OCA Chancery
Syosset, New York
September 1, 2002
Dearly Beloved in the Lord,
What a joy it is for me as one of my first duties as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America to invite you to join me as a supporter of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. As a long-time FOS contributor I know how important the Fellowship is in funding the Outreach Ministries of the Orthodox Church in America.
The role of FOS, inaugurated 22 years ago by His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius, continues to grow and influence our Church. His visionary leadership in the establishment of the Fellowship is helping the Church reach out to others with the saving message of Jesus Christ. As Metropolitan Theodosius enters retirement, I know that you will join me in thanking His Beatitude for his many years of sacrificial service as the chief steward of the Orthodox Church in America.
The potential for the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards to expand our Church’s opportunities to proclaim the Gospel through the various departments and offices of our Church is limitless. If we are able to set aside a portion of what God has given us to steward and offer that portion to the Lord as a FOS supporter, then great things can happen for the work of the Lord and the building up of the Body of Christ in North America.
At the recently concluded 13th All American Council in Orlando, Florida, the Church spoke with one voice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we must continue to move towards the goal of fully funding the Church’s work through voluntary gifts. The Church endorsed the work of FOS to expand its mission by increasing free will gifts to support the Church’s mission. But for this to be accomplished, I need your help!
I encourage you to take a few moments to read about the Fellowship on our Church’s website to discover in more detail how your gift to the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards will help all of our Church’s Outreach Ministries. While reading I would ask you to reflect on the words spoken by our beloved Metropolitan Theodosius when he said, Is there any mission more important than sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Faith of the Orthodox Church with the world?”
The Fellowship exists for the sole purpose of helping the Church fulfill Her Mission. With your FOS gift, you will be a co-worker with our Church’s missionaries, church planters, youth workers, church school educators, and humanitarian aid workers. You will be supporting our efforts to help orphan children find safe homes with loving parents as well as helping us inform, and spiritually nourish the tens of thousands of monthly visitors to the pages of the Orthodox Church website.
Please accept my personal invitation to join me as a member of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. FOS gifts are voluntary with no minimum or maximums to offer. For some, a gift of $10 would be a sacrificial amount, for others, a gift of $10,000 could be easily given. Thus, whatever you can give, if it is offered in love, and from a grateful heart, it will be well pleasing to the Lord!
Once again, it is my joy to invite you to join me in becoming a member of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. Together, by God’s Grace and blessings, we will witness not only the growth of FOS, but also most importantly growth in the work of the Church that will bring others to Jesus Christ. I encourage you to make FOS an important and generous part of your regular giving to the Lord!
May the Lord continue to grant you every good thing for your salvation and for the growth of His Body, the Church.
With love in Christ,
+ HERMAN
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada