Grantee Directory

Inter-Parish Associations (“IPA”) promote communication, camaraderie, and cooperation across Orthodox Christian parishes of all jurisdictions in a given geographical area. They are local (ie. the city/town level) and include both clergy and laity. Their purpose is to break down barriers across Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and, as a unified Orthodox Christian community, witness Christ's love in local society. Parishes involved in IPAs receive intentional support from the Assembly of Bishops. Member parishes, both individually and as an IPA, will go through capacity-building sessions, founded in the theology and tradition of the Orthodox Church. First, parishes will gain a better understanding of "self" through telling the story of their “why” and their history. Then, they will work together in the IPA setting to understand their collective value as a community in their local region, while celebrating their diverse ethnic heritage. Finally, the IPA will plan their collective engagement, which involves the strengthening or creation of internal facing and external facing ministries. In years three through five, the IPAs will receive micro grants to build much-needed outreach ministries in their communities as well as receive continued support from the Assembly of Bishops and its network resources.