Guest Speakers

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya

On December 10, OCMC Missionary, Dr. Bill Black, leads A Personal Talk with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya.

They will discuss Orthodox life in Kenya from the perspective of His Eminence. Listen to colorful life stories, the various hands-on projects with local communities, and the impact OCMC mission teams have on the Church. 

Steven Georges, Webinar Moderator

Steven Georges is a passionate community builder, musician, and retired entrepreneur.  In 2017, Steven served with his daughter, Elena, on a one-week mission trip with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in Nairobi, Kenya.  Steven resides in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and two adult children.

Steven will moderate the discussions on Nov. 12, Dec. 3, and Dec. 10.

Andrew Lekos, OCMC Mission Teams Director & Webinar Moderator

Andrew (Andy) Lekos is the Mission Teams Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in Saint Augustine, Florida. He first heard the call to “missions” in 1989. He attributes his position with OCMC as a direct result from participating on mission teams to Africa. Andy has traveled on teams to Ghana, Mexico, Uganda, Alaska, Argentina, South Africa, Kenya, Guatemala, and has visited various mission sites in other parts of the world. He has served OCMC since 1992, and his responsibilities include coordinating all aspects of the OCMC’s short-term Mission Team program, creating awareness, and promoting Orthodox mission work around the world. Andy, his wife Angeliki (of Zakynthos, Greece), and 15-year old son Michael, call Florida home; he is a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in St. Augustine, Florida; and misses the cold weather (especially snow?!).  

Dr. William Black, OCMC Missionary

Dr. Joseph William (Bill) Black is an OCMC Missionary currently serving in Nairobi, Kenya, under the Omophorion of Archbishop Makarios of Kenya. He received a Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and completed his Ph.D. in Early Modern British History from the University of Cambridge in the UK. Before converting to Orthodoxy in 2011, he served as a Presbyterian pastor for 22 years and as an Evangelical missionary in Ethiopia and Kenya, teaching theology at St. Paul's University. In 2015, Dr. Bill became a full-time missionary with OCMC. He is a lecturer at Makarios III Patriarchal Orthodox Seminary and is also a Senior Lecturer of History and Theology at St. Paul's University in Limuru and Nairobi. 

     On November 12, he will kick off the webinar series discussing the topic Effects of Dependency.

Dr. Black will be discussing the history of the Orthodox Church in Kenya and the light it sheds on its present struggle with its dependency on foreign support. He will also describe the effects of this dependency and make suggestions as to the way of escape.

For more information about Dr. Bill's ministry and support his efforts visit OCMC website. CLICK HERE

Elayne Goldman, OCMC Volunteer

Elayne Goldman lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a founding member of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Beaverton, Oregon, in 1997. Since 2017, she has been to Kenya four times with OCMC as a team member and mission volunteer. Elayne has experience as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor helping people with disabilities, including adults and high school youth, to identify, overcome personal obstacles, and maintain long-term employment. She brought her knowledge to rural mission churches by supporting and empowering women's ministries in Eastern and Western Kenya. Elayne considers the Makarios II Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya, her "second home" and has witnessed much joy for how God works in the lives of all people.

Sub-Deacon Joel Pleban, OCMC Volunteer

Joel F. Pleban is a Sub-Deacon in the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese and a lifelong member of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Stratford, Connecticut. He has traveled to Kenya twice, first in 2017 and then in 2019 under the guidance of OCMC. Joel has experience as a Sunday School teacher and is a certified public accountant. He brought his knowledge to various church youth groups, numerous church boards, and the Makarios II seminary. He gave a series of lectures on various accounting topics such as establishing responsible financial accounting and implementation of stewardship programs. Joel has given several presentations in Connecticut on OCMC mission activity in Kenya and serves as an OCMC liaison with his local Deanery.

On November 19, Joel and Elayne will be discussing their topic Response to Change.

Joel and Elayne will discuss the basic history of Kenya and share their personal experiences, as OCMC Team members and Volunteers. They will address the demands of local communities, not by wealth, but by Church education. 

Virginia Gathoni, Principal of St. Clement School in Riruta, Kenya

Virginia Gathoni is a founding teacher at St. Clement Elementary school. She studied counseling and helps the psychologically disturbed cases of children and parents. Aside from teaching, Virginia is the coordinator for the children's welfare. From the start, she engages vulnerable children of needy families and enrolls them in the school program. She started a mentorship program that brings together teenagers and college students. Virginia supports young girls, teaches family values to teenage mothers and offers seminars to Orthodox women.

Virginia will be speaking on November 19 and December 3.

Virginia will discuss the impact of change within the Church through local community efforts to support local ministries, the role of women, youth consciousness, and connectedness. As the principal of St. Clement School, she will provide insight into Church education and the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in parishes and schools.

Theodoros (Ted) and Eleni Karamatskos, OCMC Volunteers

Ted Karamatskos attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, Illinois with his wife Eleni. He is an electrician by trade, has experience with sound systems and general construction after finishing his studies in Greece. His first calling into missionary work came after meeting His Eminence Archbishop Nikiforos at Mount Athos, who invited him to the Republic of Congo, Kinshasa. Later he served on two OCMC mission teams in Guatemala, using his construction skills to restore a clinic in Nueva Concepcion, and trained seminarians to paint the Cathedral in Aguacate. Ted volunteered and served three times in Kenya, focusing on agricultural instruction, building baptismal fonts, preparing icons for the new churches, and sharing his knowledge of Orthodox life with the priests and seminarians. 

Eleni Karamatskos attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, Illinois with her husband, Ted. She serves on the Missions Committee and sings in the choir. Eleni traveled to Kenya three times and once to Guatemala with OCMC on a construction mission to remodel and restore a clinic as a missionary volunteer. Eleni is a retired elementary school teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in Human Services and Exercise Science. While in Kenya, she worked with St. Clement Primary School children both as an OCMC mission team member and a substitute teacher. She organized the program called “The Shoe that Grows” for the school and the surrounding communities in Kenya. Ted and Eleni plan to return to Kenya in 2022. 

On December 3, Ted and Eleni will be discussing their topic on Education and Liturgical Needs.

Theodoros and Eleni will discuss the need for education and liturgical programs for mission churches and rural high-risk villages. They will share their personal experience introducing new education programs and knowledge to build liturgical structures, such as baptismal fonts and writing icons.