Friday, November 14. 2008
The Council Ends
Your comments are welcome. Participants at the Council are especially encouraged to share their thoughts.
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Great post!
Having had the privilege of being personally shown around the excellent display that Alexis Liberovsky put together for the Council, I felt the surge of hope at reading the words of Fr. Alexander that Mark is quoting, but also the words of St. Tikhon and Met. Leonty, all witnessing to the exact same thing - confusion, despair, exhaustion all changed into joy through the faith in the intersession of the Holy Spirit and the love of our Lord. What an experience these last four days have been. Today, back in the greyness of deep New England fall, it feels almost like Bright Monday...
Among the uncertainties, the second-guessing, the habitual skepticism there was also such joy of fellowship at the Council, such feeling of joint purpose, and yet of true humility - 'we are not sure of what would be the right thing to do, let the Lord guide us in our ways' - that it just had to come out right. To me it felt like an object lesson of what can happen when we, personally and as a corporate body, manage to submit our will, our personal agenda, even our loyalties to the will of our Master... And to see so many people there, bright, strong people who were embodying that spirit was a profoundly humbling experience. I hope & pray that we will manage to sustain this spirit corporately, because it seems we have finally learned that there is no other way.
Having had the privilege of being personally shown around the excellent display that Alexis Liberovsky put together for the Council, I felt the surge of hope at reading the words of Fr. Alexander that Mark is quoting, but also the words of St. Tikhon and Met. Leonty, all witnessing to the exact same thing - confusion, despair, exhaustion all changed into joy through the faith in the intersession of the Holy Spirit and the love of our Lord. What an experience these last four days have been. Today, back in the greyness of deep New England fall, it feels almost like Bright Monday...
Among the uncertainties, the second-guessing, the habitual skepticism there was also such joy of fellowship at the Council, such feeling of joint purpose, and yet of true humility - 'we are not sure of what would be the right thing to do, let the Lord guide us in our ways' - that it just had to come out right. To me it felt like an object lesson of what can happen when we, personally and as a corporate body, manage to submit our will, our personal agenda, even our loyalties to the will of our Master... And to see so many people there, bright, strong people who were embodying that spirit was a profoundly humbling experience. I hope & pray that we will manage to sustain this spirit corporately, because it seems we have finally learned that there is no other way.
#1
Inga Leonova
on
2008-11-14 19:37
I am so very relieved the church did not adopt the two resolutions for a 50 dollar head tax, and I'm equally gladdened Metropolitan Jonah recognizes, or at least appears to recognize the benefits of a proportional giving system.
While many may see proportional giving like tax indexing, we must all recognize the wherewithall to pay concept needs to be the underlying decision in how we fund the church. A small rural parish in Wisconsin with an aging population and fixed incomes, or a small native parish with very low incomes in Alaska, or a wealthier parish in Minneapolis, or a new mission church with a mortgage all will have very different abilities to pay. The best way to please the Bishop should not be in dollar terms (IT IS TODAY). The best way a clergyman should please a Bishop should be in people terms or missions supported terms or whatever the churches strategic goals are.., pray not dollars. This is coming from an activity based cost accounting expert that would normally tie costs with heads! Remember the WHEREWITHALL to pay concept. (Joe, not quite a Plumber needs this reminder as well. Someone making 250k a year could give their OCA Bishop and CCA more than 200 bucks and there is nothing unprincipled about that concept!)
Taking the proportional giving concept a step further, I have never given a high enough proportion of my income. The 200 dollar membership fee doesn't really support this thinking, so the change is a cultural one for sure and those are tough to change. But to grow Orthodoxy and share it with others, we need to fund it. If not the central church, a mission parish needs funding as well. This needs ironing out.
Mark, thanks for the forum and for the updates. And thanks for sharing the facts regarding Job and the Metropolitan election/elevation.
While many may see proportional giving like tax indexing, we must all recognize the wherewithall to pay concept needs to be the underlying decision in how we fund the church. A small rural parish in Wisconsin with an aging population and fixed incomes, or a small native parish with very low incomes in Alaska, or a wealthier parish in Minneapolis, or a new mission church with a mortgage all will have very different abilities to pay. The best way to please the Bishop should not be in dollar terms (IT IS TODAY). The best way a clergyman should please a Bishop should be in people terms or missions supported terms or whatever the churches strategic goals are.., pray not dollars. This is coming from an activity based cost accounting expert that would normally tie costs with heads! Remember the WHEREWITHALL to pay concept. (Joe, not quite a Plumber needs this reminder as well. Someone making 250k a year could give their OCA Bishop and CCA more than 200 bucks and there is nothing unprincipled about that concept!)
Taking the proportional giving concept a step further, I have never given a high enough proportion of my income. The 200 dollar membership fee doesn't really support this thinking, so the change is a cultural one for sure and those are tough to change. But to grow Orthodoxy and share it with others, we need to fund it. If not the central church, a mission parish needs funding as well. This needs ironing out.
Mark, thanks for the forum and for the updates. And thanks for sharing the facts regarding Job and the Metropolitan election/elevation.
#2
Daniel E. Fall
on
2008-11-14 20:16
May God continue to Bless the Orthodox Church in America and Orthodox Christians for Accountability.
Although I'm in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, I was just as concerned as OCA members about the well being of my fellow Orthodox Christians, following developments closely. Our One Faith will be jurisdictionally united in America someday. Not-with-standing the scandalous decade you've endued, I doubt that other Orthodox jurisdictions would have been as forthcoming as the SIC Report demonstrated.
And this forum "OCANews" is to be particularly commended for its dedication and diligence which led to the cleansing we are now enjoying. Don't even consider shutting down; most GOAL (Greek Orthodox American Leaders) members regret their agreement to cease activity in 1999.
Although I'm in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, I was just as concerned as OCA members about the well being of my fellow Orthodox Christians, following developments closely. Our One Faith will be jurisdictionally united in America someday. Not-with-standing the scandalous decade you've endued, I doubt that other Orthodox jurisdictions would have been as forthcoming as the SIC Report demonstrated.
And this forum "OCANews" is to be particularly commended for its dedication and diligence which led to the cleansing we are now enjoying. Don't even consider shutting down; most GOAL (Greek Orthodox American Leaders) members regret their agreement to cease activity in 1999.
#3
B.W. Trakas
on
2008-11-14 20:37
Amen, and amen. The Holy Spirit is active and alive in the hearts of those called into the Church. May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ bless and save us all.
#4
Marc Trolinger
on
2008-11-14 22:02
Mark,
Thank you for a succinct yet informative synopsis of the AAC this week in Pittsburgh! Sorry I had to miss it. And especially thanks for keeping us "posted" (pun intended!) in between busy sessions of the Council!
I, for one, feel ocanews.org should continue! As things become more open, more honest, and more revealing from the "official" site of the OCA, maybe this site could grow in its function(s) in the future! Along with the so-called "negative" press that has, of necessity, been part-and-parcel of the posts here in the last few years, there has been a FANTASTIC exchange of theological doctrines, discussion, and opinions!!! As Fr Thomas Hopko said years ago, during an Institute at SVS whose them was the priesthood, discussion and sharing of ideas is part of the Orthodox way. He further stated that "if it comes down to I'll go my way, you go your way, everybody does their own thing to avoid discussion and concrete criticism, then it's the end of Orthodoxy!" I believe this website can be an invaluable tool for the good in our Church! Discussions on tough issues (some already mentioned here in the past), such as the married episcopacy; the theological vision of the relationships between bishops, other clergy, and the laity; and how to turn the functioning of our Church from "top-heavy" (too many ministries centralized in Syosset) to "bottom-heavy" (more ministries being concentrated in the dioceses and parishes), are essential for our continued growth and outreach missionary ministry to the Gospel-hungry and truth-thirsty people of North America! Maybe, Mark, you could address these issues in an upcoming Reflection? Anyway, it's just an idea, and I think it's one that, again quoting Fr Hopko, "keeps people together when they are apart!"
In Christ,
Thank you for a succinct yet informative synopsis of the AAC this week in Pittsburgh! Sorry I had to miss it. And especially thanks for keeping us "posted" (pun intended!) in between busy sessions of the Council!
I, for one, feel ocanews.org should continue! As things become more open, more honest, and more revealing from the "official" site of the OCA, maybe this site could grow in its function(s) in the future! Along with the so-called "negative" press that has, of necessity, been part-and-parcel of the posts here in the last few years, there has been a FANTASTIC exchange of theological doctrines, discussion, and opinions!!! As Fr Thomas Hopko said years ago, during an Institute at SVS whose them was the priesthood, discussion and sharing of ideas is part of the Orthodox way. He further stated that "if it comes down to I'll go my way, you go your way, everybody does their own thing to avoid discussion and concrete criticism, then it's the end of Orthodoxy!" I believe this website can be an invaluable tool for the good in our Church! Discussions on tough issues (some already mentioned here in the past), such as the married episcopacy; the theological vision of the relationships between bishops, other clergy, and the laity; and how to turn the functioning of our Church from "top-heavy" (too many ministries centralized in Syosset) to "bottom-heavy" (more ministries being concentrated in the dioceses and parishes), are essential for our continued growth and outreach missionary ministry to the Gospel-hungry and truth-thirsty people of North America! Maybe, Mark, you could address these issues in an upcoming Reflection? Anyway, it's just an idea, and I think it's one that, again quoting Fr Hopko, "keeps people together when they are apart!"
In Christ,
#5
David Barrett
on
2008-11-15 00:25
Thank you, Mark, for your concise and accurate description of the Council. The Alaskan Clergy were deeply moved by the show of support and appreciation for what we endured, but it was really the whole church "with one mind and one heart" that, guided by the Holy Spirit, ultimately acted to restore the diocese here. And it was again the whole church, hierarchy, clergy and laity, that acted in true conciliarity this week in Pittsburgh, not according to any personal or human plot, scheme, agenda, but certainly according to God's Will. There were indeed, "shouts of joy" at the banquet. May the echo now through the entire Church as we continue to heal and to move forward under the loving leadership of our new Metropolitan.
#6
Archpriest Michael Oleksa
on
2008-11-15 03:14
The Council this time was simply a miracle - God provided us with a Metropolitan who brought together many people with various ideas and hurts, and He brought us healing. Glory to God for His continued movement in His Holy Church.
An important point on the assessment that was not posted here...it was decided immediately after the assessment was changed to $105 that those Diocese that were able to go to proportional giving (i.e. tithing) could begin to do so as soon as they wanted to. Some Diocese will not have a head tax ever again! Glory to God!
And since commentary was made on the crowd response to resolutions, it is also significant (to me, and many I spoke with) that the resolution to commend OCANEWS.org was read, but when the resolution giving thanks that this site was no longer needed (the resolution you refer to as 'against' the preceding resolution), this reading was met with a thunderous applause. I hope the owner sees fit to hear the voice of the people.
(Editor's note: It was Fr. Erickson, who explained the motions, who posited the "opposition", not me. And no, I am not the "owner" of OCANews.org. That would be Orthodox Christians for Accountability. I am the editor. As for its future, I think I said it all yesterday: the disease was serious, the recovery will be long. We'll be around for a while yet to monitor the progress of the patient. That only seems prudent.)
An important point on the assessment that was not posted here...it was decided immediately after the assessment was changed to $105 that those Diocese that were able to go to proportional giving (i.e. tithing) could begin to do so as soon as they wanted to. Some Diocese will not have a head tax ever again! Glory to God!
And since commentary was made on the crowd response to resolutions, it is also significant (to me, and many I spoke with) that the resolution to commend OCANEWS.org was read, but when the resolution giving thanks that this site was no longer needed (the resolution you refer to as 'against' the preceding resolution), this reading was met with a thunderous applause. I hope the owner sees fit to hear the voice of the people.
(Editor's note: It was Fr. Erickson, who explained the motions, who posited the "opposition", not me. And no, I am not the "owner" of OCANews.org. That would be Orthodox Christians for Accountability. I am the editor. As for its future, I think I said it all yesterday: the disease was serious, the recovery will be long. We'll be around for a while yet to monitor the progress of the patient. That only seems prudent.)
#7
Priest Matthew
on
2008-11-15 07:01
from where I was sitting, it sounded like the applause was in one quadrant of the room -- maybe if you were sitting there, it sounded thunderous, but not if you were sitting elsewhere.
Anyway, quibbling about this is totally contrary to the spirit of the council. I like David Barrett's idea of OCANews continuing as a parallel to OCA.org -- dealing in a different way than an official site can with issues that emerge.
The mission statement on the front page will need revising.
Anyway, quibbling about this is totally contrary to the spirit of the council. I like David Barrett's idea of OCANews continuing as a parallel to OCA.org -- dealing in a different way than an official site can with issues that emerge.
The mission statement on the front page will need revising.
#7.1
Rebecca Matovic
on
2008-11-15 17:08
Dear Brothers and sisters,
Christ is in our midst!
What an event. I beheld so powerfully the sense that the saints were interceding for us and that the Holy Spirit was moving among us. I understand better now the scriptures about the Spirit hovering in Genesis and a Wind in Acts at Pentecost.
The peace, unity and joy with which we have been blessed are far greater than we deserve, and we can but thank God.
I can even thank God now for the pain of the last three years, that left us broken, humbled, but ready to recieve Grace.
Christ is in our midst!
not just words, or a hope- Christ is in our midst!
I ask forgiveneness of any and all who have ever offended in my posts here and offer my forgiveness.
Thanks be to God!
Deacon Yousuf Rassam
Los Angeles CA
Christ is in our midst!
What an event. I beheld so powerfully the sense that the saints were interceding for us and that the Holy Spirit was moving among us. I understand better now the scriptures about the Spirit hovering in Genesis and a Wind in Acts at Pentecost.
The peace, unity and joy with which we have been blessed are far greater than we deserve, and we can but thank God.
I can even thank God now for the pain of the last three years, that left us broken, humbled, but ready to recieve Grace.
Christ is in our midst!
not just words, or a hope- Christ is in our midst!
I ask forgiveneness of any and all who have ever offended in my posts here and offer my forgiveness.
Thanks be to God!
Deacon Yousuf Rassam
Los Angeles CA
#8
Anonymous
on
2008-11-15 09:02
Last night I helped "sing away" the Archpriest Stephen Karaffa, rector of Sts Peter & Paul Church in Burr Ridge, IL, who died of a heart attack after the Tuesday morning Liturgy at the Council. His son in law told the Council how greatly this scandal had affected him. I have the feeling that Fr Stephen may have interceded with the Lord to have mercy on his servants and give us the wonderful new Metrpolitan that He did. May Fr Stephen's memory be eternal!
I was the delegate in 1999 in which we began our descent, and was again our delegate as we begin to see daylight. I am so thankful to God that I was able to be there.
Wife and I had a long conversation with a priest from Anchorage, and we're sorry we missed the adoption of the resolution regarding the Alaskan clergy. Maybe Dr Lydia Black is smiling down from heaven. And both my choices for lay delegates to MC and one of my choices (Fr Ted) for clergy delegate were elected.
Finally, I wish to express my thanks to the AAC for adopting by near unanimous voice vote the amendment to the Statute that I authored (with the help of the ocanews editor) and my parish sponsored. I was even pleasantly surprised that it was "beefed up" before being adopted. I am humbled.
May the Lord direct our steps in the coming years.
Yours in the Risen Lord,
I was the delegate in 1999 in which we began our descent, and was again our delegate as we begin to see daylight. I am so thankful to God that I was able to be there.
Wife and I had a long conversation with a priest from Anchorage, and we're sorry we missed the adoption of the resolution regarding the Alaskan clergy. Maybe Dr Lydia Black is smiling down from heaven. And both my choices for lay delegates to MC and one of my choices (Fr Ted) for clergy delegate were elected.
Finally, I wish to express my thanks to the AAC for adopting by near unanimous voice vote the amendment to the Statute that I authored (with the help of the ocanews editor) and my parish sponsored. I was even pleasantly surprised that it was "beefed up" before being adopted. I am humbled.
May the Lord direct our steps in the coming years.
Yours in the Risen Lord,
#9
Michael Strelka
on
2008-11-15 09:07
Thank you again, Mark, for your relentless efforts in reporting the full story to us who hope that the OCA is now on a better, more ethical and holier path.
As far as I am concerned, your part in trying to get the OCA to a better place was pivotal and you should have recived a Gramata in how the truth does help bring about change and healing. Perhaps this will one day come, if not in this life, the next. I am also so happy that Dn. Eric is receiving a letter of apology. He too, was instrumental in turning a sinking ship around, as were countless others in the OCA.
At any rate, with new, constructive changes and new efforts, your tone of your website will hopefully also be able to report these new changes and efforts in an encouraging and hopeful manner. In this most recent few years, you were stuck with having to report a church which was seriously in the ICU and on life-support. Not a pleasant task, but a task of courage to report how the patient was really doing.
Now, hopefully OCANEWS.org will be able to report on more constructive, positive events and continue to be the truthful barometer for us who want to know what is really going on within the life of the church.
But perhaps you just reported is what remains very realistic: "The OCA will take much time to heal, for our sickness was long and serious."
With all the constructive changes that seem to be taking place in the OCA, we must be patient. We must be ever-vigilant. We must pray. We must fast. But perhaps most importantly, we will all hopefully be much more greatly strengthened, encouraged, and inspired to be part of the solutions, part of the healing, rather than the problems, to not only build up the OCA but Orthodoxy in America.
The work that remains in just working with other Orthodox jurisdictions, let alone denominations, to put Orthodoxy on the map and not just the OCA remains daunting. The OCA remains a small slice in the entire perspective of things. But as we get our own house in order it will be tremendously inspiring to see how we can affect positive change for Orthodoxy in America at large. Thank you all, for all your efforts to this end.
Patty Schellbach
As far as I am concerned, your part in trying to get the OCA to a better place was pivotal and you should have recived a Gramata in how the truth does help bring about change and healing. Perhaps this will one day come, if not in this life, the next. I am also so happy that Dn. Eric is receiving a letter of apology. He too, was instrumental in turning a sinking ship around, as were countless others in the OCA.
At any rate, with new, constructive changes and new efforts, your tone of your website will hopefully also be able to report these new changes and efforts in an encouraging and hopeful manner. In this most recent few years, you were stuck with having to report a church which was seriously in the ICU and on life-support. Not a pleasant task, but a task of courage to report how the patient was really doing.
Now, hopefully OCANEWS.org will be able to report on more constructive, positive events and continue to be the truthful barometer for us who want to know what is really going on within the life of the church.
But perhaps you just reported is what remains very realistic: "The OCA will take much time to heal, for our sickness was long and serious."
With all the constructive changes that seem to be taking place in the OCA, we must be patient. We must be ever-vigilant. We must pray. We must fast. But perhaps most importantly, we will all hopefully be much more greatly strengthened, encouraged, and inspired to be part of the solutions, part of the healing, rather than the problems, to not only build up the OCA but Orthodoxy in America.
The work that remains in just working with other Orthodox jurisdictions, let alone denominations, to put Orthodoxy on the map and not just the OCA remains daunting. The OCA remains a small slice in the entire perspective of things. But as we get our own house in order it will be tremendously inspiring to see how we can affect positive change for Orthodoxy in America at large. Thank you all, for all your efforts to this end.
Patty Schellbach
#10
Patty Schellbach
on
2008-11-15 09:28
A great report - THANK YOU! Please do not even think of putting this web site to bed. This web site has become invaluable in offering real insight into what has gone on in the OCA. Sometimes bias, but mostly accurate and refreshing in its content. Maybe this site could transform to offer more news from all around the OCA on a daily, weekly basis.
Again Mark, thank you for this site!
Again Mark, thank you for this site!
#11
Anonymous
on
2008-11-15 09:47
The Holy Spirit is alive and well in the midst of His Church!
Act of Confidence in God
Claude de la Colombière
My God, I’m so persuaded that You watch over all who hope in You and nothing can be lacking to those who await from You all things, that I have determined to live from now on without any concern, letting go and giving You all of my anxieties. I will sleep and rest in peace because You, O Lord, and only You, have secured my hope.
Men can deprive me of possessions and reputation; illnesses can take away my strength and means to serve You; I myself can lose Your grace because of sin; but I will not lose my hope; I will conserve it until the last instant of my life and all the efforts from demons trying to take it away from me will be useless. I will sleep and rest in peace.
May others expect happiness in their richness and talents; some may lean on the innocence of their lives, or the rigor of their penitence, or above all on the amount of their good works, or the fervor of their prayers. As for myself Lord, all my confidence is my confidence itself. Because You Lord, only You have secured my hope.
No one has been deceived by this confidence. No one who has waited in the Lord has been frustrated in their confidence.
Therefore, I am sure that I will be eternally happy because I firmly hope to be; and because You, Oh, My God, are in Whom I expect all. In You I hope Lord, and never will I be confused.
I know very well . . . too well that I am fragile and inconstant, I know well the power of temptations against the most firm virtue; I have seen thestars fall from heaven and columns from the firmament; but none of this can frighten me. As long as I maintain firm my hope, I will be conserved from all calamities; and I am sure to hope always, because I hope the same in this unchanging hope.
In conclusion, I am sure that I cannot hope in excess in You and that I will receive all that I would have hoped for in You. Therefore, I know You will sustain me on the most rapid and slippery slopes, that You will strengthen me against the assaults and make my weakness triumph over the most tremendous enemies.
I hope You will always love me and I will love you without interruption; to take once and for all my hope as far as it can reach. I hope in You and only in You! Oh, My Creator! In time and for all eternity.
Amen.
In His great mercy,
Fr. Pius, priestmonk
Act of Confidence in God
Claude de la Colombière
My God, I’m so persuaded that You watch over all who hope in You and nothing can be lacking to those who await from You all things, that I have determined to live from now on without any concern, letting go and giving You all of my anxieties. I will sleep and rest in peace because You, O Lord, and only You, have secured my hope.
Men can deprive me of possessions and reputation; illnesses can take away my strength and means to serve You; I myself can lose Your grace because of sin; but I will not lose my hope; I will conserve it until the last instant of my life and all the efforts from demons trying to take it away from me will be useless. I will sleep and rest in peace.
May others expect happiness in their richness and talents; some may lean on the innocence of their lives, or the rigor of their penitence, or above all on the amount of their good works, or the fervor of their prayers. As for myself Lord, all my confidence is my confidence itself. Because You Lord, only You have secured my hope.
No one has been deceived by this confidence. No one who has waited in the Lord has been frustrated in their confidence.
Therefore, I am sure that I will be eternally happy because I firmly hope to be; and because You, Oh, My God, are in Whom I expect all. In You I hope Lord, and never will I be confused.
I know very well . . . too well that I am fragile and inconstant, I know well the power of temptations against the most firm virtue; I have seen thestars fall from heaven and columns from the firmament; but none of this can frighten me. As long as I maintain firm my hope, I will be conserved from all calamities; and I am sure to hope always, because I hope the same in this unchanging hope.
In conclusion, I am sure that I cannot hope in excess in You and that I will receive all that I would have hoped for in You. Therefore, I know You will sustain me on the most rapid and slippery slopes, that You will strengthen me against the assaults and make my weakness triumph over the most tremendous enemies.
I hope You will always love me and I will love you without interruption; to take once and for all my hope as far as it can reach. I hope in You and only in You! Oh, My Creator! In time and for all eternity.
Amen.
In His great mercy,
Fr. Pius, priestmonk
#12
Fr. Pius
on
2008-11-15 11:50
At the evening formal dinner, (convert from the Lutheran Confession), I could not stop looking at Met. Jonah from where I was sitting in the back of the hall and think over and over again:
For the first time in 20 years I can look at the "man in the white hat" and not be ashamed.
(I was in Orlando six years ago -- I was embarrassed and could not look straight in the eye of either of those two prior metropolitans.)
We are moving out of a terrible desert lacking in love, decency, morality and the rest of that endless list of deceit that was placed on the OCA and each one of us. We must all pray for Met. Jonah that he lead us with the Gospel and love and dedication of all our lives to Christ.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Elizabeth
For the first time in 20 years I can look at the "man in the white hat" and not be ashamed.
(I was in Orlando six years ago -- I was embarrassed and could not look straight in the eye of either of those two prior metropolitans.)
We are moving out of a terrible desert lacking in love, decency, morality and the rest of that endless list of deceit that was placed on the OCA and each one of us. We must all pray for Met. Jonah that he lead us with the Gospel and love and dedication of all our lives to Christ.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Elizabeth
#13
Elizabeth
on
2008-11-15 13:32
I have a two questions.
Will the new Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Council insist that the OCA's Sexual Abuse Guidlines be followed in the recent case of allegations of abuse made against an OCA Bishop?
What does the New Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Council plan to do to reach out to all those who have been wounded by the OCA over the years?
I heard no mention of this in Metropolitan Jonah's flowery address to the AAC.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, both the priest and the levite passed by the battered victim lying in the road because they had more important things to do!
Cappy Larson
www.pokrov
(editor's note: Excellent questions, Cappy. If any formal allegation is made it will be handled according to the guidelines. The Council will insist on that, I am sure. I will. And if it is not handled that way, you will hear about it from me. The days of wink, wink, nod, nod, are over.
As for past victims, The Council has spent the last year trying to make resititution to all those who were victimized in the previous regimes: including, at the very first meeting last week, voting unanimously to withdraw $151,000 from the OCA's meager endowment to repay in full our obligation to the 9/11 victims. Is there more to do - probably. But one war at a time, as Mr. Lincoln said. We have only just stopped decades of pillaging just 18 months ago. We have only just removed the last of those who winked and nodded at it, who enabled all of it, just two months ago. We just now elected a new Metropolitan, and four new members of the Council which will help it all move forward faster and better. I am not asking for patience or more time - there is no excuse for not acting swiftly in these matters. But like an oil tanker at se-, it does take some time to move an administration that is national in its scope from bad habits to good. Clearly, we are doing that. So no one is walking by the victims. There are simply so many, triage is in order and it will take time.
That being said, keep on their backs, Cappy; until the day they have been all resolved well, for old habits die hard. )
Will the new Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Council insist that the OCA's Sexual Abuse Guidlines be followed in the recent case of allegations of abuse made against an OCA Bishop?
What does the New Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Council plan to do to reach out to all those who have been wounded by the OCA over the years?
I heard no mention of this in Metropolitan Jonah's flowery address to the AAC.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, both the priest and the levite passed by the battered victim lying in the road because they had more important things to do!
Cappy Larson
www.pokrov
(editor's note: Excellent questions, Cappy. If any formal allegation is made it will be handled according to the guidelines. The Council will insist on that, I am sure. I will. And if it is not handled that way, you will hear about it from me. The days of wink, wink, nod, nod, are over.
As for past victims, The Council has spent the last year trying to make resititution to all those who were victimized in the previous regimes: including, at the very first meeting last week, voting unanimously to withdraw $151,000 from the OCA's meager endowment to repay in full our obligation to the 9/11 victims. Is there more to do - probably. But one war at a time, as Mr. Lincoln said. We have only just stopped decades of pillaging just 18 months ago. We have only just removed the last of those who winked and nodded at it, who enabled all of it, just two months ago. We just now elected a new Metropolitan, and four new members of the Council which will help it all move forward faster and better. I am not asking for patience or more time - there is no excuse for not acting swiftly in these matters. But like an oil tanker at se-, it does take some time to move an administration that is national in its scope from bad habits to good. Clearly, we are doing that. So no one is walking by the victims. There are simply so many, triage is in order and it will take time.
That being said, keep on their backs, Cappy; until the day they have been all resolved well, for old habits die hard. )
I hope this post from my blog isn't too long. If you want the hypertext, visit my blog site:
Fairy Tale Endings and Kingdom Beginnings
_____________________________
My husband said it was like a Hollywood fairy tale ending.
For several years now our church, the Orthodox Church in America, has been agonizing over a financial scandal of vast proportions. We have been leaderless, our membership wounded and divided as we approached our most recent “All-American” Council in Pittsburgh. This gathering of clergy and laity from all over North America had as its most important goal the choosing of a new Metropolitan.
Many people have been praying for many months or longer, both individually and corporately, for God’s mercy and guidance. True, a great deal of progress had already been made before the council in removing problem people from office, sorting out as much of the financial mess as possible, and setting up new Best Practices procedures to prevent such things in future. But the wounds were still raw, and the way ahead unclear. Many approached the council gathering with trepidation, the light of hope burning only dimly.
Tuesday night we began to see prayers answered. The newly-consecrated auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of the South, Bishop Jonah, spoke to the delegates in response to many of the pained and difficult questions about the scandal, and something happened. The next day, the majority of the delegates gave him their votes. The Holy Synod of Bishops then stepped out in humility and confirmed the people’s choice of this most junior bishop, consecrated to his office only 11 days earlier. It brought to mind St. Paul’s exhortation to the young bishop Timothy, “let no-one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Our membership could not see or agree upon a clear way out of our morass of denial and recriminations, but the Holy Spirit working in synergy with God’s people has now provided one. “It was like Pentecost” one of my husband’s priestly friends said.
Whistle-blowers and gadflies have risked, and some have suffered, great things to inform and motivate the people of God to seek an answer to our troubles. And the people rose to this challenge, both in prayer and in action. Now we have a completed investigation, a new Metropolitan with a new emphasis on genuine conciliarity, and public thanks and vindication given to many of those who dared to speak out.
This is a fairy-tale ending-- the happy turn at the end of a tale, which J.R.R. Tolkien calls a "eucatastrophe". But in God’s Kingdom, such an ending is only a beginning. Only in the next world is there a true and final happy-ever-after. Having begun the race, we must not look back, but press on to the prize. Our bishops have truly said that trust cannot be re-established—they must earn it. There are wounded little ones who still need healing.
But perhaps most encouraging of all is the way some of the strongest critics of the previous administration are speaking positively of this AAC and our new metropolitan. We have a new Metropolitan Council, and there is no reason to think they will not be vigilant and wise as the wheels of the OCA begin to move. They are beginning to move, and now that they are moving, it will be possible to steer.
Some remain a little skeptical. That is all right, and to be expected after our experience of the last few years. There is however a difference between skepticism and cynicism. The skeptic asks sincere questions and says ‘show me.’ The cynic however says ‘I don’t believe, no matter what you are showing me.’ Only the individuals can know in their hearts (if God grants them true self-knowledge) whether they are skeptics or cynics.
The rest of us can do little for the cynics but pray. They are the dwarfs in C.S. Lewis’s concluding volume of the Narnia books, The Last Battle. Narnia is liberated, and here is what happens:
Aslan raised his head and shook his mane. Instantly a glorious feast appeared on the Dwarfs’ knees...They began eating and drinking greedily enough, but it was clear that they couldn’t taste it properly…One said he was trying to eat hay and another said he had got a bit of an old turnip…they raised golden goblets of rich red wine to their lips and said “Ugh! Fancy drinking dirty water out of a trough that a donkey’s been at!......”…they all said: “Well, at any rate there’s no Humbug here. We haven’t let anyone take us in..”
“You see,” said Aslan. “…Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.”
We need to heal. Our hierarchs need to earn our trust again. But we are not called to be dwarfs in a dark prison; we are called to be free men and women in the light of the Gospel. Let us continue to pray fervently for our new Metropolitan, our diocesan hierarchs and all our other church leaders, clergy and lay. We have seen God work a miracle in answer to our recent prayers. Now let us continue to ask Him for more such good gifts in the opening of missions, the healing of hearts, the ministry to the needy yet to come. For the best thanks we can give God for answered prayer is to ask Him for more, for He is a good Father who delights to give such good things to His children.
Posted by matushkadonna
Fairy Tale Endings and Kingdom Beginnings
_____________________________
My husband said it was like a Hollywood fairy tale ending.
For several years now our church, the Orthodox Church in America, has been agonizing over a financial scandal of vast proportions. We have been leaderless, our membership wounded and divided as we approached our most recent “All-American” Council in Pittsburgh. This gathering of clergy and laity from all over North America had as its most important goal the choosing of a new Metropolitan.
Many people have been praying for many months or longer, both individually and corporately, for God’s mercy and guidance. True, a great deal of progress had already been made before the council in removing problem people from office, sorting out as much of the financial mess as possible, and setting up new Best Practices procedures to prevent such things in future. But the wounds were still raw, and the way ahead unclear. Many approached the council gathering with trepidation, the light of hope burning only dimly.
Tuesday night we began to see prayers answered. The newly-consecrated auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of the South, Bishop Jonah, spoke to the delegates in response to many of the pained and difficult questions about the scandal, and something happened. The next day, the majority of the delegates gave him their votes. The Holy Synod of Bishops then stepped out in humility and confirmed the people’s choice of this most junior bishop, consecrated to his office only 11 days earlier. It brought to mind St. Paul’s exhortation to the young bishop Timothy, “let no-one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Our membership could not see or agree upon a clear way out of our morass of denial and recriminations, but the Holy Spirit working in synergy with God’s people has now provided one. “It was like Pentecost” one of my husband’s priestly friends said.
Whistle-blowers and gadflies have risked, and some have suffered, great things to inform and motivate the people of God to seek an answer to our troubles. And the people rose to this challenge, both in prayer and in action. Now we have a completed investigation, a new Metropolitan with a new emphasis on genuine conciliarity, and public thanks and vindication given to many of those who dared to speak out.
This is a fairy-tale ending-- the happy turn at the end of a tale, which J.R.R. Tolkien calls a "eucatastrophe". But in God’s Kingdom, such an ending is only a beginning. Only in the next world is there a true and final happy-ever-after. Having begun the race, we must not look back, but press on to the prize. Our bishops have truly said that trust cannot be re-established—they must earn it. There are wounded little ones who still need healing.
But perhaps most encouraging of all is the way some of the strongest critics of the previous administration are speaking positively of this AAC and our new metropolitan. We have a new Metropolitan Council, and there is no reason to think they will not be vigilant and wise as the wheels of the OCA begin to move. They are beginning to move, and now that they are moving, it will be possible to steer.
Some remain a little skeptical. That is all right, and to be expected after our experience of the last few years. There is however a difference between skepticism and cynicism. The skeptic asks sincere questions and says ‘show me.’ The cynic however says ‘I don’t believe, no matter what you are showing me.’ Only the individuals can know in their hearts (if God grants them true self-knowledge) whether they are skeptics or cynics.
The rest of us can do little for the cynics but pray. They are the dwarfs in C.S. Lewis’s concluding volume of the Narnia books, The Last Battle. Narnia is liberated, and here is what happens:
Aslan raised his head and shook his mane. Instantly a glorious feast appeared on the Dwarfs’ knees...They began eating and drinking greedily enough, but it was clear that they couldn’t taste it properly…One said he was trying to eat hay and another said he had got a bit of an old turnip…they raised golden goblets of rich red wine to their lips and said “Ugh! Fancy drinking dirty water out of a trough that a donkey’s been at!......”…they all said: “Well, at any rate there’s no Humbug here. We haven’t let anyone take us in..”
“You see,” said Aslan. “…Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.”
We need to heal. Our hierarchs need to earn our trust again. But we are not called to be dwarfs in a dark prison; we are called to be free men and women in the light of the Gospel. Let us continue to pray fervently for our new Metropolitan, our diocesan hierarchs and all our other church leaders, clergy and lay. We have seen God work a miracle in answer to our recent prayers. Now let us continue to ask Him for more such good gifts in the opening of missions, the healing of hearts, the ministry to the needy yet to come. For the best thanks we can give God for answered prayer is to ask Him for more, for He is a good Father who delights to give such good things to His children.
Posted by matushkadonna
Dear Mat. Donna,
What a memorable phrase: "...we are not called to be dwarfs in a dark prison; we are called to be free men and women in the light of the Gospel" !
What this phrase means to me is that we cannot escape becoming and being men and women of the Gospel by passing up on the different divine calling that the Lord has given to each of us. And the principal or overarching calling is to be a member of the Body, that is, of His team. While Christ himself is the head, each one of us has a crucial role to play. Nobody is more or less important than any other; just the roles and functions differ.
In this Body or Team that we call the Holy Orthodox Church, it is good to have a wonderful Metropolitan, but that is not sufficient. It is slightly better to also have good bishops, abbots and priests, but that is still not sufficient. It is much better to also have deacons and deaconesses (if not in name, at least in function), but that also falls short. What we have so far is a lot of chiefs and not enough Indians. Actually, we do not even have enough chiefs to lead the different ministries of the Church. So, the team must have the laity--a laity that will fill out the remaining team positions, including some of the leadership ones.
It gas been so interesting for me to see the hand of God in so many "natural" phenomena. This is also true of organizational principles. I recently heard a presentation on transformational leadership. The gist of the concept is that organizations that are composed of true teams are more successful than those that adhere to the traditional hierarchical (top-down) model. Two very telling examples were given: in the animal kingdom, the lion pride and the African wild dog pack are the two most successful teams. In the lion pride, the head (male) lion leads the hunt and eats his fill before anyone else does (too bad if anyone goes hungry). In the wild dog pack, the hunt is lead by whichever dog is best for the situation, the sick dogs and the pups are fed first, and the females take turn in watching over the pups. Guess which team is better in the short and long runs?
The wild dog pack has all of the hierarchical elements but the alpha male and female do not have to be the first in everything. Likewise, in any successful team, the overall leadership remains the same, but the situational leadership changes according to the task at hand. In organizations that are run as a team, no one person fills the several different functions. Indeed, the head person ends up managing not functions but managers of functions.
Why should it be different in a church? Granted that the priest does have a few distinct functions, no man can fulfill all of the required functions. Last I looked, priests do not have to have degrees or expertise in business management, human resources, marketing, accounting, finance, continuous quality improvement, logistics, publishing, youth development, performance management, fund raising/grantsmanship, hospitality management, addictions counseling, health administration, education, community organizing, international relations, etc... Yet, many if not most of these functions must be done in any Church that claims to be following the Lord's commandments. The solution is not to train priests and bishops to do all of these things, it is to recruit, train and nurture team members who would manage these aspects of the church's overall ministry under the overall leadership of the priest at the local parish level, the bishop at the diocese and the primate at the national levels.
So, while I wholeheartedly wish many years to Metropolitan Jonah (a Providential intervention IMHO), I also wish the same to all the bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and lay people of the Orthodox Church in America. I have seen too many folks expressing the wish that +Jonah would lead the OCA out of the morass and onto green pastures. I think that he is a true leader, but +Jonah himself said that the success of the church starts with, and depends on, each member (at least that is what I got from his wonderful Tuesday talk). So, we need to have many more Jonahs at every level, volunteering to serve, to make good on the talent/s given to them, and, most importantly, to be servant-leaders.
What a memorable phrase: "...we are not called to be dwarfs in a dark prison; we are called to be free men and women in the light of the Gospel" !
What this phrase means to me is that we cannot escape becoming and being men and women of the Gospel by passing up on the different divine calling that the Lord has given to each of us. And the principal or overarching calling is to be a member of the Body, that is, of His team. While Christ himself is the head, each one of us has a crucial role to play. Nobody is more or less important than any other; just the roles and functions differ.
In this Body or Team that we call the Holy Orthodox Church, it is good to have a wonderful Metropolitan, but that is not sufficient. It is slightly better to also have good bishops, abbots and priests, but that is still not sufficient. It is much better to also have deacons and deaconesses (if not in name, at least in function), but that also falls short. What we have so far is a lot of chiefs and not enough Indians. Actually, we do not even have enough chiefs to lead the different ministries of the Church. So, the team must have the laity--a laity that will fill out the remaining team positions, including some of the leadership ones.
It gas been so interesting for me to see the hand of God in so many "natural" phenomena. This is also true of organizational principles. I recently heard a presentation on transformational leadership. The gist of the concept is that organizations that are composed of true teams are more successful than those that adhere to the traditional hierarchical (top-down) model. Two very telling examples were given: in the animal kingdom, the lion pride and the African wild dog pack are the two most successful teams. In the lion pride, the head (male) lion leads the hunt and eats his fill before anyone else does (too bad if anyone goes hungry). In the wild dog pack, the hunt is lead by whichever dog is best for the situation, the sick dogs and the pups are fed first, and the females take turn in watching over the pups. Guess which team is better in the short and long runs?
The wild dog pack has all of the hierarchical elements but the alpha male and female do not have to be the first in everything. Likewise, in any successful team, the overall leadership remains the same, but the situational leadership changes according to the task at hand. In organizations that are run as a team, no one person fills the several different functions. Indeed, the head person ends up managing not functions but managers of functions.
Why should it be different in a church? Granted that the priest does have a few distinct functions, no man can fulfill all of the required functions. Last I looked, priests do not have to have degrees or expertise in business management, human resources, marketing, accounting, finance, continuous quality improvement, logistics, publishing, youth development, performance management, fund raising/grantsmanship, hospitality management, addictions counseling, health administration, education, community organizing, international relations, etc... Yet, many if not most of these functions must be done in any Church that claims to be following the Lord's commandments. The solution is not to train priests and bishops to do all of these things, it is to recruit, train and nurture team members who would manage these aspects of the church's overall ministry under the overall leadership of the priest at the local parish level, the bishop at the diocese and the primate at the national levels.
So, while I wholeheartedly wish many years to Metropolitan Jonah (a Providential intervention IMHO), I also wish the same to all the bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, and lay people of the Orthodox Church in America. I have seen too many folks expressing the wish that +Jonah would lead the OCA out of the morass and onto green pastures. I think that he is a true leader, but +Jonah himself said that the success of the church starts with, and depends on, each member (at least that is what I got from his wonderful Tuesday talk). So, we need to have many more Jonahs at every level, volunteering to serve, to make good on the talent/s given to them, and, most importantly, to be servant-leaders.
#15.1
Anonymous
on
2008-11-16 14:39
I know that at least a couple of tables asked questions concerning a number of the possible "accessories" to the crimes in Sysosset, particularly the clergy at the chancery who served as secretaries, assistants, and the like to the Metropolitan, chancellor, and other officers. I'm a bit concerned that no one is willing to say whether they are complicit or not.
Further, I also wonder when His Beatitude or the Holy Synod will tell +Herman to move away from St Tikhon's.....
(editor's note: Bishop Benjamin made note of this issue ( complicity) in his remarks in the context of excess benefits transactions. As he pointed out, how guilty or reponsible are underlings obeying the orders of their superiors? Nuremburg made it clear that no military person can use that as a defense if the order is illegal. The Church has never made it clear. It is a judgement call. And each of us, based on the evidence, is free to come to our own opinion.
As for the former Metropolitan Herman moving from St. Tikhon's, I doubt that will happen. Only Bishop Tikhon could arrange that, and I sincerely doubt he has the inclination to do so. And until they can straighten out who owns what and is reponsible for which, it is probably best to have him close at hand....)
Further, I also wonder when His Beatitude or the Holy Synod will tell +Herman to move away from St Tikhon's.....
(editor's note: Bishop Benjamin made note of this issue ( complicity) in his remarks in the context of excess benefits transactions. As he pointed out, how guilty or reponsible are underlings obeying the orders of their superiors? Nuremburg made it clear that no military person can use that as a defense if the order is illegal. The Church has never made it clear. It is a judgement call. And each of us, based on the evidence, is free to come to our own opinion.
As for the former Metropolitan Herman moving from St. Tikhon's, I doubt that will happen. Only Bishop Tikhon could arrange that, and I sincerely doubt he has the inclination to do so. And until they can straighten out who owns what and is reponsible for which, it is probably best to have him close at hand....)
#16
Anonymous
on
2008-11-15 19:07
OCA News should end only if the U.S. Patent Office should close because, well, you know, everything that can be invented has been invented.
While it may take on a more friendly role vis-a-vis Syosset, OCA Christians have as much interest in seeing how things are implemented under the new administration as they did in seeing that the problems of the old administration were exposed and corrected. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," and all that.
Many Years to this Website! Would that all Christian bodies, Orthodox and otherwise, had a continuing nitpicker and investigator and kvetcher and light-shiner like OCA News, for they all need one.
Is it or can it be negative? Of course! That's it's job. When you debug a computer program, you're not interested in what it's doing right. You're wanting to know - and fix - what it's doing WRONG.
Again, Many Years! And may Mark or someone or several someones continue to serve as a watchdog for the OCA, because ALL religious organizations need such a place where the persistent and the faithful can make their voices heard.
While it may take on a more friendly role vis-a-vis Syosset, OCA Christians have as much interest in seeing how things are implemented under the new administration as they did in seeing that the problems of the old administration were exposed and corrected. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," and all that.
Many Years to this Website! Would that all Christian bodies, Orthodox and otherwise, had a continuing nitpicker and investigator and kvetcher and light-shiner like OCA News, for they all need one.
Is it or can it be negative? Of course! That's it's job. When you debug a computer program, you're not interested in what it's doing right. You're wanting to know - and fix - what it's doing WRONG.
Again, Many Years! And may Mark or someone or several someones continue to serve as a watchdog for the OCA, because ALL religious organizations need such a place where the persistent and the faithful can make their voices heard.
#17
A Christian
on
2008-11-16 07:30
How very true! And it's measure of how far we have yet to go that this sentiment will be condemned and resisted in so many quarters.
KRT
KRT
#17.1
Kenneth R. Tobin
on
2008-11-17 05:20
Christ est parmi nous ! Christ is among us!
In the Province of Quebec in 1960, we had a political change of regime (from a somewhat autocratic state to a more democratic one) made through the ballot box. It was called "La Révolution tranquille" (The "Quiet Revolution"). I sense that we are living a similar situation in our OCA.
May God guide us.
-En Christ !
Luc Lalonge
In the Province of Quebec in 1960, we had a political change of regime (from a somewhat autocratic state to a more democratic one) made through the ballot box. It was called "La Révolution tranquille" (The "Quiet Revolution"). I sense that we are living a similar situation in our OCA.
May God guide us.
-En Christ !
Luc Lalonge
#18
Anonymous
on
2008-11-17 09:19
The SIC recommended sanctions to a number of people. What was the disposition of those sanction, incl. former treasurers and staff? I for one am encouraged by the AAC reports, but like ACC's before them, one always leaves uplifted, only to find the words nothing but empty rhetoric. Will this time be different? At least it appears we have a head start in the right direction. Time will tell. Sorry for being skeptical, but all the work of rebuilding trust and accountability is still before us. Ocanews.org should be a permanent fixture. If we having only one "official" voice, we might as well name it "Pravda".
(Editor's note: Bishop Benjamin, speaking for the Synod, made it clear that they thought retiring Metropolitan Herman was sufficient punishment. Ditto to letters of reprimand to the former Treasurers, and the liturgical confinement of Metropolitan Theodosius, who did not appear at the AAC. He made it clear there will be no further ecclesiastical punishment for any involved in the scandal, and that to assert the need or appropriateness of additional sanctions was "vindictiveness".)
(Editor's note: Bishop Benjamin, speaking for the Synod, made it clear that they thought retiring Metropolitan Herman was sufficient punishment. Ditto to letters of reprimand to the former Treasurers, and the liturgical confinement of Metropolitan Theodosius, who did not appear at the AAC. He made it clear there will be no further ecclesiastical punishment for any involved in the scandal, and that to assert the need or appropriateness of additional sanctions was "vindictiveness".)
#19
mmckibben@leader.com
on
2008-11-17 21:29
The author does not allow comments to this entry
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