New York, NY - His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, announced today that the Thirty-Eighth Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, National Philoptochos Convention, and Young Adult Conference of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will convene next year in Nashville, Tennessee, July 16-21.

The Congress, which will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, will be hosted by the Metropolis of Detroit and His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas. The General Chairpersons for the Congress are George and Lee Ann Anderson. The theme will be &qout;Sharing the Truth of the Gospel and the Love of Christ.&qout; This theme will guide participants in affirming the significance of our relationships, calling, and witness as Orthodox Christians.

The Congress will also feature a special Family Life Program, offering Orthodox families a time of retreat, spiritual growth, and recreation. In addition, the Congress will offer an extensive educational program to assist clergy and laity in enhancing the work of ministry in and through our Orthodox parishes.

Archbishop Demetrios will preside at the Congress, which is expected to attract several thousand participants including delegates from the more than 500 parishes of the Archdiocese.

Registration information for the Clergy-Laity Congress, the Philoptochos Convention, the Young Adult Conference and the Family Life Program, as well as general schedules and exhibitor applications will be distributed in the fall and also made available on the Archdiocesan web site at www.goarch.org. For access to audio files and educational resources from both the 2002 and 2004 Congresses, visit the conference multimedia site at www.goarch.org/en/resources/conferences/.

Contact:
Clergy-Laity Congress Office