The Department of Missions and Evangelism was established in 1988 to "Make America Orthodox," in the words of His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP. To fulfill that dream, the department endeavors to: 1) build new missions in North American cities of over 100,000 population which have no Orthodox Church of any jurisdiction; 2) respond to invitations of lay groups of Orthodox Christians who desire an English-speaking parish; 3) cultivate relationships with independent (generally Protestant) communities which desire to become Orthodox; 4) work with non-Orthodox pastors who desire to become Orthodox; 5) cooperate with College Ministry to develop mission parishes adjacent to major college campuses with no English-speaking Orthodox Church nearby; and 6) train and encourage Antiochian Orthodox priests and lay leaders to promote Orthodox Christian evangelism in their communities and begin new missions in nearby localities.
Since Metropolitan PHILIP founded this department 108 missions (excluding Western Rite parishes) have been established by the Antiochian Archdiocese. Of these, fifty-five have grown to full parishes. At present the department is developing missions in seven cities across the United States and Canada, and is exploring possibilities in several more.
"The Orthodox Church is not only for one nation, one civilization, one continent. It is like God Himself, for all and for every place."
-Patriarch Ignatius IV, February 6, 1987
"I feel strongly that our best gift to America will be a stable Christianity that is rooted in the Bible, holy tradition and the Fathers of the Church."
-Metropolitan PHILIP in Christianity Today, March 13, 1987
"Our Fathers brought Orthodoxy to America. Now it's our responsibility to bring America to Orthodoxy."
-Fr. James Meena
New missions and parishes founded by the Antiochian Archdiocese
20th Annual Orthodox Conference on Missions & Evangelism
Update: Listen to the 2008 Conference on Missions and Evangelism on Ancient Faith Radio, featuring lectures by Fr. Peter Gillquist, Fr. John Braun and Fr. Dan Suciu!
The 20th annual Orthodox Conference on Missions & Evangelism begins this Labor Day weekend, running from August 29 through September 1, in Santa Barbara, California. Sponsored by the Antiochian Archdiocese's Department of Missions and Evangelism, the theme of this year's Conference is The Bible and Evangelism. The event will feature speakers Fr. Peter Gillquist, Fr. John Braun and Fr. Dan Suciu.
Conference topics will include:
- Achieving Parish Unity
- Questions Protestants Should Be Asking About Orthodoxy
- The Mission Field in America
- Confronting the Doctrine of Sola Scriptura
- Salvation as Deification
- Hidden Treasures in the Septuagint
- Preaching and Teaching the Bible
- A Call to Repentance in Jesus Christ
Fr. Peter Gillquist
