Ministries
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers, for the equipping
of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians
4:11-13)
Within the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the
USA,
there are numerous ministries that have been established to edify the Body of
Christ. Officially referred to as
Apostolates ( as they are in reality apostolic in nature), they exist to assist
our diocesan hierarch to shepherd the flock entrusted to his care.
Youth
The Diocesan Apostolate for Youth serves as a catalyst or motivator for effective youth ministry on the
diocesan, deanery and local parish levels.
The Youth Apostolate strives to provide the needed resources
for our youth to experience and explore their Orthodox Faith beyond the comfort
and safety of their parish communities and families.
Christian
Education
The Diocesan Apostolate for Christian Education provides guidance and resources for religious
education within the parishes of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese
of the USA. Through its annual Know Your Faith Educational Conference, it provides teacher
training and educational enrichment for religious educators and the faithful of
the diocese.
Vocations
and Clergy Care
The Diocesan Apostolate for Vocations and Clergy Care is
involved with the fostering of vocations
to the Holy Orders and Monastic ranks of the Church. It works in concert with
Christ the Saviour Seminary, the Diocesan Reader and Diaconate Program and the
Clergy Pension and Compensation Boards, to
nurture vocations of highly
qualified, and spiritually mature individuals to the clerical and monastic
orders.
Liturgical
Music and Publications
The Diocesan Apostolate for Liturgical Music and
Publications oversees the publication of all liturgical service texts and
rubrics within the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA. It also promotes the Carpatho-Rusyn Plain Chant congregational singing tradition in the
diocese, through cantor training programs and symposiums.
Information
Technology and Communications
The Diocesan Apostolate for Information Technology and
Communications is responsible for
identifying, developing and integrating digital communications and
information technologies that are suitable for use within the ministries of the
American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA. It oversees the development
and expansion of the Diocese's presence on the Internet.
Parish
Growth, Mission
and Evangelization
The Diocesan Apostolate for
Parish Growth, Mission
and Evangelization, oversees the
domestic and international missionary outreach of the American Carpatho-Russian Diocese. It serves as a
catalyst for the establishment of new mission parishes and the spiritual
renewal and growth of the existing parishes of the diocese. It also promotes and supports Orthodox missionary work throughout the world. It labors in close cooperation with the
Diocesan Building Commission, and the
Orthodox Mission Center (OCMC) and
the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) which are agencies of the
Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).
Diocesan
Growth and Development
The Diocesan
Apostolate for Growth and Development is entrusted with the ongoing financial
development and strategic planning necessary to sustain and strengthen the ministries and
apostolates of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA.
Archives and History
The Diocesan
Apostolate for Archives and History is responsible for the gathering, preserving and
archiving of various resources and materials of
historic importance to the American
Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA. It is tasked with overseeing the development and growth of the Archival
Center located within the
Diocesan Chancery in Johnstown, PA and the Heritage Museum
which is housed within the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church
at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA.
SCOBA Endorsed
Ministries and Commissions
The Standing
Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), which was founded in 1960, brings together the canonical
hierarchs of Orthodox jurisdictions in
the Americas.
The purpose of the Standing Conference is to create and foster ties of
unity among the canonical Orthodox
Churches and
administrations for a stronger and more
visible witness to the Orthodox Faith.
With this in mind, the hierarchs have established numerous ministries and commissions that provide
a common Orthodox
witness in the areas of mission and evangelization, philanthropy, education and
ecumenical dialogue.
