Timeline of the Assembly

2008

    
    October 2008
Oct 10-12   Synaxis of the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches held at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. The Heads called for "the swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements, such as in the so-called Orthodox Diaspora, with a view to overcoming every possible influence that is foreign to Orthodox ecclesiology."
     

2009

    
    June 2009
Jun 6-12   Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference was held in Chambesy-Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference established assemblies of bishops in the regions of the "so-called Diaspora," and charged these assemblies with certain tasks, including "the preparation of a plan to organize the Orthodox of the Region on a canonical basis."
     
    September 2009

Sep 25

   Meeting of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) to discuss the establishment of an Assembly of Bishops. 
     

2010

    
Feb 25   Archbishop Demetrios, in his capacity as Chairman of the Assembly, sent invitations to all of the active Orthodox bishops in North America to attend the first annual meeting of the Assembly.
     
    May 2010
May 26-28   First annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops held in New York City. At this meeting, the SCOBA was formally dissolved and replaced by the Assembly. In addition, the Assembly requested that the Mother Churches authorize a separate Assembly for Canada, and that Mexico and Central America be moved to the South American Assembly.
     
July   Organization of the Secretariat and 13 Committees to facilitate the work of the Assembly. The Secretariat meets monthly via teleconference.
     
    September 2010
Sep 21   The officers of the Assembly met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople.
     
Dec 15   The official website of the Assembly was launched.
     
Dec 27   Members of the Secretariat announced.
     

2011

    
Jan 3   The Assembly announced the appointment of liaison bishops for the Assembly agencies (formerly SCOBA agencies).
     
    January 2011
Jan 12-13   First face-to-face meeting of the Secretariat held in Alhambra, CA. The Secretariat established an Assembly communications program and developed a structure and process for the Committees of the Assembly.
     
Feb 22   Meeting of the Committee for Youth held via teleconference.
     
Mar 13   Sunday of Orthodoxy: Numerous pan-Orthodox gatherings of bishops, clergy, and laity were held in cities throughout the United States.
     
Mar 14   Announcement of establishment of Program for Communications, which was formed by the Secretariat. Communications consultants appointed.
     
May 3-5   The Committee for Youth held an informal meeting of key youth leaders in preparation for its first face-to-face meeting.
     
May 24   First face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Youth held in preparation for the annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops.
     
    May 2011
May 25-27   Second annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops held in Chicago.
     
Jun 12   Pentecost: The Assembly released a joint letter to the faithful.
     
Jul 15   Meeting of the Committee for Pastoral Practice held via teleconference.
     
Aug 11   Secretariat member Fr. Josiah Trenham began a series of interviews with each of the Assembly's member bishops. These interviews have been broadcast on the internet on the Assembly website, Ancient Faith Radio, and Orthodox Christian Network. To date, 21 bishops have been interviewed.
     
    September 2011
Sep 24   Meeting of the Committee for Pastoral Practice held in Los Angeles.
     
Oct 18   Incorporation of the Assembly as a legal entity in the District of Columbia.
     
Oct 19-21   The Committee for Youth held a meeting of youth leaders from various jurisdictions. The meeting took place in South Carolina.
     
Oct 26   The Committee for Pastoral Practice held a webinar for 17 new consultants to the Committee.
     
    November 2011
Nov 16   First face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Financial Affairs held in South Bound Brook, NJ. The Committee began work on accounting and financial standards and best practices for the operation of the Assembly. Subsequent to this meeting, the Committee began holding regular monthly meetings via teleconference.
     
Dec 27   The Assembly released a statement condemning the imprisonment of Jovan, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, in the FYROM.
     

2012

    
Jan 12   Meeting of the Chairmen of the Committees held via teleconference.
     
    January 2012
Jan 24-25   Second face-to-face meeting of the Secretariat held in Riverside, CA.
     
    January 2012
Jan 24-25   Meeting of the Committee for Youth held in Bolivar, PA. Committee members and 22 jurisdictional and diocesan youth workers participated.
     
    January 2012
Jan 27   First face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Canonical Regional Planning held in Chicago. Subsequently, the Committee began holding regular meetings via teleconference.
     
Feb 2   The Assembly released a statement opposing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' ruling that all employers provide contraceptives to their employees, regardless of the religious convictions of the employer.
     
Feb 5   Scout Sunday: Committee for Scouting released a letter to the faithful.
     
Feb 21   Archbishop Demetrios, in his capacity as Chairman of the Assembly, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, requesting the immediate release of Jovan, the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, who was imprisoned in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
     
Mar 4   Sunday of Orthodoxy: The Assembly released a joint letter to the faithful, and numerous pan-Orthodox gatherings of bishops, clergy, and laity were held in cities throughout the United States.
     
Mar 19   Archbishop Demetrios, in his capacity as Chairman of the Assembly, sent a letter of condolence on behalf of the Assembly to the Coptic Church on the occasion of the death of Pope Shenouda III.
     
Mar 29   Meeting of the Canadian Conference of Orthodox Bishops held in Toronto.
     
Apr 25   Meeting of the Committee for Legal Affairs held via teleconference.
     
May 7   Members of the Secretariat met with the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) to discuss the work of the Assembly.
     
May 17   First face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Ecumenical Relations held at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA.
     
May 20   Prison Ministry Sunday: The Assembly released a joint letter on the subject of prison ministry, and encouraged the faithful to support Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), an agency of the Assembly.
     
May 22   Application for 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter filed with the IRS.
     
    May 2012
May 30   First face-to-face meeting of the Chairmen of the Committees held in South Bound Brook, NJ. Ten bishops participated, including Archbishop Demetrios in his capacity as Chairman of the Assembly.
     
Jun 5-7   Meeting of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation held at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA.
   
Jul 10  

July 2012

First face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Legal Affairs held in Atlanta. At this meeting, the organizational structure of the Committee was established, and numerous subcommittees were created. Subsequently, the full Committee began holding regular monthly meetings via teleconference. The subcommittees also hold regular teleconferences as needed.
     
Sep 10-12  

Bishops in Attendance at the Third Assembly of Bishops Meeting

Third annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops
Nov 30  

Finance Committee Meeting

Second face-to-face meeting of the Committee for Financial Affairs held in South Bound Brook, NJ
   

 
 

2013

    
Jan 22-23  

Third face-to-face meeting of the Secretariat held in San Francisco, CA.
Feb 21   Assembly receives IRS letter informing it of approval of the Assembly’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status effective October 18, 2011.
Mar 6  

First face-to-face meeting of the Assembly Information and Technology Team, held at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
     
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