We are very glad to announce that the Establishment Memorandum of the International Association of Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care has been signed by the founding members.
As formally announced at the Second International Conference of Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care, in Colympari, Hania, Greece in June 2018, the Association is founded on the initiative of the Civil Company ‘Saint Maxim the Greek Institute for the Research, Preservation and Promotion of Spiritual and Cultural Traditions’, following the two International Conferences on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care which were held in Athens on 7-8-9 May 2015 and in Kolymbari, Hania, on 18-19-20 June 2018.
The aims of the Association are:
- To link publishers who are active world-wide in the production of Christian Orthodox content on the Internet (active web pages, tablet or smartphone apps, video documentaries, films etc) as owners or administrators.
- To link specialist scientists, academics and everyday labourers of the divine word in a distinctive presence in the digital realm.
- To coordinate the efforts of Orthodox digital media towards a more effective articulation of the Gospel word for the glory of God among users of this media, as well as to make a common, coordinated effort to spread the values of the Orthodox Christian tradition towards all people of good will.
- To promote the work of the Christian Orthodox in the field of pastoral care in the digital media, to highlight the force of the Christian Orthodox presence and to develop Christian Orthodox discourse in cyber-space.
- To formulate studies on the qualitative characteristics of the use of the Internet, its divergence from traditional methods of Church pastoral care, the new view of humankind it provides, and the pastoral opportunities it offers, as well as the negative aspects which arise.
- To promote the values of Christian Orthodox publishers who are active on the Internet, utilizing digital media, as far as is possible, for the dissemination of the divine word, Patristic tradition and Christian Orthodox theology.
- To organize conferences and cultural events, exhibitions and other spiritual and artistic occasions.
- To engage in any related activity
Initially, all speakers of the 1st and 2nd International Conference of Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care are designated as Initial Regural, Associate Members of the Association.
The Founding Members of the Association who signed the Establishment Memorandum are the following:
Archimandrite Kaisarios Chronis
Archimandrite Kallinikos Mavroleon
Archimandrite Anthimos Iliopoulos
Protopresbyter Chris Metropulos
Protopresbyter Vasileios Kalliakmanis
Protopresbyter Constantin Coman
Protopresbyter Pavel Velikanov
Protopresbyter Georgios Georgakopoulos
Protopresbyter Grigorios Stamkopoulos
Protopresbyter Jivko Panev
Protopresbyter John Peck
Protopresbyter Bassam Nassif
Protopresbyter Georgios Kortas
Fr. Matthias Joseph Kamau
Academician Sergey Horujy
Professor Ziad Kobti
Monk Sophronios, Gouverneto Monastery
Dr Elena Zhosul
Ms Olga Bogdanova
Mrs Maria Giahnaki
Mr Nikos Gouraros
The following are appointed to the Board for the first term after the establishment of the Association:
President: Mr. Nikos Gouraros
Vice President: Protopresbyter Chris Metropulos
Member: Protopresbyter Bassam Nassif
Member: Protopresbyter George Georgakopoulos
Member: Dr Elena Zhosul
Member: Ms Olga Bogdanova
Member: Mrs Maria Giahnaki
The following are appointed to the Consulting Committee for the first term after the establishment of the Association:
Co-ordinator: Protopresbyter Vasileios Kalliakmanis
Member: Archimandrite Kallinikos Mavroleon
Member: Archimandrite Anthimos Iliopoulos
Member: Protopresbyter Jivko Panev
Member: Protoprebyter John Peck
Member: Protopresbyter Pavel Velikanov
Member: Protopresbyter Constantin Coman
Member: Protopresbyter Gregorios Stamkopoulos
Member: Fr. Matthias Joseph Kamau
Member: Academician Sergey Horujy
Member: Professor Ziad Kobti
Member: Monk Sophronios, Gouverneto Monastery
Member and Committee Secretary: Protopresbyter Georgios Kortas
Association’s Operations Team:
Eleni Xanthaki: Executive Secretary
Dimitris Iliopoulos: Head of Operations and Events
Spyridoula Oikonomaki: Head of Membership
