In their first Plenary Session, attendees heard the NWCU Keynote Address, which was again sponsored by Order of St. Lazarus.  Making the Keynote Address, for the 2009 NWCU, was Metropolitan Gerasimos, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Metropolitan Girasimos’s address raised important issues and at the same time challenged participants.  In his opening remarks he said, “Where is the common base from which we can rebuild the Body of Christ?”

He reminded us that the task of Christians is to keep the Body of Christ united, and where it is divided, to work for its reconciliation.