Mission Sunday 2024
Monday, February 26, 2024
Mission Sunday 2024
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
-Romans 10:15
To the Reverend Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Holy Orthodox Churches in the United States:
On Sunday, March 17th, just prior to Great Lent, Orthodox Christian churches throughout our nation will once again observe Mission Sunday, the day that reminds us of the importance of preaching Christ’s “gospel of peace” and offering our support to those who bring these “glad tidings”! As St. Paul further reminds us: “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14)
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America that coordinates our missionary efforts by:
- Sending Missionaries – Currently, 17 OCMC missionaries and their families have been sent to preach the gospel of peace in Albania, Brazil, Fiji, Guatemala, Mexico, Romania, and Tonga.
- Supporting Mission Priests – Almost 500 local priests, mostly in Africa, receive monthly financial assistance so that they might help their local people to hear about Jesus Christ.
- Supporting seminaries and training Church Leaders and Clergy – In Albania, Guatemala, Kenya, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere OCMC sends missionaries and/or funds to help train future clergy and church leaders who guide people who have heard the Good News, to believe in Jesus Christ and call upon Him.
- Funding Missions Initiatives – In 2023, just over $1 million was sent around the world so that the Church could bring the good things that Christ promises to His creation – reaching unevangelized regions, establishing the Church, and tending to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of His people.
Therefore, on Mission Sunday, and every day, I pray that each of us will support the Holy Church’s most critical mission by one or more of the following:
- Pray for the missionaries and mission priests around the world who, like the apostles, preach the Lord’s gospel of peace!
- Support OCMC in its efforts to help more people call on the Lord.
- Engage your communities and youth in this important work throughout Great Lent by ordering special missions Coin Boxes and Sunday School Lesson Plans to help spread glad tidings of good things offered by Christ Himself!
May your Lenten journey be blessed and may we all have the courage to preach Christ’s gospel of peace and bring His glad tidings to the ends of the earth!
With Blessings in Christ,
Archbishop Daniel
Episcopal Liaison to OCMC