Reimagining Orthodox Campus Ministry
The Need
For the past 25+ years Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) has excelled in creating transformative experiences for students through national programs, such as Real Break and College Conference. These high-impact programs are important to our ministry and students. Solely focusing on these peak experiences, though, is akin to a spiritual life that only celebrates Pascha and Christmas. There is an increasing need in the lives of OCF students for consistent, daily discipleship. The time which volunteers and clergy can invest on-campus is limited.
60% of college students never return to the Church after college.
Only 10% of 18 to 29-year olds exhibit deep and lasting faith.
The Solution
Campus missionaries will be selected, hired, and trained by OCF. They’ll serve students full time, building a bridge between campus and parish life.
Every college student should have the opportunity to be part of a faithful campus community where they are known and loved and where they are led by someone equipped to guide them spiritually.
OCF will train and deploy a corps of campus missionaries to provide students with these opportunities.
Our goal is that college campuses all over the country will have full-time OCF staff members dedicated to fostering discipleship among students.
What Could We Achieve
Strong local ministry will impact the campus and the parish.
Breadth of Student Reach
Full-time, consistent efforts will be able to reach more students.
Depth of Student Experience
Meeting with students more regularly will lead them to a deeper experience of Christ and his Church.
Longevity on Campus
OCF Chapters won’t be subject to yearly fluctuations in chapter leadership, leading to ministry that is able to grow.
Healthier Parish Communities
Communities that focus on developing young adults result in healthier parishes. Students will leave college ready to serve and be reintegrated into parish life.
Resilient Disciples
The biggest impact is on individual students! Young adults will develop deep and lasting faith, turning to Christ in every situation, because of the investment made into them by a campus missionary.
Something BIG is Happening
Our Programs By the Numbers
To help us understand the reach and impact of the Campus Missionary Initiative, we track three key performance indicators each year. Breadth of Reach reflects how many students were engaged through OCF events, programs, or direct interactions with our Campus Missionary. Average Depth of Reach captures how many meaningful touchpoints – such as conversations, events, or spiritual moments – each student had with OCF and the Campus Missionary over time. Finally, we monitor Discipleship Hours, which represent the total time our Campus Missionary spends in one-on-one or small group settings, offering students personalized spiritual care, mentorship, and guidance in the Orthodox Christian faith.
Texas A&M
Atlanta
Arizona State
Where Are We Now
We proudly have a full-time presence in 3 locations and organized chapters on 270+ campuses.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University will be led by Campus Missionary Aleksandar “Speedy” Lučić. He has served the Chicagoland Orthodox community for 10+ years as a layperson in the youth community before coming to Arizona.
Atlanta Area
Jacob Sparks serves students at both Georgia Tech and Emory University and will be open to all college students across Atlanta.
Texas A & M
Led by our first Campus Missionary Alexandros Pandazis, TAMU grew from 15 participants to over 100 in one academic year.
