On the weekend of June 3-6 2005, The National Metropolis Youth Association held its first annual Youth Conference at St. Athanasios Monastery in Woodstock, Illinois. This historical event laid the foundation for upcoming generations to make their Faith a living one by developing an appreciation for both their Faith and their heritage. The Conference workshops took place on Saturday, June 4th. An enthusiastic group of about 50 youths spent the day getting to know each other in the workshops, discussing every day challenges and how it affects them as Orthodox Christians, becoming aware of media propaganda and how it influences young people to center their lives around themselves rather than God. They also had the privilege of listening to His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos, His Grace Bishop Christodoulos, and Reverend Father Christos Pittos speak about topics such as the importance reading the lives of the Saints, the meaning of freedom, and other topics dealing with the Orthodox Christian?s place in the world today.
Following other engaging activities, the youth had to decide on a patron saint to officially name the association after. Almost unanimously, they decided to name the association after the holiest saint of them all- Panaghia. Formally, the new title of the National Metropolis Youth Association is now Holy Metropolis of America Youth Association of the Most Holy Theotokos – The Champion Leader.
Lastly, the youth decided on the location of the next conference. In October of 2006, the hosting church of the Youth Conference will be Sts. Nectarios and George in Ecorse, Michigan. The youth of Sts. Nectarios and George were ecstatic with the decision and optimistically look forward to the 2006 Youth Conference.
Below is the Conference resolution signed by all the participants.
HOLY METROPOLIS OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX
OLD CALENDAR CHURCH. OF AMERICA
June 5, 2005, the 6th Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of the Blind Man
Holy Monastery of Saint Athanasios the Great, Woodstock, Illinois
In the Name of Most-Holy and Consubstantial and Life-giving Trinity,
Christ is risen!
Glorifying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Assembly,
With the Blessing of our Metropolitan and Spiritual Father Archbishop PAVLOS of America;
Recognizing the importance of the Greek Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Faith in our lives,
Understanding that our contemporary society is empassioned, built upon the passions of the flesh and the self, and in contradiction to our Orthodox way of life,
Identifying that a demonic conspiracy is aimed at destroying us via many deceptive avenues of destruction,
Looking to entrust our future into the Hands of our Lord?s Most Holy Mother,
Seeking to organize into a cohesive unit of Young Orthodox Christians to bolster the struggle for the continuation of our Orthodox Faith and Orthodox and Hellenic Traditions in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the United States of America,
Confessing the Truth of Christ?s Resurrection and Christ as God, and the Son of the Father,
Reaffirming and further acknowledging the proclamations of the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, specifically the Nicaean Creed;
First General Assembly of the Metropolitan Youth Association at THIS Greek Orthodox Youth Conference:
Calls for the Metropolitan Youth Association and all Orthodox Christians in humanity to rebel against the demonic conspiracy of the passions proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ;
Raises the Cross in spiritual revolution against the tyranny of the passions;
Beseeches Christ?s Holy Mother, the Ever-Virgin Maria the Theotokos, to lead us to victory in our war against the demons and the passions;
Establishes the name of the Metropolitan Youth Association as Υπεραγία Θεοτόκος Υπέρμαχος Στρατηγός, Most Holy Theotokos the Champion Leader;
Establishes a new national executive committee for the National Youth Association for the Metropolis of the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Old Calendar of America comprised of members from various parishes and given the mandate to draft guidelines for the youth association and to make preparations to organize the next Metropolitan Youth Convention;
We thus sign this in the Name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ
+METROPOLITAN PAVLOS OF AMERICA
The Members of the National Youth Executive Committee
