OCA Parish Ministry Conference opens
The Orthodox Church in America’s Parish Ministries Conference and Young Adult Rally opened on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH, a Cleveland suburb, on Sunday evening, June 27, 2010.
The conference—the first of its kind to be hosted by the OCA in several years and, with 160 registered participants, the largest to date—is being sponsored by the OCA’s Departments of Christian Education, Liturgical Music and Translations, and Youth, Young Adult and campus Ministry.
Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, OCA Chancellor, opened the conference on Sunday evening with the celebration of a Service of Thanksgiving, after which the participants received the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsvylania. Father Alexander then offered welcoming remarks before introducing the evening’s speaker, Archpriest John Matusiak, who elaborated on the calling of all Christians to participate in Christ’s ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing and further developed the conference theme, “Equipping the Saints,” based on Ephesians 4:11-16.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, will arrive at the conference on Monday, June 28. He will conduct a session on the importance of discerning one’s spiritual gifts.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be devoted to individual workshops on over two dozen topics related to ministry, parish life, Christian education, and liturgical music.
Participants will also celebrate the Vigil and Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul at Saint Innocent Church in neighboring Olmsted Falls, OH.