This post was originally published on this site
December 21, 2017
2018 Clergy-Laity Congress
All things are possible to him who believes.
Mark 9:23
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
With joy in our hearts as we anticipate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, I join with the beloved and respected Hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod and the members of the Archdiocesan Council in announcing that our 44th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress and the national meeting of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society will convene July 1 to 5, 2018, in Boston, Massachusetts. We offer our sincere gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and the leadership, clergy, and laity of the Metropolis of Boston for their willingness to host the 44th Clergy-Laity Congress of our Archdiocese and to welcome the leaders of our parishes and organizations from throughout our blessed country.
Our theme for the Congress will be “All Things Are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ” (Mark 9:23). As Orthodox Christians we affirm our belief in Christ and the call of the Gospel, knowing that our faith in Him leads us in our worship and ministry. We are also led by the example of our Lord in seeing the limitless possibilities of our faith. His life and ministry show us that belief in Him leads to healing, renewal and hope. Belief in Christ defeats the power of sin and death, transfigures our lives, and leads us on the path of salvation. Our unwavering belief in Him as shown through our lives and our ministry will help us overcome any challenges, will extend our witness in new and dynamic ways, and will lead others to Christ and the abundant and blessed life in Him.
As we plan our Clergy-Laity Congress, I ask the faithful of our Holy Archdiocese to consider this theme and its implications for our work through our parishes, ministries, organizations, and resources. I also ask all of our parishes to support and send delegates so that we can have full participation in this vital event of our Greek Orthodox Church in America. Our Clergy-Laity Congress is a blessed time to gather in faith, fellowship, and love with a focus on evaluating and planning our work of ministry. May our preparations through our prayers be guided by the presence of Christ, by the power of our faith in Him, and by our commitment to share the unlimited possibilities and tremendous power of our faith in Christ.
With paternal love in Him,
† DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
