OCA Clergy Gather for Winter Synaxis Focused on Renewal and Resilience
More than 100 OCA clergy gathered online for the Winter 2025 Synaxis to pray, learn, and reflect on sustaining pastoral ministry and avoiding burnout through renewal in Christ.
SPRINGFIELD, VA — More than 100 clergy of the Orthodox Church in America gathered online on December 16 for the Office of Pastoral Life’s Winter 2025 Synaxis, a quarterly forum dedicated to prayer, reflection, and mutual encouragement. The gathering featured His Eminence Abp. Alexei of Sitka and Alaska as keynote speaker.
In his address, titled “'Hard-Pressed Yet Not Crushed': Avoiding Burnout and Promoting Flourishing," Abp. Alexei spoke candidly about the spiritual and practical pressures faced by clergy. Drawing on Scripture, the Psalms, and the pastoral wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, he emphasized resilience as a life continually renewed in Christ rather than mere endurance.
Abp. Alexei highlighted the importance of interior preparation for the Divine Liturgy as a means of restoring humility, gratitude, and trust in God. Following the keynote, clergy participated in facilitated breakout sessions focused on recognizing burnout, cultivating healthy boundaries, and sustaining long-term faithfulness in ministry.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCA had expanded the clergy wives' ministry.
