Elizabeth, NJ - His Grace Bishop Dr. MITROPHAN scheduled the Twenty-Fifth Annual Washington Deanery Meeting on Christian Education to be held at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey on March 22, 2014.

Priests and church school teachers from throughout the Deanery were to attend. The day began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. The meeting was held afterwards.

The meeting was held on the day the Holy Orthodox Church commemorated the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Matins was served the evening before.

Host Priest Reverend Father Zoran Radovic graciously welcomed the meeting attendees. Very Reverend  Stavrofor  Aleksandar Vlajkovic addressed the attendees in his capacity as Dean of the Washington Deanery.

Reverend Father Aleksa Micich was appointed by His Grace to give the presentation on Christian Education. Father Micich spoke clearly about the priest making the Holy Mysteries available for the community of believers. 

Father Micich focused on the value of the priest preaching and teaching the Holy Gospel. He said teaching the Gospel also was a function of church school teachers

Father Aleksa identified the importance of addressing the individual needs of people. He said the priests and teachers had to be credible and build on a strong foundation. The Gospel is always to be preached and taught.

Father Micich discussed the value of prayer, research and using new material for teaching. The goal is to bring people into the Church, not just to the church.

The Washington Deanery includes parishes in Biddesford, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York; Paterson and (2 parishes) Elizabeth, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Lebanon and Steelton, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

Each parish in the Deanery was asked to provide a written and oral report of highlights in Christian education efforts to be discussed at the meeting.

Clergy attending in addition to those mentioned included: Very Rev.Stavrofor Predrag Micic, Very Rev.Djokan Majstorovic, Rev. Father Vladislav Radujkovic, Rev.Father Milorad Orlic and Rev.Father Christopher Rocknage.

Parish Christian educators and interested individuals participating included. Popadija Vesna Radovic,  Popadija Milena Orlic, Anastasia Ilijin,  Violet Sakovic,

Rajko Lubilo, Tijana Jankovic, Nada Jovanovic, Jevgenia Radanovic, Jelena Tehlinan, Mila Stojadinovic, Dragoslav Stojadinovic,

His Grace Bishop Dr.MITROPHAN said it was good to see teachers at the Deanery meetings. His Grace encouraged involving the boys as altar servers and girls to read the Epistle. His Grace said to teach and to live what is taught.

Father Zoran and Popadija Vesna Radovic and the parishioners of St. George Church were very welcoming and hospitable in hosting the Deanery meeting. Their efforts were greatly appreciated.

The Deanery Meetings are held annually in the four Deaneries of the Eastern   Diocese. His Grace consistently schedules and participates in the meetings very clearly demonstrating the importance of Christian Education in the Diocese.

Article by the Father Rodney Torbic