The International Association of Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care was recently established following the announcement during the International Conference Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care (DMOPC18) that took place this year in Crete.
The Association is founded on the initiative of the Non-Profit Civil Company ‘Saint Maxim the Greek Institute for the Research, Preservation, and Promotion of Spiritual and Cultural Traditions’ (www.stmaximthegreek.org), following the two International Conferences on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care which were held in Athens on 7-8-9 May 2015 (www.dmopc15.com) and in Kolymbari, Hania, on 18-19-20 June 2018 (www.dmopc18.com).
Both conferences were organized under the High Auspices of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Some of the Aims of the Association:
- To link publishers who are active worldwide in the production of Christian Orthodox content on the Internet (active web pages, tablet or smartphone apps, video documentaries, films etc) as owners or administrators.
- To coordinate the efforts of Orthodox digital media towards a more effective articulation of the Gospel word for the glory of God among users of this media, as well as to make a common, coordinated effort to spread the values of the Orthodox Christian tradition towards all people of good will;
- To organize conferences and cultural events, exhibitions and other spiritual and artistic occasions;
- To formulate studies on the qualitative characteristics of the use of the Internet, its divergence from traditional methods of Church pastoral care, the new view of humankind it provides, and the pastoral opportunities it offers, as well as the negative aspects which arise.
The first Board and Consulting Committeε meeting of the DMOPC Association will take place in Greece within February 2019.
Photo Credit: Ziarul Lumina
