Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania, the Diocese of the Midwest and the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America, the Parish Development Forum is a conference for Orthodox clergy and laity which provides an opportunity for discussion of timely topics and discovery of practices used by healthy, vibrant Orthodox parishes.
The 2021 Forum was held as a one day online conference on July 16, 2021 between 10:00 AM and 5:15 PM EDT via Zoom.
Theme: The Orthodox Parish: Awakening to Opportunity
While condition vary by region and Diocese, Orthodox parishes in North America seem to be finally re-opening. Parish life is getting back to “normal”. Or is it? And should it be? Are we coming back to before? Or are we coming back to better? Can and will clergy and lay leaders recognize and inspire something better than the status quo? Digesting lessons from the past year offers unprecedented opportunity to reach out as more resilient, more forward looking and less insular parish communities. Communities enlivened with new initiatives. New energy. Engaged Laity. Parishes that are committed to beginning a dialogue with a brighter future.
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Archpriest Dr. John Jillions |
Feature Speakers
Metropolitan TIKHON, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, offered a brief video welcome to the Forum.
Archpriest Dr. John A. Jillions, former Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America and Associate Professor of Religion and Culture at St Vladimir’s Seminary is author of Divine Guidance: Lessons for Today from the World of Early Christianity (Oxford, 2020). He will speak on what the New Testament can teach us about understanding and engaging the challenges and opportunities presented by the secular culture.
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Dr Nathan Jacobs |
Dr. Nathan Jacobs, currently Scholar in Residence of Philosophy and Religion in the Religion in the Arts in Contemporary Culture Program based in Vanderbilt University Divinity School, is best known to Orthodox audiences as the creator of the feature documentary Becoming Truly Human. The film looks at the religiously unaffiliated (or Nones) and documents his own journey from being a None to becoming an Orthodox Christian. Dr. Jacobs explored the characteristics of ‘Nones’ and ‘Dones’. Who they are and what they are looking for. How we connect with them and why Orthodox Christians and Orthodox parishes may have a shorter bridge in engaging in productive dialogue with them?
Three Tracks of Awakening
Encouraging parishes to awaken to opportunity has many dimensions. The Forum will offer three parallel content tracks which build on the messages of our feature speakers and the specific situations facing parishes. Each facilitated track will include three sessions, one in the morning and two in the afternoon, each with subject matter experts contributing and leading attendee discussion.
Track One: Personal Spiritual Resiliency
How has a period of separation from loving parish relationships and communal worship and fellowship impacted the faithful spiritually? How did people build spiritual resiliency and ‘muscle’? Were they able to strengthen their ability to weather the storm of the pandemic’s uncertainty and to embrace disorder to adopt and evolve to become closer to God? What emotional, addiction and psychological issues may have been exposed or exacerbated by the pandemic? Drug or physical abuse? Deterioration of marriages. How can we as parish leaders be better prepared to recognize, assist and even intervene?
Track Two: The Back-To-Better Parish
The parish we knew before the pandemic no longer exists. We know it will be different but we’re not sure exactly how. Parishioners return as different people to a parish that is different in many ways. Roles, jobs and ministries may have changed. Fears and concerns exist. New Sunday morning rhythms have been established. What can parishes do to overcome the secular gravitational pull of kids’ sports, lingering over coffee, brunch, a brisk walk? What special considerations are needed to engage youth and children – the youngest of whom church is a faint memory at best. To move forward we need to heal, reengage, rethink and act on new possibilities.
Track Three: Being Fishers of Men
In the past year Orthodox parishes have opened themselves to the world as never before. The now common practice of streaming of liturgies has helped to allay concerns by visitors and help them to taste and see prior to walking through the door. Other technology uses have enabled visitor classes. As a result many parishes are experiencing an unprecedented stream of visitors, inquirers, catechumens, converts and “reverts”. How will we handle these exceptional evangelistic and service opportunities? Will we retreat? Will wefocus only on "ours". Or will we engage the world with the message of the gospel? This track will explore using social media to communicate the uniqueness that Orthodox communities offer to the unchurched, understanding tools for listening and building trust and defining what the “Evangelizing Orthodox Parish” might look like.