OCMC Board member Bruce Humphrey, and past OCMC Board President, Mrs. Helen Nicozisis, relax after a long anticipated celebration.

Former OCMC Team member, Stephen Gidus of Longwood, Florida, reminisces about his time on the field.

Mrs. Helen Nicozisis is a former president of the OCMC Board. Listen along as Fr. Chris interviews her and they talk about the new building - its mission, purpose and capabilities.

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Listen to Fr. Martin Ritsi's speech at the dedication luncheon. Fr. Martin is the Executive Director of OCMC.

Following his ordination in 1987, Fr. Martin and his family, Presbytera Renee, son Stephanos and daughter Nicole, spent four years in Nairobi, Kenya serving the Archbishopric of Kenya and Irinopoulis. His work there included teaching at the Makarios III Orthodox Seminary in Nairobi, serving as parish priest of the St. Anargyroi Cathedral, overseeing the Archdiocesan finances and traveling throughout East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) to preach, teach and baptize.

After returning to earn his degree at Fuller, Fr. Martin served for six years in Albania, working under Archbishop Anastasios to help reopen the long-persecuted Orthodox Church. He was active in catechizing and baptizing hundreds of adults and was instrumental in starting the first Orthodox youth group in Albania. He also established and supervised Diaconia Agape, the Church’s office of relief aid and development, taught at the Ngjallja Seminary, directed the Office of Finance and served as the Archbishop’s representative in the Berat Diocese.

In August 1998 Fr. Martin returned to the United States to become Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, the official missions and evangelism agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). Blessed with the solid foundation laid by Fr. James Couchell (now Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos), he has been able to lead the Center to increasing its numbers of short- and long-term missionaries, support for mission priests and philanthropic projects around the world.

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Listen is as Fr. Chris interviews Cliff Argue, the president of the OCMC Board. They talk about the future of OCMC, how missionaries transform lives, and what the new building will allow OCMC to accomplish.

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The official opening of the Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Mission Training Center in St. Augustine, Florida was held this morning.  Currently we are at the special Luncheon celebrating this extraordinary event which celebrates the erecting of the first official center for a SCOBA Agency.  Representatives of all of the Orthodox Jurisdictions were present as well as representatives of all SCOBA Agencies to witness this glorious event and show solidarity in the aim of SCOBA to share the Gospel of Christ.

The morning began once again with a downpour but this did not wash out the positive spirit of those who came to St. Augustine.  In the holy presence of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios as well as other hierarchs and priests, the Board of Directors of OCMC and hundreds of supporters  began the day with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.  From there all present traveled in the pouring down rain to the OCMC headquarters.  You might even be able to pick up the sound of the rain in this recording.  

I must confess to you that on my way to the Divine Liturgy I got lost and found another member of the Board of OCMC who also had lost her way, since most of the roads leading to the church had been washed out by the rain and the police were detouring everyone.  It was at this point that I decided to go directly to the training center. Much to my joy I met Helen Nicozisis, the former Chairman of the Board and the Capital Campaign at the center who gave me a personal tour of the new center prior to everyone arriving.  You can hear this tour for yourself by clicking on the link below.  

The new building is approximately 12,000 square feet and two stories tall with a reflecting pool.  The blessing of the waters service was chanted with the faithful singing the responses.  The prayers read by the Hierarchs and priests were so moving that some people were brought to tears.  For some, the goal of having a mission center has been a life-long endeavor now realized.  

You can also hear two talks given by the honorees which were very moving' recalling their time together in Greece when they were students and their statements of how important missions are for our Church.  We will be posting numerous photos so please take your time to review them. Thanks for visiting our OCMC coverage of the Dedication.  It was an honor for OCN to be invited to partner with our sister agency of SCOBA.

Hear the opening of the dedication here, or click below to listen:

A welcome into the building here, or hear below:

Fr. Chris interviews Nathan and Gabriella Hoppe, OCMC missionaries who are representing Albania at the dedication.

The Hoppe family has been serving in Albania for more than 10 years. Nathan teaches Patristics and other subjects at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy. He also directs the Central Children’s Office of the Orthodox Church of Albania, perfoms student ministry at the University, and he leads the OCMC missionary team in Albania. Nathan was born and raised in Colombia, South America where his parents served as missionaries. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Gabriela was born in Albania and is a graduate of the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy and the University of Tirana. In addition to being a wife, mother and homemaker she serves with Nathan in the children’s ministry. Together they lead a team of about 25 Albanian Orthodox youth to Kosovo each year where they hold friendship camps in Muslim villages.

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Fr. Chris interviews Floyd and Ancuta Frantz. This couple has been one of OCMC's longest serving missionary teams, and they have done much to serve the people of Romania and to spread the Faith there.

Floyd Frantz became interested in serving as an Orthodox missionary in 1998, after attending a presentation that OCMC missionaries Craig and Victoria Goodwin gave at his church. Their report about the high level of addiction amongst the young people living on the streets in Romania interested Floyd, who by profession is an addictions counselor. That same year he went to Romania, and while there he noticed not only the poverty and general need of the population in Romania, but also that they lacked treatment programs for alcoholism and addiction. In November of 2000, he began the St. Dimitrie Program, and since that time he has been developing education and alcoholism treatment programs throughout the Orthodox Church in Romania. ?Much of his work is with the homeless and disenfranchised, especially those in hospitals and institutions. Because of the need, in 2006 the St. Dimitrie Program began working directly at the parish level. Currently Floyd is training and working with priests in several dioceses in Romania, and now also in the neighboring Republic of Moldova.

Floyd's wife Ancuta is a native Romanian and is the director of the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center. The Protection Center is aimed at the prevention of child abandonment. According to official Romanian statistics, in 2006 there were over 7,000 children abandoned by their families in Romania. Ancuta's day-care and counseling project works in conjunction with the local child protection agency and the Orthodox Church to minister to new mothers by offering counseling and material support. Currently the center is serving 15 children and their mothers.

The Franztes thank you for your continued prayer and financial support.

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Fr. Chris interviews His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America. They discuss mission and His Beatitude's vision for the OCA's role in the foreign mission field.

"To bring people to the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, to bring them salvation, is first and foremost an ascetic task which we have to undertake ourselves to embrace that complete self-offering to Jesus Christ."

- Met. Jonah

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Fr. Chris interviews His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. Archbishop Demetrios is the spiritual leader of the 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America and has been a key figure in the missionary labors that OCMC undertakes. He and Fr. Chris discuss the potential that the new OCMC building has for Orthodoxy throughout the world, and the advice that His Eminence has for those considering the missionary life.

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Fr. Chris interviews His Beatitude Anastasios of Albania. Archbishop Anastasios has been an instrumental leader in the recent explosive growth of Orthodoxy in Albania.

As a young theologian, Anastasios Yannoulatos helped to establish Go Ye, a movement aimed at rekindling the missionary conscience of the Orthodox Church. Following his ordination in 1964, Father Anastasios set out for East Africa and celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in Uganda. Consecrated Bishop of Androussa by the Church of Greece in 1972, Bishop Anastasios returned to East Africa in 1980. He created a strong Orthodox Church by training native leaders and in 1982 officially opened the Archbishop Makarios III Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 1991 after establishing a firm foundation for Orthodoxy in East Africa, the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected him Archbishop of Tirana, Durce and All Albania to revive the Autocephalous Church of Albania, a Church on the brink of collapse.His Beatitude has been the major force in the miraculous resurrection of the Albanian Orthodox Church. Seventy new churches have been built, 65 churches and five monasteries have been renovated and 130 churches repaired by utilizing the talents of local architects, engineers, iconographers and other craftsmen. Presently, the Orthodox Church is one of the largest organizations in the country, promoting economic development and creating hundreds of jobs.

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Fr. Chris gives a brief audio introduction of the OCMC dedication as he travels north for this special event.

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Fr Luke Veronis has been involved in the Orthodox missionary movement for the past 17 years. Together with his wife Presbytera Faith, he served as a long-term OCMC Missionary in Albania for the past ten and a half years. Albania was one of the most persecuted Communist countries of Eastern Europe, being the only country in the world to totally outlaw any form of religious expression, and the first country to proclaim itself totally atheistic. 

Fr Luke is presently pastoring the Sts Constantine and Helen Church in Webster, MA, while teaching mission classes at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and Hellenic College. 

Listen to Fr. Chris's interview with Fr. Luke by clicking here, or listen below

Hierarchs, Clergymen and faithful traveled from throughout the world this week to gather in St. Augustine Florida for the Dedication of their new Mission Center.  The event was described by many as breathtaking, a remarkable achievement for Pan Orthodoxy in America, an historic moment, a real moment and yes an uplifting moment for all. Archbishop Demetrios of America, the Chairman of SCOBA and the OCMC Board of Directors officially welcomed his co-honoree His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. 

There clearly was much excitement in the air as faithful and clergy retold the story of how the mission center began many decades ago in small and humble beginnings.  The new building is being dedicated to two legendary hierarchs of the church His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and His Eminence Archbishop Anastasios.   The invited guests visited with me to record interviews some of which you will see and hear posted on our site.  Over 200 people gathered in one of the hotel rooms broke bread, listened to a dynamic talk given by Fr. Chad Hatfield of St. Vladimir's ceremony  and then plan for tomorrow's Divine Liturgy and Official Dedication Ceremony.  

I will be there to cover the events for you and bring you some new files very soon.

St. Augustine, FL – Several hundred Orthodox Christian faithful from throughout the country and as far away as Albania and Romania will be in St. Augustine this week for the dedication of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administrative Building of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). This new facility will serve as the international missions headquarters for North America’s estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians. Events begin with an evening banquet Wednesday, May 20, and continue on Thursday with a Divine Liturgy service at 7:30 a.m. The actual Dedication ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 21, to be followed by a luncheon.
 
Both His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, and His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, together with other hierarchs of SCOBA, will be at the dedication to celebrate this historical moment in Orthodox missions and cooperation, and to lead the gathered Faithful in praying for the continuation of this vital work of the Church. Also participating are current and former OCMC missionaries who are serving or have served in various worldwide locations; mission team volunteers; members of the OCMC board of directors; benefactors; staff; and other Orthodox clergy and laity.
 
Coverage of this historic event, including photos, interviews, and a live blog, will be provided by Fr. Chris Metropulos of Orthodox Christian Network (OCN). Logon to www.MyOCN.net on May 21st to share in this monumental expression of Orthodox Christian unity in North America and the continued growth of the Orthodox missions movement.
 
In response to Christ's final command to "make disciples of all nations," the OCMC is dedicated to helping the Church realize its missionary vision. In addition to sending Missionaries and Mission Team volunteers, the OCMC subsidizes the salaries of over 350 indigenous clergy in 18 mission countries. It helps train new church leaders by supporting seven seminaries around the world, and it funds numerous ministry and philanthropic projects of the Church abroad. In the new Missionary Training and Administration Building, these programs will be able to work toward sharing the Gospel of Christ in more areas around the world in the years to come.