NEW YORK – The 41st Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will convene in Phoenix, Arizona, July 1- 5, 2012, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. Concurrently with the Clergy-Laity Congress, the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society will convene its Biennial National Convention in the same venue.
“Chosen and appointed by God to go and bear fruit,” is the theme of the Clergy-Laity Congress as set by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, who in his introductory reflection on the theme states:
“We have been chosen and appointed by God to offer a witness of Him through our worship and service, through our lives and before all people so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, and us in Him as St. Paul said (I Thessalonians 1:11-12). In addition, as God has chosen and appointed us, He gives us all that we need to do this great work. He equips us with the grace, the power, the ability, the wisdom, and the resources to develop effective means for reaching others with the Gospel of healing truth and peace.”
The Clergy-Laity Congress is convened biennially and is concerned with all matters, other than doctrinal or canonical, affecting the life, growth and unity of the Church, her institutions, her finances, her administration, educational and philanthropic concerns and her growing role in the religious life of the nation.
The 41st Congress takes place this year in the Metropolis of San Francisco headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, and is co-chaired by Theofanis Economides, of Los Altos, Calif., who is the vice-chair of the San Francisco Metropolis Council and Isidoros Garifalakis of Vancouver, Wash., who is the Metropolis Council Secretary.
In addition to the 2012 National Ladies Philoptochos Society biennial convention, other organizations are holding meetings and include the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council, the National Sisterhood of Presvyteres, the Retired Greek Orthodox Clergy of America, the Order of Saint Andrew - Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians.
A summary schedule of the major events and more detailed information is available at www.clergylaity.org or by calling (212) 570-3549
