Archbishop Nathaniel Joins OCL for Annual Gathering on Orthodox Unity

POTOMAC, MD— Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) held its Annual Meeting and 39th Annual Conference on November 6–7, 2026, at St. Andrew the Apostle Romanian Orthodox Church. His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, a longtime OCL advisor, opened Friday’s board meeting with prayer and welcomed participants at Saturday’s conference, “Toward a More Perfect Orthodox Union.”

On Saturday, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, gave the invocation and delivered the keynote address. The conference offered both in-person and online participation.

Dr. Alexander Lingas spoke on Orthodox worship in America, Serge Schmemann discussed Father Alexander Schmemann’s understanding of America, and Dr. Paul Meyendorff examined ethnicity, autocephaly, and national churches. Dr. Nikolas Gvosdev explored Orthodox identity in America, and Dr. Bill Marianes presented a roadmap for Orthodox unity grounded in Christ’s prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17:21).

On November 8, the feast of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and All the Heavenly Powers, Archbishop Nathaniel presided at the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy, assisted by the Very Rev. Frs. Cosmin Antonescu,…