The 2015 Diocesan Assembly for the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania was held on Thursday, January 29 and Friday January 30, 2015, at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Bethlehem, PA. The Assembly began on Thursday afternoon with Vespers at 4pm, followed by the formal opening. After dinner in the Parish Hall, Fr. Nathaniel Symeonides (Director of the Office of Inter- Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America) led a round table discussion on the Assembly of Bishops, Proposals for Canonical and Regional Planning and the Great and Holy Council scheduled for 2016. The evening concluded with a Little Compline.
Friday, January 30 began with the Reading of the Hours followed by Divine Liturgy. Following brunch, a presentation on Stewardship was given by Fr. Timothy Hojnicki, Fr. Stephen Vernak, and Mark Linnehan. Reports were reviewed throughout the remainder of the Assembly, and the budget and old business were discussed in the afternoon. New business included the upcoming All American Council, the revised Statute of the OCA, and plans for next years’ Assembly.