Mission Conference and Lecture
The newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity hosted the 25th annual EFOM Missions Lecture at Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology on Friday, November 5, 2010. Dr. Athanasios Papathanasiou, the editor-in-chief of the theological journal Synaxis, author of Essays on Church Mission in an Age of Globalization, and a participant of short term mission trips to Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Korea offered an intellectually stimulating lecture on the Journey to the Center of Gravity: Christian Missions One Center After Edinburgh 1910. Dr. Papathanasiou was introduced by the Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Clapsis, the Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology.
This year's annual lecture was held in conjunction with the Boston Theological Institute's 2010 Conference, The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity, the last of four international mission conferences this year, the first three being held in Tokyo, Edinburgh and Cape Town. This four day conference took place at a different campus in the Boston area each day, including the campuses of HC/HC, Harvard, Boston College, and Boston University. Close to 200 people attended the Friday night lecture, beginning with Vespers in the Holy Cross Chapel, followed by a reception sponsored by the Endowment Fund for Orthodox Missions (EFOM), and then the main lecture. They were welcomed to the school by the Rev. Dr. Thomas FitzGerald, Dean of Holy Cross.
"It was a wonderful opportunity for our 25th annual lecture to coincide with the BTI's international conference," commented Fr. Luke Veronis, the new director of the Missions Institute. "Not only did we expose our HC/HC students to a serious thinker like Dr. Papathanasiou, but we also introduced many non-Orthodox mission leaders and thinkers to Holy Cross and the reality that our Church is intimately involved in the worldwide missionary endeavor."
Since 1986, EFOM has brought outstanding speakers to the campus of HC/HC to present thought-provoking lectures related to the theme of missions. Past speakers have been leading Orthodox missionaries, missiologists, and Church thinkers, including Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Metropolitan Soterios of Korea, Fr. Peter Gillquist, Fr. Martin Ritsi, and Fr. Alexander Veronis among others.
EFOM is a registered charitable organization based on the mandate to proclaim and share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Orthodox Christian Faith to all people of all nations everywhere. It was established by friends of Fr. Alexander and Presbytera Pearl Veronis to honor their ministry and dedication in spreading the love of Jesus Christ through Orthodox Missions locally as well as cross-culturally to all nations. Along with hosting this lecture, EFOM gives out annual scholarships to HC students interested in missions, and most recently donated one million dollars to establish the new Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity at Hellenic College and Holy Cross.
Left to right: The Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Clapsis, Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology at Holy Cross; Dr. Rodney Peterson, Executive Director of the BTI; Dr. Athanasios Papathanasiou, EFOM 2010 Lecturer; Rev. Dr. Thomas FitzGerald, Holy Cross Dean; Mrs. Helen Nicozisis, EFOM Founder; Rev. Luke Veronis, Director of the Orthodox Missions Institute at Holy Cross; Rev. Alexander Veronis, EFOM Founder.
Here is a list of upcoming events at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. For a complete list, see our calendar of events.
Tuesday, May, 22nd, 2012
Monday, May, 28th, 2012
Tuesday, June, 5th, 2012
Friday, June, 8th, 2012
