Religious Education | Parochial Schools
His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos
For nearly a century, the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has worked to help generations of Orthodox Christians deepen their relationship with Christ and understand the teachings, traditions and life of the Church. Today, under the leadership of His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, that mission is entering an important new chapter.
Recognizing the critical role that education plays in preserving and transmitting the Orthodox Faith, Leadership 100 approved a $160,000 multi-year grant in 2026 for the development and creation of a standardized religious education curriculum for parochial schools. The grant provides $110,000 in its first year and $50,000 in its second year, supporting an initiative designed to bring greater consistency, quality and accessibility to Orthodox Christian education.
The investment comes at a time of significant renewal within religious education across the Archdiocese.
His Grace Bishop Athenagoras has served as Director of the Department of Religious Education since 2021, while also serving as Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod. At the time of his appointment, the Archdiocese emphasized the need to provide resources that could respond to an evolving educational environment and to develop a curriculum capable of serving parishes in changing circumstances.
That work is now taking shape on a national scale.
At the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announced the launch of a new national Sunday School curriculum for grades K–12 under the leadership of Bishop Athenagoras and the Department of Religious Education. More than 160 Sunday School teachers and educators attending the Congress were offered training on the new curriculum, helping equip those who work directly with children and families throughout the Archdiocese.
The development represents years of thoughtful work. As early as the 2024 Clergy-Laity Congress, Bishop Athenagoras shared that the Department was developing a prototype for what a nationwide standardized curriculum could look like. The Department has also continued to expand resources for children from preschool through high school, teacher training and certification, Vacation Church School programming, and updated materials designed for today's students.
The commitment is rooted in a long tradition. The Department of Religious Education was established in 1932 by Archbishop Athenagoras of North and South America of blessed memory, making it one of the earliest departments of the Archdiocese. Nearly a century later, another Athenagoras, Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, is helping guide its work for a new generation.
Leadership 100 has long recognized education as one of the most enduring investments that can be made in the future of the Church. Its support of religious education over the decades has helped develop new textbooks, teaching materials and programs that bring the timeless truths of Orthodoxy to children growing up in an ever-changing world.
Through this latest grant, Leadership 100 continues that legacy, investing not simply in curriculum, but in the formation of young Orthodox Christians and in the teachers, schools and parishes entrusted with nurturing their faith.
By providing the next generation with thoughtful, engaging and authentically Orthodox educational resources, the Church is helping ensure that our Faith is not only preserved, but understood, lived and carried forward.
