Great Lent 2026
2025 was a pivotal year for the Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship! Our dear friend and supporter, Jim Jatras, agreed to join our board of directors. Once on board he immediately set out to secure our status as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Upon his recommendation we hired the firm of Simms Showers LLP to lead us through the process. On December 4, 2025, the Fellowship was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Recently, the firm has officially filed our application for 501(c)3 status. Once that is granted, donations to the Fellowship will be tax deductible, retroactive to December 4, 2025. We owe Jim an enormous debt of gratitude!
In addition to welcoming Jim to our board, we were also blessed to welcome a new treasurer and board member. With the blessing of Metropolitan Jonah, Brother Joseph Lewis of St. Demetrios Monastery in Spotsylvania, Virginia, has agreed to take over some of Rebecca Dillingham’s responsibilities. He has done an excellent job maintaining the books and keeping us on the straight and narrow. Rebecca remains on the board and continues to help us out with the website and social media.
In September we hosted our third annual Conference, this time in Northern Virginia. All presentations can be found on our YouTube channel. Our 2026 conference will be held in Kentucky the weekend of September 12. A formal announcement with a list of speakers will be forthcoming. This the most central location we have chosen to date, so we hope to welcome many folks who have not previously been able to attend one of our conferences.
As it has been from the beginning, the purpose of the Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship is to support the Church’s missionary endeavors by exploring the ways Orthodoxy can be enculturated into the distinct culture of the South. Or, as our motto has it, we seek to “nurture the roots of Orthodoxy in Dixie’s Land.” Now that we are obtaining our tax-exempt status, I want to encourage you join us in this mission. We are not a wealthy organization. Our only income comes from donations and whatever extra we make from the conferences. None of our board members are paid for being on the board, although Rebecca is paid for her work maintaining the webpage. In the future we would like to expand our outreach with more conferences (perhaps virtual) and even print media, but we cannot do this without your help. We ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation to the Fellowship to assist us in our mission. Information is available on the Support page of our website.
Wishing you all a blessed Lent and a Bright Pascha,
I remain,
C. Clark Carlton
PresidentThe Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship
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