Diocese of the South
Pastoral Conference Registration
(February 4-6, 2026)
Welcome!
The faithful of Holy Cross Orthodox Church are pleased to welcome all our diocesan clergy and their matushki to Kernersville, NC for this year’s pastoral conference!
Below, you will find the schedule for this year’s conference—including times for various meetings, such as the Bishop’s council and Diocesan council, as well as information about our guest speakers, our new Matushki Meet-up track, and Hierarchical Liturgy.
Registration
Please register for this year’s Pastoral Conference through our private event link on EventBrite. This link has also been made available on the Matushki Meet-Up landing page. (Be sure not to double-book; each couple should submit only ONE registration containing details for both clergy and matushka.)
Onsite conference registration tables will be open on Wednesday, February 4th, in the parish hall between 12pm–2pm for both clergy and matushki, at which time you will receive a welcome packet. If you are traveling with your wife, be sure to arrive early so she can participate in the Welcome Reception.
May God bless your travels and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Hotel
The host hotel we have selected is Embassy Suites located at 460 N Cherry St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. You can book your room(s) here. This link has also been made available on the Matushki Meet-Up landing page so, again, be sure not to double-book.
Holy Cross is located approximately 15 miles east of Winston-Salem at 1320 Masten Dr. in Kernersville, NC. It’s about a 15–20 minute drive from the hotel, depending on traffic.
Airport Transportation
PTI airport in Greensboro is about 30 minutes from the host hotel, Embassy Suites in Winston-Salem, while RDU and CLT are both approximately 1.5 hours away from the host hotel. Clergy usually self-coordinate via carpooling, sharing an Uber, etc.
If you are in need of airport transportation special assistance, please email our event hospitality team at office@holycrossoca.org.
NEW FOR 2026!
Matushki Meet-up Track
This year, the Diocese of the South’s Pastoral Conference is excited to offer a dedicated track designed specifically for our Matushki! Join us for three days of fellowship, spiritual enrichment, and mutual encouragement.
This new track is intended to complement the theme of our Pastoral Conference and strengthen clergy marriages through a shared sense of mission as well as foster new and deeper relationships amongst sister matushki. The expanded programming incorporates pieces of the conference as well as matushki-only chats and excursions that allow for moments of refreshment and fellowship for our wives.
There are only 20 spots available for this track; any registrations over this number will be put on a waitlist. There is no cost for the Matushki Meet-Up beyond travel and hotel expenses.
Please share this link with your wife so she can learn more about our new meet-up track. If you have any questions, email Mka. Carrie Foley at clergywives@opl.oca.org.
Our Speakers
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Deacon Seraphim (Richard) Rohlin is a software developer, Germanic philologist, and now ordained deacon in the Orthodox Church of America (OCA), living in Texas with his wife and children. He speaks and publishes on Germanic poetry, the Inklings, and the Sacramental Imagination. He regularly contributes to Jonathan Pageau’s The Symbolic World YouTube channel through the Universal History series. Along with Jonathan Pageau he has co-presented a 6-week course studying the epic poem Beowulf, as well as several courses on Dante's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso). He has also hosted his own course on this platform, Tolkien and Universal History.
Richard co-hosts The Amon Sul Podcast, and has published several works of fiction and non-fiction. He’s currently working on a collection of essays called Finding the Golden Key: Essays Toward a Recovery of the Sacramental Imagination. His superhero pulp novel Guardians: The Eye of Horus is currently under development as a graphic novel. Richard is also a life-long tabletop gamer and wrapped up a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to produce Amboria: Roleplaying in the World Under Starlight.
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Jennifer B. Lyday, J.D. (Genevieve) is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Genevieve focuses her legal practice on Chapter 11 bankruptcy representations and related state court debtor-creditor representations. In addition to her legal practice, Genevieve currently serves on the Board of Trustees for St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, chairing the Board’s Legal Committee and holding a seat on the Board’s Executive Committee. Genevieve also currently serves as the lay representative of the Diocese of the South to the Metropolitan Council of the Orthodox Church in America. Finally, Genevieve has served on the Parish Council of Holy Cross Orthodox Church since 2019, holding the office of Treasurer for several of those years.
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Ana S. Iltis, PhD. is the Carlson Professor of University Studies, Professor of Philosophy, and Director, Center for Bioethics, Health and Society at Wake Forest University. She holds an appointment in the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is a Past President of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, a Fellow of the Hastings Center, and a Non-Resident Fellow in the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. Dr. Iltis is Founding Co-Editor of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, Associate Editor of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and Associate Editor of Christian Bioethics. She earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy at Rice University in Houston, Texas under the direction of Dr. H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. (Rdr. Herman). She and her husband, Steven, are members of Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Kernersville, North Carolina. She teaches Bioethics in the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Seminary.
Questions?
Please email our event hospitality team at office@holycrossoca.org with any event registration questions, and Fr. Christopher Foley at frc@holycrossoca.org or Mka Carrie Foley at clergywives@opl.oca.org with other questions about the conference.
Conference Schedule
NOTE: The schedule below may be adjusted. We will provide updates in the event of any changes. We ask all Clergy and invited guests to arrive no later than noon on Tuesday, February 3rd, and leave only after the travel blessing on Friday, February 6th.
TUES. | FEB 3 | CLERGY
2:00-5:00
Bishop Council Meeting at Embassy Suites Hotel
6:00
Dinner (location TBD)
TUES. | FEB 3 | CLERGY WIVES
OPEN DAY
WED. | FEB 4 | CLERGY WIVES
12:00–2:00
Matushki Meet-Up:
Registration, Tour & Welcome with Chair Massage and Mimosa Meet & Greet in Narthex of Holy Cross
2:00–3:30
Join husbands for Session 1
4:00–-5:30
Matushki Meetup:
Bookclub Discussion on Mka Juliana Schmemann’s Joy to Serve
5:45–8:30
Join husbands for Vespers and Dinner
9:00–11:00
Matushki Meetup:
Lady’s Lounge at Embassy Suites
Hotel (optional)
WED. | FEB 4 | CLERGY
9:00–11:00
Diocesan Council Meeting at Embassy Suites Hotel
12:00–2:00
Clergy Registration & Tour in Fellowship Hall at Holy Cross
2:00–3:30
Session 1: Parish Growth: Are we ready?
w/ Dn. Seraphim Rohlin
4:00–5:30
Session 2: Legal Issues for Parish Life
w/ Genevieve Lyday, Esq.
5:45-6:30
Vespers
6:45
Prissy Polly’s BBQ Dinner in Hall
THUR. | FEB 5 | CLERGY
8:30–11:00
Hierarchical Liturgy
11:15
Greek Lunch
1:30–3:00
Session 3: Parish Growth: Models, Missions, and Money
3:30–5:00
Session 4: Bio-ethical & Pastoral Issues
w/ Dr. Ana Iltis
6:30–8:00
Deanery Dinners (locations TBD)
8:00–10:30
Theology on Tap at Broad Branch Distillery
THUR. | FEB 5 | CLERGY WIVES
8:30–3:00
Join husbands for Liturgy, Lunch, and Session 3
3:30–5:00
Matuska Meet-Up:
Drinking from the Firehose: Sharing stories of awe and joy in the midst of church growth
6:30–8:00
Clergy Wives Dinner with Bishops at a local restaurant. Join husbands afterwards at Broad Branch Distillery
FRI. | FEB 6 | CLERGY
Hotel Breakfast
9:00–11:00
Clergy with Archbishop
11:00
Final words from Bishops & Chancellor
11:30
Closing Prayer and Travel Blessing
FRI. | FEB 6 | CLERGY WIVES
Hotel Breakfast
8:30–11:00
Matushki Meetup:
Debrief & Field Trip in Historic Old Salem
11:00
Join husbands for final words, Closing Prayer and Travel Blessing at Holy Cross
