked the donors of OCMC and remembers them everyday in his prayers.

Progress in Indonesia

Under the spiritual leadership of His Eminence NIKITAS, Metropolitan of

Hong Kong and SE Asia, the Orthodox Church in Indonesia is growing despite the many challenges and struggles of the region. Following are just a few of the many amazing things happening in the Orthodox communities under his care:

In Bali, Fr. Stephanos Boik Nino ministers to the community of All Saints Orthodox Church and the surrounding region. All Saints was established in 1998 and now has 80 members, with 6 others awaiting baptism. In Kuta-Den-pasar there is an Orthodox community, established two years ago, which now has 30 Orthodox members. A new com-munity was established just 4 months ago on Timor Island where there are 8 Orthodox people. On Sumba Island another new community has 8 baptized people.

In North Sumatra, Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu works tirelessly to minister to five Orthodox communities; St. Deme-trios and St. Aikaterine in Medan, St. Nikolas in Hauganjang, St. Eudokia in Hausisada-sada and Holy Resurrection

in Siparbue. In addition to ministering to the spiritual needs of the communi-ties, there is a strong concern for the physical needs of the people. The Clinic of St. Anna is under construction in Nias-Gunung Sitoli and there are five schools under Fr. Chrysostomos’ care, as well as the St. Demetrios Home for Children in Medan.

Under the leadership of His Grace DAMASKINOS, Bishop of Ghana, exciting things are happening

The Diocese of Ghana shares some exciting things happening under the

leadership of His Grace DAMASKINOS, Bishop of Ghana. Twenty-three priests, six catechists and three retired clergy assist the Bishop to share the Orthodox faith throughout the Diocese which includes Ghana, Ivory Coast and sur-rounding countries.

There are now twenty-three commu-nities with places to worship and three others where the faithful gather under bamboo and palm branches. During the past year, a number of building projects were completed. These include the Dor-mition of the Theotokos at Ankyease, St. Paul Church at Peki and St. Tryphon Church in Teacher Mantey. In August 2005, St. Tryphon Church was conse-crated.

In the Ivory Coast, there is one priest and one community of two hundred ac-tive members with four others prepar-ing for baptism. In the Volta Region, the community of St. George Church will be opened this year where approxi-mately 80 persons will be baptized.

In planning for the future, His Grace DAMASKINOS began forming a comprehensive education policy for the Diocese. In conforming to govern-ment regulations, the Church plans to renovate a school building in Peki and establish a technical school for the youth. There are also plans to establish

MissionNewsS P R I N G 2 0 0 6

His Eminence Gregorios, Metropolitan of Cameroon, inspecting the materials being used in a new well drilling project near the village of Guere with people from the community.


technical schools in other parts of the country to assist with the social prob-lem of unemployment.

There are plans to build a Seminary on the premises of the Cathedral of Holy Transfiguration in Accra. There will be training and seminars for the clergy and group leaders. Last year three students completed the Makarios III Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya. The Diocese continues to support St. Peter Orthodox Business College at Larteh. A nursery school was inaugurated in Kwansimua and a foundation stone for a library was laid. Youth and women fel-lowship meetings, camps and retreats were held throughout the year.

The Orthodox Church of Ghana will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) in the next year of our Lord 2007.

Challenges and progress in South Africa

Parish Priest and deputy Dean of the Alexandrian Catechetical School

Petros VII, Fr. Athanasius Akunda writes that under the leadership of His Emi-nence SERAPHIM, the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the past year has been filled with exciting accomplishments and various challenges. With the pas-toral care of Fr. Athanasios Akunda, a new Church, Sts. Raphael, Irene and Nicholas in Yeoville is reaching out to a diverse community. Street children,

homeless people, immigrants from French-speaking Congo and many people from various South African tribes are seeking out the truth and hope of Orthodoxy. In the services, a bit of Afrikaans, some of each of the local languages, some English and very little Greek is used. This has proven success-ful and many have learned each other’s language. This community began not long ago with six seminarians from the Alexandrian Catechetical School Petros VII and now includes 70 members. Some of the new members have be-come readers and chanters and may be candidates for the seminary next year.

In early 2003, the seminary was opened by His Eminence to meet the need for clergy and catechists. The first students of the three-year program are graduating this year. Three of them have been ordained and three others are awaiting ordination. Among the ordained, one is a native of Zimbabwe who is celibate. Many of the candidates for the priesthood cannot afford to pay a dowry so they can marry and be or-dained. If these men were all ordained, then the mission churches of Mamelodi, Eldorado Park, Tembisa, and small ones like Wintervelt, Hamanskraal, Danilton and Yeoville would have priests to offer the fullness of the Liturgical life.

At the seminary, the curriculum in-cludes Dogmatic and Pastoral Theology, Ethics, Patrology and Teliturgics, Hagiol-

ogy, Liturgical Theology, Church His-tory, Missiology, New Testament, Old Testament, Basic Greek, English, Ethics, Catechism, Homiletics, Christian Educa-tion, Environmental Theology (Ecology) and a practical which includes visiting other parishes and baking prosphora.

Upcoming plans for the Metropolis include continued support of the semi-nary, extending the Churches’ feeding program, completing translations into the local languages, offering youth re-treats at the newly founded monastery, funding of various students’ school fees and continued building projects. These projects will help nurture the members of the Church in South Africa.

“God is with us” in the Diocese of Bukoba

Orthodox Church architecture reveals that ‘God is with us’. Through the

use of domes, vaulted ceilings and stone structures, we are reminded that Christ “unites all things in himself, things in heaven and things on earth,” (Ephesians 1:10) and that in Him we are all “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)

In the Diocese of Bukoba, Tanzania, a great emphasis has been placed on the building of permanent structures which remind us that Christ unites all. In 2005, nine churches were under construction, one was completed, six were painted, two monasteries were under construction, part of a secondary school was painted, two water tanks were built and one hospital and one clinic were under construction.

His Grace JERONYMOS, Bishop of Bukoba, works tirelessly in his Diocese along with 29 Orthodox priests, to raise up the local church. Seminars for the faithful, catechism for new believers, translations of prayers, liturgical texts and catechetical material into the lo-cal languages, seminary training and ministering to the complete person through the building of schools, clinics and churches is now bearing fruit as we see new parishes beginning throughout his region. This year’s plans include the building of seven Churches, an orphan-age, nursery, primary and secondary school and a Missionary Center in Mwanza (comprised of church, of-fices of the Bishop, bookstore, primary

His Grace Damaskinos, blessing a youth, shortly after presiding over the Devine Liturgy at the Church of Holy Theophany in Breman, in the eastern region of Ghana.


MISSIONNEWS continued

school, secondary school, high school and college).

Ministering to the whole person in Dar Es Salaam

With God’s help and the wishes and blessing of His Beatitude

Patriarch THEODOROS II of Alexan-dria and All Africa, we perform our missionary work here in the beauti-ful, but plagued by problems and pain, anguished Tanzania,” stated Metropolitan Dimitrios. “Our work progresses swiftly in a country with infinite natural beauty while death lurks behind every breath of the children living here.” His Eminence is assisted by eight Orthodox clergy working to offer the Holy Orthodox faith to the people, while ministering to the whole person.

The missionary work of the Holy Metropolis of Irinoupolis and Sey-chelles is based in Dar Es Salaam, which is a small oasis in Tanzania. The many and diverse needs in Tanzania are inconceivable to many. This is a country with a population of 40 million where two in ten children die from AIDS. Even more die from starva-tion, vitamin deficiencies and tropical diseases. The average life span is 45 years.

In May, the Patriarch of Alexandria will inaugurate the first Christian Or-thodox Clinic at Iringa, a region with 9 villages and thousands of people where, unfortunately, children die ev-eryday. There is a daily soup kitchen in Iringa and 120 children are fed at the Church of Panagia.

Metropolitan DIMITRIOS referred to the words by Bishop KALLISTOS (Ware) of Diokleia, an Oxford Univer-sity professor, which reflect -probably in the best possible way- the philoso-phy of all those involved in Mission-ary work: “Christ, in the Second Com-ing, might not ask us how many times we have fasted, how many rosaries we have made or how many times we have repented. But He will, most cer-tainly, ask us if we gave water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, medicine to the ill, shelter to the orphan”.

Website for the Orthodox Church in Nigeria now available

Under the leadership of His Eminence ALEXANDER, Metro-

politan of the Archdiocese of Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Togo, Vicar and Exarch of the Lands of Guinea Gulf, the Orthodox Church announces that it now has a website, which will post news from the mission work in Benin, Niger and Togo and have information regarding the churches of Nigeria. Presently, there are twenty Orthodox communities, three monasteries and

two seminaries, one in Benin and one in Nigeria. There are seventeen clergy in Nigeria, five in Benin and one in Togo who work tirelessly alongside His Eminence to establish the Church in that region of the world. You can visit the site at www.orthodoxng.com/en.

Pastoral visit of His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria & all Africa to Mozambique

In January 2006, His Beatitude THEODOROS II, Pope & Patriarch of

Alexandria and all Africa, arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, for a two-day pastoral visit in order to meet the Orthodox who live there. His Beatitude was accompanied by His Eminence GEORGIOS, Metropoli-tan of Zimbabwe (Malawi, Mozam-bique, Angola and Botswana) and His Eminence SERAPHIM, Metropolitan of Johannesburg & Pretoria, a number of clergy, members of diplomatic and philanthropic groups. In the after-

noon, His Beatitude met with the First Lady of Mozambique. The Patriarch pointed out that all should work to-gether to resolve poverty, toward the predominance of peace of the nations and for the protection and respect of human rights.

Missions and Evangelism Conference:“We’re going to the Rockies!” Join the Missions and Evangelism conference as it heads to Colorado Springs this Labor Day Weekend, September 1 - 4 with the theme of “What Can We do Better to Bring America to Orthodoxy?” This annual event is co-sponsored by the Mission Center along with the Antiochian Department of Mission and Evange-lism and is an exceptional weekend of learning and spiritual renewal! Mission Team members and past Missionaries are encouraged to attend and share their evangelism experiences. Also learn how to explain your Orthodox Christian Faith confidently and effectively while helping your Church or mission grow. Topics like “The Importance of Foreign Missions to Domestic Church Growth” presented by Fr. Luke Veronis, OCMC Missionary for 10 years in Albania and “Preaching Christ” are only a small glimpse of the many activities over the weekend. For more information and registration details call toll-free (888) 968-4014 or visit www.antiochain.org/missions/conference.

2005 Mission and Evangelism Conference


Dear OCMC,The latest publication was terrific! I have always followed our missionary outreach and praise God for our successes. The Columbus community has sent several candidates on mission trips. Please ac-cept this modest gift and use wherever most needed.

A Sister in Christ,Mrs. Diana SynadinosGahanna, OH

Dear OCMC,Please accept the enclosed check repre-senting the amount collected by several of our church school students through the OCMC coin box program. Although it is not a great amount, we know that you will be able to put it to good use. As a teacher and coordinator of our church school, I appreciate the opportunity that your program provides to enable the chil-dren to help others.

We wish you a fruitful Year.Sincerely,Susan CracovanerCo-coordinator, Holy Trinity Church School ProgramIronia, New Jersey

Dear OCMC,Christ is in our Midst!Enclosed you will find a check from our parish that is being offered for the missionary work taking place in Alba-nia. Recently we hosted Panayiotis and Shannon Sakellariou and our community was given a wonderful presentation on the work that OCMC is accomplishing in Albania.

On a more personal note, I would like to thank you for all you are doing in Al-bania. My grandparents on my mother’s side were from Albania, just across the border from Greece. These people have suffered over the years and finally their

prayers are being answered.God bless everything you have been able to do in His vineyard and may you continue for years to come.

With the love of Jesus,Fr. Stephen C BithosAll Saints Greek Orthodox Church, Joliet, ILMetropolis of Chicago

Dear OCMC,On behalf of the Faithful of the Ascen-sion of Our Lord, I again greet you during this Lenten season in the Name of our Lord and Savior. It is our prayer

that your ministry continues to touch the hearts and reach the souls of those who seek the Word of God through Orthodox Christianity throughout the world.

On behalf of the Parish Council and parishioners of the Ascension of our Lord Greek Orthodox Church in Lin-conshire, Illinois, we are sending the enclosed check in support and sponsor-ship of clergymen salaries abroad.

Through awareness, prayer and teach-ing we have attempted to reach out to all our brothers and sisters in Christ through various means of supporting missionary “good works”. God bless you and keep you healthy both spiritually and physi-cally in the day ahead. Kalo Pascha and Kali Anastasi.

In Christ, I remain, His Priest and Servant,Fr. James GordonAscension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox ChurchMetropolis of Chicago

LETTERS to the Editor

Panayiotis and Shanon Sakellariou with Sophia.


“ As a teacher and coordinator of our church school, I appreciate the opportunity that your program provides to enable the children to help others.”

– Susan Cracovaner Co-coordinator Holy Trinity Church School Program, Ironia, New Jersey

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 5097CINCINNATI, OH

P. O. B o x 4 3 1 9 • S t . A u g u s t i n e , F L 3 2 0 8 5 - 4 3 1 9

SPRING 2006 Volume 22, Number 1support center. Is it worth it? Should we be sacriﬁc-ing to carry...

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Transcript of SPRING 2006 Volume 22, Number 1support center. Is it worth it? Should we be sacriﬁc-ing to carry...