The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Archdiocesan Council convened in Washington, DC at the historic Cathedral of St. Sophia for its annual Spring meeting.
Archbishop Elpidophoros opened the meeting with his remarks on the future of the Church including the importance of Hellenic College Holy Cross as the highest priority for the Archdiocese while highlighting the swift progress that is currently underway for the firm foundation of the School for its future growth.
The Archbishop also highlighted the visit of Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi who is visiting from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Elder Metropolitan Apostolos will be officiating the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at the parish of St. Paraskevi in Greenlawn, New York that shares a devotion and shrine with Metropolis of Derkoi in Therapeia.
The Archbishop also highlighted the visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who will be visiting the United States in September who, among other things, will be receiving the Templeton Prize. The Templeton Prize is the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the field of religion.
The Ecumenical Patriarch will include in his visit a stay in Washington, DC to continue his global ministry of advocacy for peace, justice and environmental responsibility. On hearing this news, the Archdiocesan Council issued a resolution on this most worthy recognition of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s significant spiritual contributions to the world.
Archbishop Elpidophoros commented “This opportunity to convene as a body of the Church and to exchange thoughts and ideas on the future of our Holy Archdiocese is particularly rewarding. We are making bold and strategically important decisions that will embolden our parishes to grow and build upon the successes of the past.”
The meeting continued with reports from various ministries and departments on their respective work.
A highlight of the meeting was a presentation on the new National Ministry model by Archon Theo Nicolakis who was recently appointed as Director of National Ministries for the Archdiocese.
He focused on how National Ministries is undergoing a re-imagining and will be focused on the current and future needs of the parishes with an emphasis on data driven insights that will inform the tools and services that are being developed.
Additional ministry reports were provided on the vision for stewardship, outreach and evangelism, the religious education ministry that is developing comprehensive kindergarten through 12th grade curricula and an update on the activities of the youth and young adult ministries.
The Archdiocesan Council meeting included a comprehensive report on the finances of the Archdiocese by the Treasurer of the Archdiocesan Council, Elaine Allen. She emphasized the Archdiocese’s continued financial stability in 2024 under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros.
The audited financial statements demonstrated strong financial liquidity and the consistent ability of the Archdiocese to control its expenses commensurate with its financial resources in a transparent and accountable manner. A full report on the finances of the Archdiocese will be the subject of a separate communication.
Maria Stefanis, Chair of the Archdiocesan Audit Committee, indicated that the auditors’ reports were unqualified in their findings and they reported for the fourth consecutive year that there were no material weaknesses in the internal controls of the Archdiocese.
She also reported that the financial reports prepared by the Archdiocese’s finance team were accepted by the auditors without revision or exception reflecting the excellent finance resources that the Archdiocese possesses.
Paulette Poulos, Executive Director of Leadership 100, highlighted its work in supporting the ministries of the Archdiocese.
As part of its recent grantmaking activities, Leadership 100 provided the Archdiocese and its affiliated institutions with over $5.5 million in 2025. The vital role that Leadership 100 plays in supporting the Archdiocese’s ministries, including Hellenic College Holy Cross and other affiliated institutions, was recognized and the Archdiocesan Council enthusiastically thanked Leadership 100 for its support.
Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on St. Basil Academy that was formed in late 2023, provided a report on the work of the Advisory Committee that was directed to St. Basil Academy, the National Philoptochos Society, the landowner of the property on which St. Basil Academy resides, and the Archdiocese. Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the future of St. Basil, including enhanced ministry programming, potential expanded uses of the real property and the finances of St. Basil were presented.
Dr. Demetrios Katos, President of Hellenic College Holy Cross, discussed the progress of the School with the stabilization of its finances, increased enrollment in Hellenic College and the Seminary, new programming including the growth of online courses and the repositioning of the School to prepare for the future.
Finally, the Archdiocesan Council meeting included presentations on the administration of the Archdiocese, legal matters and actions taken by the Executive Committee.
The Archdiocesan Council meeting concluded with its members sharing its gratitude to Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Metropolitans of our Eparchial Synod for the significant progress that the Holy Archdiocese has seen in recent years on all fronts and the strategically important initiatives that are underway to grow our Holy Archdiocese.
Photos: Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos
