Public Forum to Discuss Great and Holy Council
September 2014 – SVOTS -OCL
“We’re fully geared up to reach out to the wider Church this fall, with an array of lectures and events that will serve a broad spectrum of people,” said Archpriest Dr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor/CEO of St. Vladimir’s. “Our campus will be buzzing with our annual ‘Ed Day’ homecoming, a heart-warming presentation on Project Mexico by one of our alumni, and fascinating scholarly lectures by two well-known hierarchs.
“But most significantly, we’re excited to host a public forum sponsored by Orthodox Christian Laity [OCL] on ‘The History and Future of the Assembly of Bishops, and the Proposed Great and Holy Council in 2016,’ and we invite fellow Orthodox Christians to join us in what we think will prove to be a lively, invigorating, and thoughtful gathering, on Friday, October 24, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.”
Featured speaker for the OCL Open Forum will be Alexei Krindatch, consultant to the Alexei Krindatch’s report on Orthodoxy in AmericaRegional Planning Committee of the Assembly of Bishops. He will give insights into the work of that committee, as it develops a blueprint for a unified Orthodox Church in the USA.
Other notable speakers slated for the forum include His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel and His Grace, Bishop Michael, Orthodox Church in America; both will update participants on the work of the Assembly. Other speakers will be announced.
Anthony Kasmer, a member of the Board of Trustees both at OCL and also at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, who suggested the seminary campus as a venue, also will be present. A public reception will follow the Open Forum, which will be held in The Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of The John G. Rangos Family Building.
The Open Forum is part of the OCL’s Annual Meeting, which will also take place on the seminary campus October 23–25. Please check the OCL web site at ocl.org for further details.
Among the other fall 2014 events at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary are the following:
Sunday, September 14, 7:00 pm, Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture. His Grace, Bishop Alexander [Golitzin] of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese, Orthodox Church in America, will present a public lecture, “Force Your Mind to Descend into the Heart: Some Resemblances between Byzantine Hesychasm and Merkavah Mysticism.”
Saturday, October 4, 9:30 am–5:30 pm, Orthodox Education Day 2014, Open House. Divine Liturgy begins the day. “Do Books Still Matter? A Celebration of Orthodox Christian Publications” is the theme this year, and several Orthodox Christian publishers will be on hand with books galore for sale. Archpriest Dr. John Behr will deliver the keynote, “From Scroll to Book to Net: the Web of Knowledge.” Enjoy workshops, children’s activities, and ethnic food.
Monday, October 27, 6:30 pm, Annual Missions Night, Public Lecture. Find out first hand from Priest Nicholas Andruchow, and his wife, Presbytera Merilyn, heart-warming stories of the families and children they serve at Project Mexico and Saint Innocent Orphanage as they build homes and generate hope in Tijuana, Mexico.
See Upcoming Events at www.svots.edu for more details or to download individual event fliers.
