Parish Council Leadership: What makes a parish council healthy, faithful, and effective?
The Orthodox Parish Leadership (OPL) ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco is pleased to announce the continuation of the 2026 OPL webinar series, with an engaging presentation on “Parish Council Leadership: What makes a parish council healthy, faithful, and effective?” in collaboration with the Metropolises of Atlanta and Boston. This event is scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. The presentation will be led by Rev. Father Mark Leondis and Girard Mitchell from Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, FL.
In this practical session, Fr. Mark Leondis and Girard Mitchell will explore what parish council leadership is truly meant to be: not politics, not control, and not simply filling positions, but stewardship, service, and shared responsibility for the mission of the Church. This session will offer clear Orthodox principles, governance insight, and practical best practices for building a strong parish council culture. Topics will include mission clarity, nominations, accountability, ministry involvement, meeting culture, the priest-council relationship, and common pitfalls councils should avoid. Whether you are clergy, a current parish council member, or discerning future leadership, this session will challenge and equip you to help build a parish council that truly serves the mission of Christ and His Church.
REGISTER TODAY »
A Zoom link will be sent out within 24 hours of the webinar. For more information, please contact metropolis@sanfran.goarch.org.
Presenters
Girard Mitchell
Girard has been a member of Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, FL, since 1998. He grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, and attended Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Girard has served on his church’s parish council for over 15 years and has held all officer positions; he is currently the parish treasurer. Girard was honored in 2019 to be invested as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He is a member of the Atlanta Metropolis Council. Girard has started several companies since 2003. He currently owns a waterworks coating company located in Ocala, FL. Girard is married to Angela Hadgigeorge Mitchell. They have three adult children, Dimitri, Stefanos and Constantine.
Father Mark Leondis
Fr. Mark Leondis is the Senior Pastor of Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, FL. He was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Hellenic College in 1992 with a BA in Religious Studies and from Holy Cross in 1995 with a Master of Divinity. Fr. Mark pursued additional graduate studies in Youth Ministry at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary.
In 1995, Fr. Mark was appointed the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Metropolis of Denver, and served in that position until being called to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York, where he served as the National Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries from 2000 to 2011. He taught Religious Education and Youth Ministry at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in Scarsdale, NY, from 2002 to 2009, and continued his studies in Christian Leadership and Organizational Development at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Beverly, MA. He served for 9 years (2003-2006; 2008-2012) as Chairman of the Board for Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF); he has served parishes in Colorado and New Jersey.
He has served in leadership positions in the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, as President of the Pan-Orthodox Brotherhood of South Florida, and as President of the APC (Archdiocese Presbyters Council) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America from 2018 to 2022. He was elevated to the rank of Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne on October 24, 2021, at Saint Sophia National Cathedral during the Apostolic Visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
Father Mark is married to Presvytera Anastasia, and together they have two adult children, Juliana and Alex.