An Orthodox  Ethos of "Dialogue and Solidarity” Guides the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations

Some of the Department’s most well-known ongoing initiatives include:  

• “Greening the Parish,” which provides resources to parishes for engaging practically with Orthodox “Green” theology and raises awareness of and encourages scholarship and dialogue on creation care; 

• “Racial Reconciliation,” launched in 2021 and consisting of two original miniseries webinars which call upon the theology, tradition, and social ethos of the Orthodox Church to encourage Orthodox Christians in the US to both bear witness to the suffering caused by racism and engage in efforts toward repentance, reform, and action;  

• And its work at the UN, led by Niki Devaris-Morgulis, who joined the team last year as Programs Coordinator. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is an accredited non-governmental organization at the United Nations and its relationship with the UN is facilitated through the Ecumenical Department. In December 2021, GOARCH also received Accreditation to the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), making it the only Orthodox NGO with this accreditation and, as such, the only voice bringing Orthodox values of creation care into the UNEP.  

Instrumental to obtaining UNEP Accreditation was the Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, under whose guidance the Department was able to demonstrate the Archdiocese’s substantial efforts in the care of the environment. As theologian and Senior Advisor to the Department, Fr. John plays a leading role in many of its environmental initiatives—as well as those of GOARCH and the Ecumenical Patriarchate—and through his academic and theological writings and activities, the Department continues to strengthen its relationship with the Patriarchate and other global actors for dialogue and reconciliation. 

In fact, with UNEP Accreditation, the Department gains the capacity for more direct participation and bolstered activity in the Environmental Programme, although it also regularly participates in other NGO groups—like the Working Group on Girls—and has long hosted or sponsored events on issues like homelessness, migration, the environmental crisis, and girls’ rights. The GOARCH Girl Delegate Pilot Program, for instance, welcomes and empowers young women from within the Archdiocese to advocate for their beliefs directly to member states at the UN. According to Devaris-Morgulis, it is critical for young women to engage with the initiatives of their church, and the Girl Delegate Program offers them an unprecedented opportunity to do so while simultaneously exploring issues, like the climate crisis, which concern them. Launched just this past year, the program is still being finetuned, but Devaris-Morgulis expects it to expand to more parishes and to open recruitment to girls nationwide.  

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Department collaborations with other academic and cultural institutions ultimately allow it to host and participate in various timely and educational projects for the benefit of Orthodox faithful and the broader society. Some of these include:  

• Orthodox Scholars Preach, Virtual Speaker Series for Great Lent 2021, 2022 (Fordham University Orthodox Christian Studies Center (OCSC) x GOARCH Department of Religious Education) 

• Covid-19: The Orthodox Response, Webinar (Fordham OCSC x National Council of Churches) 

• Saved by Beauty: Dostoevsky in America, Museum Exhibit, 2022 (Sheen Center) 

• Dialogues with Patriarch Athenagoras by Olivier Clement, English Translation, 2022 (Holy Cross Orthodox Press) 

• Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church: An Impetus for Ecumenical Collaboration, 2022 (Georgetown University) 

• The Good Practices of the Orthodox Church in view of the UNFCCC COP26, 2022 (Volos Academy for Theological Studies).