Springfield, Virginia, August 14, 2024
The Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life (OPL) has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help clergy families facing economic troubles.
“OPL supports clergy as they fulfill their vocation of pastoral service by offering resources that promote personal, spiritual, and educational growth and health. Through workshops, seminars, retreats and Thriving in Ministry peer learning groups, OPL seeks to equip clergy, clergy wives and clergy families with resources and tools to maintain and enhance their ministries so that they may better lead the faithful across North America,” the OCA explains.
The aim of the grant is to alleviate the financial troubles that hinder a cleric’s ability to pastor his people effectively.
“Clergy health and economic stability are perennial challenges facing our Church,” says His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the primate of the OCA. “Now more than ever, it is crucial to renew our efforts to foster the physical, spiritual and emotional health of our clergy so that our parishes and institutions will be guided by pastors who can fulfill the Apostolic work of the Church.”
“Strengthening the financial stability of our clergy is essential for them to dedicate themselves fully to their pastoral responsibilities, free from the stress of economic uncertainty,” said OPL director Fr. Nicholas Solak.
A study by the OCA showed that clergy need ongoing support throughout their ministries. OPL will tailor its support for clergy in the early years of their ministry, in the middle, and in the final years.
Learn more about the OPL at https://opl.oca.org.
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