On Saturday morning, October 17, 2026, at the annual Archon Weekend of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP), Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, the Archon Grand Aktouarios and National Commander of the AEP, introduced new Archons to the many and varied Archon initiatives to support and defend the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual center for the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians.
Dr. Limberakis began his presentation by showing a video that provided an historical overview of the meaning of the title “Archon,” its roots in ancient Greece, and its enduring significance. He explained that to become an Archon was a “humbling recognition” that required “broad shoulders,” as it was an “awesome responsibility.”
View the video HERE.
Dr. Limberakis then explained the leadership structure of both the Church as a whole and of the AEP, and offered brief profiles of the Archon leaders. In his presentation, he showed images of various Archon activities, initiatives, and honors, showing their work with the highest officials in the U.S. and other countries to secure the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and protect the future of faith. He noted that Archon was “the highest title that the Orthodox Church has for laymen, and this confers a certain obligation.”
Dr. Limberakis explained that while the title of Archon goes back to the eleventh century B.C., the modern Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate were established in 1966, and is the oldest and most senior Order of Archons around the world. The Brotherhood of Panagia Pammakaristos, which is comprised of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who reside in Europe and other regions outside the United States, was founded in 1991, and in 2016, the Order of Saint Paul the Apostle, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Canada, was established. Dr. Limberakis explained that the other Archon Orders look to the U.S. Archons for leadership, and said that “we’re the template for them.”
Dr. Limberakis listed notable Archons, including Spyros Skouras, the pioneering president of 20th Century-Fox, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Turning to the immense need that the Archons address, he pointed out that 75% of the world’s population today lives in countries with heavy restrictions on religious freedom. The Christian population of the Middle East has declined drastically over the last century. The Orthodox Christian population has also sharply declined in Turkey, Dr. Limberakis stated, due to ethnic cleansing. Dr. Limberakis quoted His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew saying: “We are a small Christian drop in a vast Muslim ocean. Yet God’s grace has deigned for us to survive.”
Dr. Limberakis then presented the video of His All-Holiness that the Templeton Foundation prepared to commemorate his reception of the prestigious Templeton Prize, in which His All-Holiness explains his love for nature and the urgency of the need to protect the natural environment.
View the Templeton Foundation video HERE.
After the video, Dr. Limberakis explained how he and other Archons brought about the famous profile of His All-Holiness on CBS’ renowned 60 Minutes news feature program, which itself led to other 60 Minutes features on Orthodox Christianity.
Dr. Limberakis continued by briefly outlining the Archons’ principal Issues of Concern, as well as the challenges that Russia and Turkey are presenting today to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He outlined various Archon initiatives, including efforts in Washington, D.C., such as the Archons’ participation in the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the State Department, which over 1000 people attended, and the September 2025 Oval Office meeting of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with U.S. President Donald Trump, at which Archons Michael Kratsios and Reince Preibus were present.
Going on to detail a number of Archon initiatives and activities, Dr. Limberakis focused in particular on the annual Archon representative at the annual Warsaw Human Dimension Conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); Archon Stephanos (Steve) G. Trakas was this year’s Archon representative.
Dr. Limberakis also spoke about the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation (EPBF), which was founded on January 7, 2019, he said. “in response to deep and longstanding need to establish the Ecumenical Patriarchate on a solid financial basis.” He said that before the establishment of the EPBF, the Ecumenical Patriarchate “had never had a reliable or consistent charitable foundation or endowment to fund its worldwide activities,” and that “in 25, 50, and 100 years from now, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation will be a significant legacy of His All-Holiness,” serving to sustain the Mother Church in perpetuity.”
View a video about the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation HERE.
Above all, Dr. Limberakis charged the new Archons to seize the initiative and continue the Archons’ selfless and tireless work for the support and protection of the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople.
