Welcome to the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life!
Our Office is dedicated to serving priests, deacons, clergy wives, and, through them, the faithful of our Church. We believe that healthy priests and healthy priest families are essential to nurturing healthy and vitalized parish communities. Our mission is to support and enrich the lives of our clergy and their families, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to lead our Church with strength and compassion. We are excited to launch (or that you have visited … perhaps) this new website as a hub for our initiatives, programs, and resources, and we look forward to serving you.
Father Nicholas Solak
Chair, Office of Pastoral Life
WHAT WE OFFER
Our Programs
Synaxis
Thriving in Ministry
Financial Health Initiative
Emphasizing the Joy of Ministry
Our Mission
We always want to emphasize that we’re trying to connect people with the joy of ministry. We want to keep clergy and clergy wives connected with the joy of ministry.
Whom We Serve
OCA active and retired clergy, clergy wives, and clergy widows.
Healthy Clergy, Happy Family
Our Vision
Clergy and clergy wives have wisdom to share, and when they share this wisdom, there is a double blessing: clergy families enjoy greater health, and parishes do as well. The research is strong: healthy clergy families blossom into vibrant parish ministries.
Sadly, Orthodox clergy and clergy wives so rarely have the chance to gather and develop communities of trust and common support. Geography is a factor, but so is the isolation brought on by stress, overworking, self-neglect, and pride. Clergy and clergy wives need to gather, on purpose, to do the good work of wisdom-sharing and to develop a trusted network of reliable support.
We care about clergy health. Here are some markers of healthy clergy:
- Healthy clergy grow, rather than wither, in response to the daily challenges of ministry.
- Healthy clergy build Christ-centered congregations that mirror the priest’s same joy, humility and creativity.
- Healthy clergy and clergy wives naturally feed their parishes a steady stream of hope and joy in Christ.
- Healthy clergy and clergy wives inspire their parishes to choose change and growth over resignation and nostalgia.
Empowering Spiritual Caregivers
Upcoming Events and Gatherings
Stay connected and engaged with our calendar of events. Explore workshops, retreats, and community gatherings tailored to support your spiritual journey and professional development provided by our programs and ministries.
Join Us on the Journey
Building Connections, Finding Support, and Cultivating Growth
We invite you to connect with us and explore how the Office of the Pastoral Life can support you in your journey. Whether through in-person meetings, virtual programs, or online resources, we’re dedicated to fostering a community of support and growth for pastoral excellence.