After a full few days of workshops, panels, and committee sessions, clergy and laity packed into the Pacific Ballroom for the first Plenary session of this year’s Clergy-Laity Congress.
Patriarchal Representatives Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain and Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, and the auxiliary bishops of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
The Plenary opened with remarks from Thom Rainer, the former CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, and an author of numerous publications on evangelism and church growth. Rainer described some of the challenges to building faith communities, including some now familiar statistics about the declining rates of church and attendance in the United States— in 2000, median worship attendance was 137; in recent years, 55— as well as secularization and the minimization of churches as communities. Yet he also argued for a more optimistic outlook; in a broadband survey of adults in the US who were not affiliated with any church or religion in the US, over 15 million expressed at least some type of favorable reaction to Orthodoxy. Another, more fine-tuned example, comes through a different survey, which, according to Rainer, suggests a deep “yearning for church” among those who are unaffiliated with any church or religion: 31% responded that they wanted to “grow spiritually, but don’t know how,” while 55% of those surveyed said they needed a church, a Christian or religious body, to help them help their families. 47% responded that they would like their parish to help them in their lives “emotionally, spiritually, psychologically.” Rainer’s presentation only reaffirmed the great gifts of life, love, and truth the Church can offer each of us— and each of us to one another— through our parish communities.
Afterward, clergy and laity heard from a number of precisely those ministries within our own Church which strive daily to create a more accessible, loving community for us all. Presentations, which varied from humorous to inspiring to energizing, were offered by Archdiocesan departments— including the Archdiocesan Presbyter’s Council, the National Sisterhood of the Presvyteres, the Retired Clergy Association of America, Saint Basil Academy, Communications, Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM) and Youth Safety, FREEDOM National Ministry, Military and Institutional Chaplains, Parish Planned Giving, Religious Education, and Greek Education. Affiliated institutions and organizations from across the Church also presented, among them St. Photios National Shrine (Florida), St. Nicholas National Shrine (New York), Hellenic College Holy Cross, Leadership 100, and the Order of St. Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Exciting updates, as well as challenges and future goals, were shared with the audience— and so were calls to become more involved in different initiatives. Missed the plenary session? Department reports are accessible in full at www.clergylaity.org/reports or on the GOARCH Events App under “Reports and Documents.” Various Ministry booths can also still be visited in the Exhibit Hall (Eventide). Stop by!
The second Plenary session will take place today, July 4, from 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM, in the Pacific Jewel Ballroom.
Photo: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos