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Published
by International Orthodox
Christian Charities, April 15, 2004
Conference to
Explore Social Witness of Orthodox Church
Baltimore (IOCC)
- An international conference being held this
spring in Finland will explore the history,
theology and present reality of Orthodox Christian
cooperation in the area of social justice and
outreach.
The conference, "Orthodox Diakonia: The Social
Witness and Service of the Orthodox Church," will
be held April 30-May 5 at Valamo Lay Academy in
eastern Finland.
Conference organizers are International Orthodox
Christian Charities (IOCC), the World Council of
Churches/Diakonia & Solidarity Team, and Ortaid,
the humanitarian arm of the Orthodox Church of
Finland.
"In the last 12 years, since the fall of the
Soviet empire, we have witnessed the amazing
renewal of Orthodox social action worldwide," said
Alexander Belopopsky, public information
coordinator for the World Council of Churches.
"This conference will celebrate and explore that
renewal and look for ways that Orthodox can be
more effective in their ministry to Christ's
poor."
Among the expected participants are His Eminence
Archbishop Leo of the Orthodox Church of Finland,
as well as representatives of Orthodox social
service organizations in Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, Asia and North America. There are about 20
such organizations in Europe alone.
The schedule for the five-day conference includes
worship services, workshops and lectures by noted
Orthodox scholars. The conference is by invitation
only, and organizers expect to publish a book of
all the proceedings.
Conference topics include: Orthodox social
theology; social and political engagement, wealth
and poverty in the Bible and the Church Fathers;
Orthodox approaches to contemporary social,
political and human rights issues; contemporary
Orthodox practices in the area of humanitarian and
social work; and an Orthodox approach to social
management, stewardship and accountability.
One of the main objectives of the conference is to
encourage ongoing collaboration and exchange among
Orthodox social initiatives and organizations
worldwide, including the exploration of new
networks and associations.
"This conference will be an opportunity to step
back and reflect on what we as Orthodox are doing
right and what we can do better in the area social
ministry," said IOCC Executive Director
Constantine M. Triantafilou. "It has the potential
to spark a new era of pan-Orthodox cooperation on
behalf of people in need around the world."
A conference-related Web site (www.orthodoxdiakonia.net
) is currently under construction. Founded in
1992, IOCC is the humanitarian aid agency of
Orthodox Christians. To learn more about its
programs worldwide, please visit
www.iocc.org.
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