OCP Delegation meets Fr Alexander Kurien – Deputy Associate Administrator of the Office of U.S. Government-Wide Policy

OCP News Service – 22/2/15

Dubai: The OCP Society delegation met with Fr Alexander Kurien – One of the leading U.S. diplomats and the Deputy Associate Administrator of the Office of U.S. Government-Wide Policy. OCP Delegation of George Alexander (Secretary & Spokesperson) and Prakash Varghese (Delegate of UAE, Gulf, and the Levant) met Father Alexander at the Emirates Grand Hotel on 16th February 2015.

The topics of discussion included pan-orthodox unity, Oriental Orthodox Churches and the recent meeting of OCP Delegation with His Holiness Ignatius Aphrem II – Patriarch of Antioch & All-East. They also discussed in detail about recent developments in Malankara between the Syriac Orthodox Church in Indian and the Indian Orthodox Malankara Church.

Prakash presented Fr Alexander with a copy of the Pan-Orthodox book “Collected Writings on Orthodox Christianity” published by OCP Publications.

Fr Alexander formerly served as the Director of the Office of Strategic Planning at the United States Department of State in Washington D.C. Fr Alexander has also been trained at the Monastic Republic of Mount Athos.

Biography of Fr Alexander Kurien

Rev. Fr. Alexander (James) Kurien came to the United State of America after finishing 12th grade. Upon completing his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in religion and business, Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), and Master of Divinity (M.Div.), he was ordained a deacon in 1983 by the late His Grace Philipose Mar Theophilos of the Mumbai Diocese and the late His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios of the American Diocese. On June 28, 1987, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Kottayam Devalokam Chapel by the late His Holiness Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews II in the blessed presence of late His Holiness Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews I, late His Grace Mathews Mar Epiphanios, and the late His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios. He served St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of Tampa, Florida during the first two years after his ordination. In 1989, he was appointed as the officiating priest of St. Thomas Orthodox Church 7321 Windsor Mill Road Baltimore, Maryland and St. Gregorios Orthodox Church 2337 Fairland Road Silver Spring, Maryland, and became the vicar of both in 1990. After serving 18 years, in 2007, he took a sabbatical from the vicarship; continues to enjoy his ministry.

He has also completed: Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance, Master of Strategic Planning (M.S.), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Fellow of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), Counselor of Real Estate Valuation, (CRV), Certified Business Valuer (CBV), and Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI). He is married to Anna (Ajitha) of Kallelil house, Kathrikapally, and they have been blessed with three children: Alyssa, Natasha, and Elijah.

Source:
OCP News Service