As it was reported earlier, the second day of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC dealt with the main theme of this year’s meeting: “The Strategy of Development of the UGCC until 2020”. The presenters on the second working day of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC were Most Rev. Stefan (Soroka) – Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia and Bishop David (Motiuk) – Eparch of Edmonton. The Bishops were assisted by the presentations of experts – Gai Camarata and Chuck Newbacker, as well as by Tetiana Stavnycha, the Head of the Development Office of the Finance Department of the Patriarchal Curia.

Metropolitan Stefan (Soroka) in his presentation outlined the main goals which the Synod strives to achieve in the next 10 years in development of our Church and invited the episcopate “to realize a restoration journey under the guidance of God’s presence, the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ among us”.

Bishop David (Motiuk) recalled the main stages of elaboration of the key directions of the strategy of development of the Church for the period until 2020. The outcome of this work is a result of extensive reflections and persistent work of many experts, representatives of the episcopate, clergy, religious and lay people of the UGCC.

The speakers stressed that the locus of implementation of the Church’s strategy is, foremost, a parish community, because it is the parish where most often the faithful have their first encounter with Christ whether it be through attending the Sunday Divine Liturgy, a baptism, wedding or funeral. A lively parish community is a divine-human space in which a relation of human being with God is born, it grows and matures. For this reason a working group headed by the Metropolitan Stefan and Bishop David suggested to the Synod of the Bishops a practical program of implementation of the UGCC Strategy entitled “Vibrant parishes – places to encounter the living Christ”.

Members of the Synod of Bishops after discussion of various aspects of such a concept accepted it as the base for further actions and created a working group to implement the Strategy of development of the UGCC for the period until 2020.

Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.