New York, NY - Today, His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, announced a series of expanded ministry assignments at the Archdiocese headquarters in New York. These changes, which are to be effective January 1, 1999, represent an enhanced utilization of existing Archdiocese personnel.

A new Office of Print and Digital Media has been established to harness new and developing technologies for the service of Christ and His Church. The Rev. Presbyter Philemon Sevastiades has been named the Executive Director of this new Office. In addition to the recently established Department of Publications which he has directed over the past year, Fr. Sevastiades will oversee the operation of the Department of Internet Ministries, the Department of Television Ministry (GOTelecom), and the Department of Archives.

Two new Departments have been added to the Office of Communications. An emerging Department of Community Affairs is under development and a new Department of Correspondence, with Nancy Savaidis as Director, has been instituted to enhance the ability of the Archdiocese to more effectively and expeditiously respond to the large volume of correspondence that is received on a daily basis.

In addition, His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon has appointed Alice Keurian to be the Director of the Office of the Archbishop. Ms. Keurian has served the Archdiocese in an exemplary and faithful capacity for over twenty years, and has been an executive secretary to His Eminence since his enthronement as Archbishop.

Together with these enhancements, the Department of Management Information Systems under Director Apostolos Lambropoulos, who was appointed in May 1998, has augmented its staff in order to accommodate the ever-increasing information processing needs of the Archdiocese.

Finally, Stavros Papagermanos, the Production and Advertising Manager of the Orthodox Observer has been appointed Managing Editor.