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  The Nativity  The Baptism of Christ - Theophany |
NEWSUpdated 29Dec2009. Recent fundraisers for the school building! Holy Covenant EOC held two fundraisers in December for the school building fund. The first, a variety night with silent auction and raffle raised $1780 CAD. The second, a Question and Answer session with Fr. Denis and Dativa Mugabo resulted in $1100 CAD raised to help build a school! The 2009 EOC Synod was held in Indianapolis, November 6-8
 More details to follow... Fellowship Bishop Joshua Beecham, Kathy Beecham, and Sharon Dougherty have returned home after visiting with our brothers and sisters in Rwanda and Burundi from May 27th to June 10th. Visit the Rwanda page to read Bishop Joshua's report! Fundraising Update Part one of our fundraising (for the land) is complete, the land has been purchased! Now we are embarking on part 2 - the funds for the school and church. Recent fundraisers for the land purchase project: Saskatoon - May 30 with a yard sale and BBQ. We raised nearly $500 CDN. Saskatoon - April 28 with a Pie and Variety Nite. We raised $1,405.00 CDN, largely in part to a donation by "Uncle Dave's Bakery" of 50 frozen and ready to bake (delicious) pies! Sioux City - a Rummage & Bake Sale on May 2 raised almost $600 US. Looking for Sponsors ... We have committed to presenting each of the 21 graduates with a sewing machine when they complete the 1-yr. course in December 2009. We have 11 sponsors at this time who will be giving $200 CDN/$170 US towards the machine and some basics so that when they leave the school they will be able to earn a living for themselves and their families. For more background on the school, refer to Audrey's report, and if you are interested in being a sponsor, please email me at audreyg@sasktel.net. (Audrey Gliege) Fleamarket in Sweden The fundraising for our brothers and sisters in Rwanda continues! On Saturday, the 28th of March, St. Peters Evangelical Orthodox Church arranged a very well attended fleamarket. For sale were used items and clothes together with coffee, cookies, and pies resulting in an estimated 2300 USD for the Rwanda building fund! Allocation of funds raised for the Rwanda Project The money raised for the Rwanda project is divided into two different funds. One fund secures the teachers' salaries, daily expenses for the clergy and their families and rent for buildings. This fund is sustained by the Evangelical Orthodox Church. The other fund, which is a capital fund, will be used for building a new school and purchasing land and equipment for future businesses. Gifts from people outside of the EOC are designated for this capital fund. The two funds support our Rwandan brothers and sisters in their ministries and their goal of self-sufficiency. Please read the "Reports" on the Rwanda project page for further details. Thanks for your contribution!
Six leaders and members of EOC are back from a very blessed journey to Rwanda, please see Project Rwanda for details.
 In December, Maury Yee and Andrew Hunt were ordained as deacons at Holy Covenant EOC.  Fr. Joshua Beecham was consecrated into the episcopal office with the laying on of hands by Bishop Jerold Gliege and Bishop Thomas Andersson. His consecration took place on November 9th 2008, in Indianapolis, Indiana during the 2008 Holy Synod. Please browse through the different pages and view the new
content. Read the letter from Bishop Jerold or the new material under
“Homilies and Articles”.
 The first Evangelical Orthodox Church in Rwanda, called St. John's, was founded on August 3rd, 2008.  Fr Dennis Mugabo was ordained to the priesthood on August 10th, 2008. |
WHO WE ARE As stated above, we are, a communion of churches within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. From this ancient title, reflected in the Nicene Creed, we understand the Church to be: One: The Church is one even as God is one. The pattern for our oneness is the Holy Trinity. Jesus prayed "that they may be one just as we are one" (John 17:22). The prayer and work of the Evangelical Orthodox Church is towards the true and greater unity of the Church. Holy: The Church is both holy and called to holiness (Ephesians 5:25-27, I Peter 1:16). To be holy means to be set apart unto God with sufficient grace to live a life of purity and devotion that is pleasing to Him. May the Evangelical Orthodox Church always "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6) and be a communion where the mercy and justice of God "kiss" each other (Psalms 85:10). Catholic:The word "catholic" literally means "according to the whole". The catholic Church is that Church which holds the faith, worship, and practice of the ancient, undivided, and apostolic Church. The Evangelical Orthodox Church desires to hold that faith, worship, and practice which was held "everywhere, always, by all" (from the canon of St. Vincent of Lerins). Apostolic:The apostolic Church adheres to "the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) by the early apostles: men called, taught, gifted, and sent by our Lord Jesus Christ. This apostolic ministry continues in the Church today through her bishops. May the Evangelical Orthodox Church continually be led into all truth by the Holy Spirit that we might hold the faith, worship, and practice of the apostles (John 16:13). Church:With Jesus Christ as her chief cornerstone, the Church is a community of God's people, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. 2:20). She herself is "the pillar and foundation of truth" (I Tim. 3:15), through which Jesus is present and active in the world today. We of the Evangelical Orthodox Church believe that we are a part of the glorious Bride of Christ, this Temple of God, this Pillar and Foundation of the Truth, the Holy Church. We also believe that all who are baptized into Christ in the name of the Holy Trinity are our brothers and sisters, despite the divided witness of Christendom. We pray for the day when the Church will not be found in such a state of division here on earth. May she one day be on earth as she is in heaven. [back to top] |
