Mission of the Church

An Orthodox Christian parish, however it was founded and for whatever purpose it was organized, must understand itself to be an Apostolic community with a missionary purpose.

It's members, especially it's leaders, must be conscious of themselves as people sent by Christ from God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring God's unity, holiness and fullness to all human beings in this divided, sinful and fragmented world. If a parish has no awareness and consciousnesses of being sent by God to speak His words, to do His work and to accomplish His will in this world then it is not an Orthodox Christian parish.

At best, it is a bunch of decent people carrying on a bundle of benign activities for their own benefit. At worst, to use Apocalyptic words, it is a synagogue of Satan perverting God's Gospel by its blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which will not be forgiven either in this age or the age to come.

- From the keynote address by Fr. Tom Hopko at the 13th All-American Council (2002), Orlando FL. The document from which the above paragraph is extracted is at http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/documents/orthodoxparishinna.pdf