Registration for the 98th FOCA National Convention

Registration for the 98th FOCA Convention in Phoenix is now open.  The schedule is complete in what promises to be a monumental time in the life of the Orthodox Church in America.  Our convention, with precedence with the OCA, is condensed to fit within the 21st All American Council.  This is a rarity of occasions as we gather to do not only our own work, but to be a very important part of the work of the Church.

Our Tuesday evening opening reception will have a great impact on all attending for either the Council, Convention, or both.  That evening, we will be hosting a screening of the documentary “Sacred Alaska” open to all present in Phoenix.  This will be followed by a panel discussion on the canonization process of St. Matushka Olga including some individuals closest to the investigation of the sainthood.  The evening will continue with a reception to follow for all in attendance.

Wednesday afternoon will provide our main session with all reports having been reviewed prior to the actual convention.  A focus of this session will be the philosophy and framework of new bylaws to be presented at the 99th FOCA Convention in 2026.  The delay in moving bylaws at this convention is deliberate as attendance at the 2026 Convention will have a greater representation of the full membership and, thus, a more realistic reflection of the direction of the membership.

Additionally, we want to be able to brainstorm ideas on how we can build the membership of the FOCA.  In a very real time when organizations across the United States are struggling to gain or even maintain membership, we will openly discuss what we can do to bring others into the fold and help us expand the good works that we already do.  We may also discuss how we can bring the lost sheep of our organization back into the FOCA.  

Thursday afternoon will host our closing session with election of officers and awarding of future events in the FOCA.  As previously posted, the FOCA will be a part of the AAC Grand Banquet on Thursday evening.  We will have a presentation of our Gifts of Love campaign to highlight our works as an organization in a truly national forum.  Hopefully, you as individuals and chapters have been active in raising funds for this campaign as representatives from St. Theodosius will be present to receive our gift.  Incidentally, there are already 550 reservations for the Grand Banquet through the OCA to date.  Please remember to register soon for the Grand Banquet.

Some may ask, why go to Phoenix for a few sessions and no planned excursions.  The answer is somewhat straightforward and may still leave some with questions.  This FOCA convention is part of exceptional Church history.  We are witnessing our Faith in a very real way in living the services of the Orthodox Church in America in the canonization of a saint.  We are providing the only session for the entirety of the week that will focus on St. Matushka Olga.  Yes, there are divine services in her honor.  However, nowhere else in the complete schedule is the laity able to see and talk about how we have come to this historic point in the Church.  We are delivering on the four pillars of the FOCA in a very real way.

Excursions are not planned as a group as we want to make it very clear that the FOCA is not a separate arm of the church; we are a totally connected arm of the Church!   Secondly, as it should come as no surprise to anyone, many of our delegates are also delegates to the AAC on behalf of their own churches.  For those who are not delegates for the OCA, you are encouraged and implored to be an observer to the All American Council and experience the inner workings of the national church at its triennial gathering.  

Of course, we will have city and area guide suggestions for those who wish to extend their stay before or after the convention in Arizona for vacation.  The Grand Canyon is very local to our venue.  Local museums of Southwest culture and historic villages are nearby.  The Grand Resort has a fabulous waterpark and golf course that are on the property.  We will have many materials available.

As the posting on our website indicated a few months ago, registration for the Grand Banquet is through the OCA’s All American Council icon.  Register as a one day observer.  We will have a designated area for the FOCA as needed.  Room registration is also through the OCA AAC icon.  Our only FOCA Convention registration request is that each member register directly through the linked form FOCA Convention Registration or email focapresident@gmail.com so that we can plan for the conference room logistics at the convention site.

Finally, FOCA is once again assisting the OCA by taking the lead on the compilation of the program booklet.  This is a long standing collaboration that assists both entities with a single publication for the dual events of the 21st AAC and the 98th FOCA Convention.  As is tradition, 50% of the proceeds from the booklet will assist with the Youth Program at the All American Council.  The other 50% goes directly to the FOCA.  The program booklet will be distributed to all attendees of both meetings.  It will reach every participating parish in the OCA and every chapter of the FOCA.  

Please consider advertising in the program booklet using the linked AAC Ad Form 2025.docx form.  The form is also attached to this email.  Payment options are check, money order, or PayPal. 

All payments should be made to the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America (FOCA) and mailed to:
MICHAEL R. BOWAN
Treasurer
W284N7867 Woodrest Drive
Hartland, Wl. 53029

We hope to see you in Phoenix for the week!