The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas (SOCHA) began last year with a small number of members — our three directors and the members of our advisory board. Since then, we have been amazed with the level of interest people have shown in American Orthodox history. Today, we are throwing the doors open to general membership. If you are interested in the history of Orthodoxy in the Americas, please consider joining SOCHA.

Right now, there is no charge for membership. Eventually, we’ll charge a small fee to cover our expenses, and in return, members will get access to a peer-reviewed journal, a monthly e-newsletter, members-only online resources (including a register of historical clergy and a primary source archive), and other benefits. Our future plans also include SOCHA-backed books and conferences. But, as we said, there are no initial fees. By responding now, you are basically letting us know that you are interested in SOCHA and may want to become a dues-paying member when the time comes. This will help us begin to prepare a budget and begin planning expanded offerings.

To become a SOCHA member, just send an email to joinsocha@gmail.com. Please include the following basic information:

• Name
• City and State
• Parish
• Jurisdiction
• preferred email address

Also, if there is a specific area or aspect of American Orthodox history that particularly interests you, feel free to include that as well. And if you’ve done any research and/or writing on the subject yourself, let us know too — we would love to feature guest articles from SOCHA members here at OrthodoxHistory.org.

We look forward to hearing from you, and to expanding the scope and work of SOCHA.

Sincerely,

The Executive Board