A History of Connection and Dialogue
There have been several events that have shaped the Alaskan Orthodox-Evangelical Dialogue. From foundational consultations to our memorable conferences, each event builds bridges of understanding. We believe that friendship and understanding grow when we meet face to face.
The 2022 Consultation
The year 2022 marked a pivotal moment with the Lausanne-Orthodox Initiative sponsoring a significant consultation in Alaska. This gathering brought together key leaders and thinkers from both traditions, establishing crucial initial dialogues and setting the stage for deeper engagement between Orthodox Christians and Protestant Evangelicals in the region.
Topics and Speakers...
“Removing Barriers, Part 1: Icons, Mary, and Salvation” (Fr. Marc Dunaway).
“Removing Barriers, Part 2: How Evangelicals Understand the Church and Mission in the World” (Dr. Jim Stamoolis).
Two 10 Minute Homilies on the Presentation of the Gospel (Pr. Joel Stamoolis & Fr. Innocent Dresdow).
“A History of Missions in Alaska: Part 1, Orthodox” (Fr. Michael Oleksa) & “A History of Missions in Alaska: Part 2, Protestant” (Prof. Frank Emrick).
“Evangelicals and Orthodox Working Together” (Dr. Ralph Lee).
“The Resurrection of the Church in Albania” (Nathan Hoppe).
The meetings closed with Vespers at St. John Orthodox Cathedral in Eagle River and church visitations on Sunday. Recordings of the talks can be found here.
2023-2024: Planning
Although 2023 saw no official conference due to unforeseen global circumstances, our commitment to dialogue remained strong. In 2024, the momentum rekindled with a focused planning meeting held at St. John Orthodox Cathedral in Eagle River. This strategic gathering was instrumental in shaping the vision and logistics for our upcoming annual conferences, ensuring continuity and growth.
Talks and Discussions included...
Conference Goals & Review of 2022 Beach Lake Consultation.
"Evangelicals & Orthodox in Action" (Andrew Smith of Alaska Village Missions)
Worship & Prayer (Pr. Joel Stamoolis)
Fr. Innocent Dresdow reported on his attendance at the Fourth Lausanne Congress in South Korea.
We were privileged to have Matushka Xenia Oleksa speak to us on growing up in an Alaskan village and the difficulties of having competing churches.
"An Orthodox Journey" (Fr. Marc Dunaway)
"An Ecumenical Talk" (Jon Spiegel)
2025: The Inaugural Fr. Michael Oleksa Memorial Conference
The year 2025 was truly historic for our initiative. We proudly hosted our first official Fr. Michael Oleksa Memorial Conference at the beautiful Beach Lake Lodge. Our theme this year was, "Our Common Roots." This landmark event embodied the spirit of mutual learning and respectful dialogue, bringing together Christian leaders to honor a cherished legacy and collaboratively forge new paths of understanding and cooperation.
Topics and Speakers...
"The Nicene Creed, History & Doctrine" (Jon Spiegel)
"The Council of Nicaea, Dialogue & Conciliation" (Dr. Mark Oxbrow of LOI)
"Initiation, Conversion & Baptism" (Fr. Marc Dunaway)
"Initiation, Conversion & Baptism" (Pr. Joel Stamoolis)
"Village Voices" (Matushka Xenia)
"A Missionary's Experiences in the Villages" (Corey Schmidlkofer of Frontier Alaskan Missions)
"So What Have We Not Said?" (Dr. Mark Oxbrow)