[ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Jaharis Clergy-Laity Speech a State of the Church Message - Orthodox Christian Laity
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube

Jaharis Clergy-Laity Speech a State of the Church Message

4
Michael Jaharis, the Vice Chairman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council

Michael Jaharis, the Vice Chairman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council

Source: The National Herald

BY TNH STAFF

PHILADELPHIA – The participants at the biennial Clergy-Laity congresses of the Archdiocese of American always pay close attention to the speech of Michael Jaharis, the Vice Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council. The speech of Jaharis, a respected entrepreneur and philanthropist, along with that of Archbishop Demetrios, constitute a state of the Church message to the community as a whole.

The full text of Jaharis’ speech follows:

Your  Eminence, Most Reverend Hierarchs, Reverend Fathers and Friends,

I am honored to address you on behalf of the Archdiocesan Council and to welcome the honorable representatives of our communities from all over the country to the 42nd Clergy Laity Congress which will focus on the very important theme of “Family.”

In my address today, I would like to cover some of the milestones that we celebrate as successful achievements of the Church, Council and Community from the perspective of the Archdiocesan Council; and I will also present an overview of the areas that I believe we have to work on together as a “Family” in order to sustain this progress and overcome the various challenges that contemporary times may bestow upon us.  It is important to keep examining how we can sustain this and support the future growth of our Church and community “family.”

So for the first part of my presentation, I would like to go over some of the milestones of progress we have made as a Church and as a community.  So, on to examining the progress:

When His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios took office,  some fifteen years ago, the Archbishop and we, the Archdiocesan Council, were greeted by an incredibly unwelcoming state of affairs and political infighting – things that are detrimental to any institution and also, more importantly should not be associated with our essential purpose or the raison d’ être of the Church.  Not only was this the case but we also discovered an inherited debt of approximately $7 million or more resulting from accumulated  annual  operational deficits and legal  costs  –  and this was in spite of receiving parish commitments and individual gifts in the amount of  approximately $8-9 million.  So the first and most critical problems for the Archdiocesan Council were:

  • on the one hand, to assist the Archbishop in establishing peace and unity in the Church;
  • and, on the other hand, to alleviate the financial discrepancy, a continual indebtedness that could have potentially put the Church at risk for bankruptcy.

I say this not for any specific reason other than to identify the reason why first and foremost, major efforts  and priorities were set up to insure operational stability and sustainability in moving forward.

When the Archbishop took office, in September 1999, we started a very strong and continuous multifaceted effort — the difficulties were enormous and seemed relentless.  In addition to all other financial difficulties, we had significant legal expenses related to inherited unresolved cases of sexual misconduct that had happened in the distant past but resurfaced.  Thanks not only to the steadily increasing contribution by our communities but also to the amazing generosity of some of our people, we made considerable progress in implementing various measures.

To return back to the issue of the “main debt”:  Subsequently, at some point of time a few years ago, a superlative effort started initially by three people including Mr. Jerry Dimitriou, Mr. George Vourvoulias, and Mr. George Mathews, who together with a strong Finance Committee, were able to effectively create and implement a financial policy that has since ameliorated the situation.  More importantly, with the help of the people on the Executive Committee and Archdiocesan Council, and with several trips to/from each Metropolis (at these individuals’ own expense) developed a basis upon which each parishes’ total commitment would be based on a factual non-prejudicial formula (which took into account each parish’s capabilities). As a result of this, we have long since eliminated this huge inherited debt.  Also, a generous bequest of $1.8 million from our esteemed and beloved Mr. Nicholas Bouras assisted greatly in paying off the main debt. The annual budget of the Archdiocese of America is currently approximately $25 million (65% in total commitments) which is significantly higher, i.e. more than double of what it was 14 years ago; also, I am happy to report that this is essentially a “balanced budget” — but as I will address later, it is not a “complete” budget.

Concurrently, this model of a process was not only successful in meeting the “financial needs of the Church” but it also benefited each of the various ministries (Youth, Education, Religion, Family etc.) in that they were also able to reach out directly to each Metropolis and its parishes.

Most importantly, since our last Clergy Laity Congress, we accomplished a very significant administrative achievement which is the completion of a series of professional audits up until 2013 for the Archdiocese by Grant Thornton.   I will return to this topic later in my address.

I am thus convinced that our efforts will continue to improve and will result in a more effective discourse and network of collaboration among the people which should lead to even more positive growth for the Church based on the following pillars/principles:

  • Comprehensive Financial Plan and Planning
  • Practical Fairness
  • Effective Committee Work
  • Effective Communication enhancing the Church’s apostolic function

So, to what do we owe this success to?  I credit the increased participation of our communities in their financial contributions to the Archdiocese — and I would like to thank everyone for their significant efforts in this area. At the same time, we developed an Archdiocesan Council whose role is not only “sit and listen at meetings” but consists of a group of individuals with various professional specializations (legal, financial, communications, planning, etc) who generously and most actively volunteer themselves and their exemplary skill sets  (or to use the Greek word, “arete”) throughout the year to promote various aspects to enhance further positive growth and also keep lines of communication clear and open for dialogue and collaboration.

As a Church, we have also been strong enough to mobilize on the philanthropic front.  I would like to commend the collaborative philanthropic efforts of the entire community of parishes for rushing to aid the people of Greece and Cyprus as they are struggling through a crisis similar to what our nation went through during the Great Depression. Under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Archdiocese established two humanitarian initiatives, “The Relief Fund for the People of Greece” and also a “Relief Fund for the People of Cyprus,”  which provided and continues to provide essentials such as food, clothing and pharmaceutical support to many thousands of Greeks and Greek Cypriots on a daily basis. These Funds, through the generosity, love, and compassion of the clergy and the laity of the Archdiocese, have collected upwards of $2 million dollars – and have already been given as assistance to various ecclesiastical agencies in Greece, known for their well-organized and proven work in helping thousands of people in urgent need or humanitarian crisis.  I believe that this is one of the largest international contributions of Humanitarian Aid to the people in Greece and Cyprus and it was an effort that was just initiated over the last 2+ years.  These gifts symbolize the coherence and remarkable ability for mobilization within our community — or “family” — and also represent our deeply rooted love and compassion for our brothers and sisters in Greece and Cyprus.

On the topic of Philanthropy, I would be remiss not to also recognize and commend one of the oldest charitable entities of the Archdiocese: the munificent, long standing, and ever-present efforts of the Philoptochos Ladies Society.  For over 80 years, the Philoptochos society has led many programs offering humanitarian and sociological assistance to populations in need.  Whether addressing hunger, poverty, education, medical costs — here in the US and in Greece — the women of the Philoptochos society, past and present, have had a resoundingly positive effect through their charitable work and outreach within and beyond the Archdiocese and they have recently moved their headquarters into a new home in Manhattan.

And finally, one more last bit of timely good news to share with all of you as it also relates to philanthropy.   As many of you already know, when the brutal 9/11 terrorist attacks at what is now known as “Ground Zero” occurred almost 13 years ago, the only church destroyed was the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church – a church that was inaugurated by our forebears in 1916 to venerate a very sacred Saint revered by those whose lives involve the Sea and also the patron saint of children.  After this most difficult period in our history, it took thirteen years of skillful negotiations (legal and otherwise) to secure the location and right to rebuild the Church within the 9/11 Memorial Park.  Subsequently, a competitive bidding process inviting proposals from some of the world’s most renowned architects and ‘starchitects” concluded with the selection of Santiago Calatrava’s outstanding design, inspired by the awe-inspiring Haghia Sophia, as the architectural plan to rebuild the new St. Nicholas, not only as a Greek Orthodox parish but also as a National Shrine.

The project cost is estimated to be $40 million with an estimated time of completion in 2-3 years.  This budget includes the creation of an endowment which will be established to support the high maintenance that the Church will require and also fund outreach programs including high profile public events of great significance such as panels addressing important issues such as world peace, religious tolerance, and diplomacy.

The significance of having the physical presence of St. Nicholas within the historical and geographic context of the 9/11 Memorial of this nation’s history is tremendous.  When finished, St. Nicholas will be a visible and inspiring tribute to not only the victims of the atrocity that was perpetrated on 9/11, but also a shining spotlight on the Greek Orthodox Faith and Hellenism, and our core values of love, respect, peace, healing, and forgiveness.

We are pleased to announce that to date, we have raised almost half of the amount needed in pledges and now, we would like to invite your – and by this I mean everyone’s – participation to support the Rebuild St. Nicholas Campaign.  As children of immigrants such as the ones who built the original St. Nicholas and now the Founders of Faith, we believe that we have been truly blessed with success in this great country and it is time that we use our considerable resources to help our Church and community offer our enduring values at a time of such upheaval and insecurity in our nation and our world.  The new St. Nicholas Church will be a National Shrine from which will emanate the ideals of Hellenism  and Greek Orthodox Christian values that were passed down to us for our Nation and all of the world to see.   This is a unique opportunity of tremendous historical significance to show the world who we are as Greek Orthodox Christians and leave something that will make future generations of our community very proud. Therefore it is of the utmost importance for every Greek Orthodox Christian to support this endeavor in whatever way they can

This segues into the second part of my presentation:

What is necessary for the continued and appreciable growth of the Church in America and internationally?

#1      I would like to begin the second part of my address by addressing the question of what needs to be done to ensure the healthy growth and sustenance of our Church? I will begin by examining on the macro-level an issue that is directly related to Orthodoxy internationally: the Patriarchate.

Our Patriarchate, with His All Holiness being historically the ‘first among equals’ of Orthodox Patriarchs, has always struggled to maintain its important status even in, for the most part, an unfriendly and most unwelcoming environment.  It has had great needs for external support, which unfortunately remain and have recently become exacerbated.  The refusal by the Turkish Government to recognize our Patriarchate as Ecumenical, despite the fact that Archons and others have gone as far as various legal and diplomatic actions to force such a recognition, and a more recent set of problems pose new challenges for its future viability and that is finances.  While we have, as a nation, funded the Patriarchate for the past several years ($1 million – $1 ½ million), the majority and their main source of funds we believe have come from  a purported historic property agreement with Greece –  and we are attempting to obtain further information on this  and/or possibly other agreements.  However, I strongly believe that, given the extraordinary dismal financial state of affairs in Greece, it might be problematic for Greece to continue its crucial support at least at the level that existed prior to the financial crisis.

We must not overlook the severity of the repercussions that the Greek financial crisis may bear on the Patriarchate and we must be ready to mobilize once again to offer our support.  Further losses will undoubtedly undermine the Patriarchate’s position locally and internationally and this has, as many of you are aware, grave worldwide geo-political implications.

#2  Next: What is needed for the continued growth of the Church in America?

While each of our Metropolises in the US has its own needs and strategies for implementing the programs of the Archdiocese, the hub of the wheel i.e. the central responsibility resides in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which is the official ecclesiastical Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the USA.

During the past 15 years, it has become evident that the Archdiocese, as the central organization and/or headquarters, has worked with limited space and personnel.  Consequently, the ministries are spread thin and widely, with a minimum of money and people with many important aspects done with a “Band Aid” type of approach when issues arise.  In order for the Church to continue its firmly established and recognized leadership for Orthodoxy in the US, the above deficiencies, especially ones that relate to the operational infrastructure and staffing of the Church must be remedied ASAP.   Accordingly, there is the obvious responsibility that specific people and infrastructure ‘needs’ be determined and a new budget be presented at the next and new “Archdiocesan Council.”  Without a detailed account of such needs and strategy for implementing them, we will be at risk of seeing our leadership role for Orthodoxy in the USA gradually diminishing, if not lost.  For example, I believe that we need to appoint directors of specific crucial fields which will help secure the existence of our Church, – we need to appoint directors for fundraising, public relations/communications, “in-house legal counsel” and also a Chief Financial Officer.  These are fields that have changed and continue to evolve at such a rapid pace at every major institution I have encountered and it is of the utmost importance to have our Church well represented in each of these respects and offices.

As a community, we have been blessed with a diverse abundance of professionally successful individuals who should feel welcomed to become more involved in aspects of the Church that may relate to their professional expertise. We need to staff the Church with more top tier support from the best and brightest professionals in these crucial roles –  and these vital staffing needs should be included in the budget to make it a ‘complete budget .’

#3     Defining the Role of what would be considered an Executive Authority (or to use the “corporate business terminology that I am used to “a type of CEO”) for the US Church:

Furthermore, above the obvious operational staffing requirements, I believe that there needs to be a clarification of certain items within the Church’s Charter.

If you will recall (following the departure of Archbishop Spyridon and) prior to the election of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Patriarchate elevated our Bishops of each Diocese to Metropolitans of the Throne — which theoretically at least could imply reporting to the Patriarchate and not to the Archbishop.  To me – and I wish to underline that this is my personal view – this was creating the potential risks of undermining the unity as well as the ultimate authority and effective administrative function of the Church in the US.  As a result, a new Charter was requested and given to us that redefined the role of a Metropolitan as a Metropolitan of a Metropolis that is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.  And while this was thought to be sufficient to clarify the role of the Archbishop as the ultimate decision maker, the intervening years and the existence of a decisive Eparchial Synod in our Archdiocese have indicated the need for further clarification which I believe can be made with a more precise interpretation or a minor change in some items of the existing Charter.

I would like to emphasize so that there is no misunderstanding of my statement as there apparently have been when I stated my position at previous Archdiocesan Council Meetings in the past which led to misinterpretation of my statement that reported that I was requesting or suggesting that the US Church should be autocephalous or autonomous, separated from our Ecumenical Patriarchate.  On the record, I am clarifying that my suggestion only related and relates to removing any doubt or ambiguity as to the so-called ultimate decision-making process and status internally within the Church in the USA.   But to connect to my earlier statements commending the bilateral efforts on the part of the Metropolises and the centralized Archdiocese to promote coherence and “unity within the community” through frequent and open dialogue and understanding, we cannot be a strong national entity – in any aspect whether it be spiritual issues, political issues (such as national and international lobby groups), educational policy, religious tolerance etc. – without the authority granted to our central leadership.  One just needs to examine the organizational prototypes of other religions in the USA to understand the practical and theoretical reasoning to support this.

On this topic, similarly to how I opined on the administrative structure and function, I believe that it is time to revisit the staffing resources of the Metropolises.  I believe that, given the small cadre of single clergy, we should consider some new roles that more of the best and brightest married clergy can be appointed as “Vicars” (perhaps) to further support the Metropolitans and alleviate them from some of the pressures and responsibilities of large Metropolises.

#4      Moving on to the topic of the “future of Orthodoxy in America,” I believe we have to next revisit the topic of Hellenic College Holy Cross Seminary and Youth Ministries:

The Church – and our Family — cannot grow without a strong and stable higher educational institution to train the future clergy.  A strong School is a significant contributor to a strong Church.  Consequently, we have an exceptionally talented group of leaders and officers who have been hard at work to restructuring the School, and also establishing new vital programs such as “CrossRoads” that help to better prepare young people to enter the priesthood.

While the Archdiocesan financial and other groups will continue to work with the School, it should be understood that these are necessary steps and recommendations that will strengthen the School’s ability to grow since without such growth, the Church cannot continue to grow.  Hellenic College Holy Cross is vital to the existence and expansion of “our Greek Orthodox Family.”   It is the “sine qua non” in the existence and growth of the Greek Orthodox Church in the USA and it needs to be equipped with the resources and human capital to compete in the worlds of academia, seminaries and higher education.

Additionally, I applaud the recent efforts of the Youth Ministry team for developing programs that capture the interest of the younger generations of our family by communicating our values and Faith through various social media engines and technologies to engage the young people of our community.  I believe that it is of the utmost importance that we support and engage all of the Community’s young people as their voice and participation is vital to our existence and the future of the Church.

#5  Finally, a serious issue of concern; a regrettable and most distasteful subject i.e. the current status of monasteries in their relationship with the US Church.

My address for the previous Clergy-Laity Congress coincided with a horrible fatality of a young person in the immediate area of a monastery in Arizona. At the time, we felt compelled to take extraordinary measures to determine the “bizarre” circumstances surrounding that fatality.  Following a complete and objective investigation and in conjunction with the anticipated report by the local Police, we expected to take severe and appropriate action as required to remedy this existing issue – since not doing so could have long term grave consequences.  The investigation continues.

The monasteries fall within the scope of the Charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and have certain obligations not unlike those of each Metropolis and each Parish.  In fact, there was a special set of “General Regulations” for the establishment and operation of all monasteries in the Archdiocese of America issued almost a decade ago by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  However, over the years, it has become regrettably noticed that with respect to several monasteries, the tendency has been to “flout” their obligations under the Charter and to go beyond the traditional role of the “monastic ideal.”  Sometime ago, a Committee was formed to review and examine several such matters and rumors of transgressions.  However, in spite of suspicions of irregularities and improprieties,  the lack of cooperation  made it almost impossible for the Committee to further act beyond initial observations.

In the meantime, despite this lack of cooperation, we continue our efforts to determine more specifically what irregularities and improprieties exist and what we can do to eliminate them.

Ultimately, I close my remarks with the strong belief and sincerest appeal that it is very important that we work together ‘as a Family’ to address the aforementioned issues as they pose serious risks to our life and mission as a Church and subsequently as a community.   We must as a “Church Family” focus on continuing to work together and maintaining “unity” within our community.

Thank you for listening.  As I have gone on beyond the time I intended to speak, I will welcome revisiting these issues within the context of the meetings.  On behalf of the Archdiocesan Council, I would like to once again, thank everyone here for their significant efforts.

[subscribe2]
Share.

4 Comments

  1. Ashley Nevins on

    What is the name of the nameless ‘PERSON’ Jaharis is making reference too under the last heading of his speech?

    Ashley Nevins

    • Ashley Nevins on

      I’ve been thinking about this some more….

      The real theme of the congress is a Save the GOA by the Family Strategy. It is a family centered and development congress designed to stop the demographic implosion of the GOA. Since this is a family centered congress I was wondering if the nameless ‘PERSON’ Jaharis is making reference too has a family and if he does what is that persons family name? In his 2012 state of the church speech he addressed this same issue and he also did not name the ‘PERSON’ or his family. There seems to be a pattern developed here. It makes me wonder why Jaharis will not state the name of the person or his family name.

      Maybe its just me, but I don’t understand what is taking place here or why it is taking place.

      I can only come up with five reasons why Jaharis would not say this persons name of this persons family name:
      1. Its an innocent oversight twice in a row.
      2. Jaharis decided on his own for some reason only known to him why he did not say the persons name.
      3. The hierarchy on its own and for an unstated reason wanted him to omit this persons name from his speech (They prove read it before he gave the speech)
      4. Both the hierarchy and Jaharis together on their own and for an unstated reason both wanted to omit this persons name from the speech.
      5. Some kind of religious political game is being played between Jaharis and the hierarchy that is going unstated.

      It just seems to me that a church that exclusively claims to be Gods only true Christians in Gods only church would be truthful by their exclusively truth and have no reason or problem in naming this unknown persons name. Is not the Greek Orthodox exclusive Gods only true truth at the center of the Greek Orthodox families and the Archdiocene Clergy/Laity Council and its 2014 Congress? Isn’t the truth of Christ that sets us free to live in freedom in Christ the truth at the center of Michael Jaharis life?

      I am going to speculate in a not positive direction with this to explore another possible scenario in what may be taking place here. Could the hierarchy in some way being coercing, intimidating or threatening Jaharis in some fashion to not name this persons name? If so, why would he agree to go along with that and why would the hierarchy of Gods only exclusive truth truth want that name hidden or covered up? Does that name somehow threaten them in some fashion and so if they can erase the name they can erase the memory of this person and what happened to him and in so doing that they escape the threat to them of the remembrance of this person and the situation around this persons death? Could it just be too Greek Orthodox family centered shaming embarrassing painful to know this persons name, his FAMILY’S NAME and the pain this family experienced in the death of one of their family members associated with the Greek Orthodox Church of America as a church member? Is SHAME or BEING SHAMED somehow involved in why this persons name cannot be stated? This couldn’t be a shame based church that is shamed and shaming, could it? Does this not saying this persons name in some way shame that deceased person? Does it somehow direct shaming at this persons family by not saying this persons name or the name of his family? Is religious shaming a form of spiritual abuse? Is the GOA a shame based church that spiritually abuses by shame? Doesn’t shame have to do with our significance, value and worth to God? Does this unnamed person not have significance, worth and value to Gods only true church and so he is worthless and therefore his name is not worth stating? Is this unnamed persons family also worthless and so their family name cannot be stated? Was shame somehow involved in this persons death?

      I found it interesting that Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church would not tell the truth of this persons name. Is not telling the truth of this persons name a form of lying? Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church would not tell a lie to hide a persons name, would they? Would that be consistent with their exclusive claim if they did lie? Would that mean that the whole church is lying about the truth of this persons name?

      Is there a Greek Orthodox Christian out there who knows who Jaharis is talking about and can tell me this unnamed persons name? Would it also be possible for a Greek Orthodox Christian to enlighten me as to why this unnamed persons name is not being named?

      I could have all of this wrong. I am not an Orthodox and so maybe I am missing something here. I am Pro-test-ant Evangelical Christian who has a lifetime long specialized Christian passion for church relevancy and growth development strategy and what can kill a church dead. From my outside looking in perspective it looks like the GOA is not seeing or maybe it is denying 10 serious threats to the success in the implementation of their strategy to save their church. I will not list all ten threats here and now, but I will say that it looks like to me that the number one threat to their strategy is the GOA itself. Please if I have that or anything else here wrong enlighten me. I am not a closed system exclusive Christian who does not listen. I am one of those regular open system Christians who is willing to listen. I attend a innovative, dynamic, alive, spiritually leadership mature, relevant, evangelistic and growing church that is bottom up raise you up and open system transparent and accountable. Sound like an Orthodox dream church come true?

      Jesus in the Gospels was a other centered bottom up raise us up and open system expose you transparent and hold you accountable protesting evangelical God walking among us, right? Do I have the right Greek Orthodox Hellenic interpretation of who Christ came to us as in the Gospels or do I have that somehow EOC wrong?

      That is the church I go to and it is not systemically corrupt, unrepentant, inept, cultic and dying. If you have a name we will say your name whether you are dead or alive. We are not ashamed of the Gospel and our church is not shame based spiritually abusive, lying, hiding, spinning and covering up. My church is not perfect, it has problems, but we do manage to fail forward to success and our failures are not always nice or pretty, but do expose them in the reality of the real world. No church exposes itself to itself more than the open system Protestant evangelicals do. I am telling you the truth about that and I can prove it. Conduct a Google search on signs of a dying church, functional vs. dysfunctional church, spiritual abuse, Christian cult church criterion, toxic faith, etc. One search will open up other like searches. The Eastern Orthodox have nothing that can compare in depth and number of self exposing topics covered. It is the difference between being an exclusive closed system church and being not exclusive open system church.

      Can any Orthodox reading this tell me the open system Jesus Christ freedom in Christ truth of who this Jaharis speech unnamed person is?

      Ashley Nevins

  2. Ashley Nevins on

    In my research to discover the unnamed persons name I came across a commentary on the 2014 Jaharis speech by Yanny Pappas on a website called We Are Orthodox. He does not state who the unnamed person is. He made no comment on Jaharis not stating the identity of this unnamed person in two state of the church speeches.

    Something aside from the issue of this unnamed person that I noticed in the speech is how the Greeks talk so much about money. The state of the church speech sounds more like a state of the church money speech. I came away with the impression that this church is about money over people. A billionaire gave the speech. Money seems to equate to prestige in the GOA and its seems to play a role in your laity leadership position in the GOA.

    Cradle + Greek + Money + Worldly Success + Orthodox = the qualification to be a senior GOA laity leader? Does that equate to leadership spiritual maturity in the GOA?

    Money doesn’t play a role in determining your worth, value and significance in the GOA and to the GOA, does it? If it did wouldn’t that be shaming to the church and because your worth is not 100% in Christ alone but also in money or potentially all in money?

    Money + Christ = Your significance, worth and value in the GOA? Does it also somehow help determine your salvation? I was wondering about that because our salvation cannot be purchased with money and a position of leadership in the church does not determine salvation. Our salvation is our worth, value and significance to God and not our money.

    Money is a form of power. In the GOA is money the power of the GOA or is God the power of the GOA? Does money determine your worth, significance, value and POWER in the GOA?

    This is what I know. A church that is centralized authoritarian power in its rule is political. A church that comes from a church/state place is political in its thinking first. Politics is about power and Christ is about humility in service. Political power does not think spiritual first in its decision making. It makes political decisions over spiritual decisions.

    Did the hierarchy and Jaharis by their positions of power in the GOA make a political decision or a spiritual decision not to say this unknown persons name? Was it a decision of authoritarian religious power politics or was it a Christ centered humble spiritual decision in why this unnamed person is not named?

    If it was a religious authoritarian political power decision and not a Christ centered humble spiritual decision why did the SPIRITUALLY MATURE senior laity leader, Michael Jaharis, go along with it? Did Jaharis make a religious political decision or a humble Christ service decision in his not stating this unknown persons name?

    The spiritual maturity of the humble Jesus Christ in the Gospels made spiritual decisions and He did not make authoritarian religious political or secular political decisions. He did not play the religious and secular authoritarian political games like the Sanhedrin and Romans did. They both made authoritarian power political decisions to murder Christ. There could not power and control outside of them. Only they could be GOD in power and control. Their power and control was not humble Christ centered spirituality. They were proud, arrogant and self righteous power and control that was highly self centered in the self protection of its authoritarian religious and secular power and control.

    Does a top down religious authoritarian church based in its own centralized power and control lead to religious political power and control decisions or does it lead to humble other centered Christ centered service decisions?

    Are there any similarities, common denominators or parallels between how the authoritarian religious political power and control of the Greek Orthodox Church of America and how the religious political power and control of the Jewish Orthodox Sanhedrin Christ confronted operated?

    Does top down religious authoritarian political power and control kill the humble spiritual authority of the other centered Christ in the church? Does it replace Christ with itself as God in rule over the church when it operates like this?

    Can replacing Christ’s authority with this kind of authoritarian power and control authority in the church turn a church into self idolatry and then into a cult? Can it turn it into a Sanhedrin LIKE church that makes religious political power and control decisions over Christ centered humble spiritual decisions? Can such a church make serious wrong religious political power and control decisions for itself that bring serious consequences to it?

    Which church is more likely to be a spiritually transparent and accountable church, a church centered in its own authoritarian religious political power and control or a church centered in the spiritual authority of the rule of the humble serving Christ operating in the power and under the control of the Holy Spirit?

    Are their consequences for a church that makes authoritarian religious political decisions for itself over humble Christ centered spiritual decisions for itself?

    John 8:31-59 is a clear warning for Christians not to turn their church into what Christ confronted in the Gospels or there will be serious consequences. The most serious consequence is John 8:42-44. When John 8:42-44 is in rule power and control of a church that church goes corporately systemically corrupt and places itself in serious and dangerous spiritual bondage. It can turn itself into a Christian cult. It will turn itself into a Christian cult by replacing humble Christ centered other centered rule with authoritarian religious political power and control rule. It replaces God with itself as God in rule authority power and control and becomes a cult. It turns itself into God. That is what Christ confronted in the Gospels, a cult.

    Is the GOA systemically corrupt and in serious and dangerous spiritual bondage due to top down authoritarian religious political power and control rule? Has it turned itself into a Christian cult? How would you know if it has turned itself into a cult? Is there objective rational criterion that the GOA can be compared too to determine if it is a Christian cult? If the criterion revealed that the GOA was a Christian cult would the GOA believe that or deny it? What would be the proof in their disagreement that proved it had not turned itself into a Christian cult?

    The exclusive Greek Orthodox Church claim that they are Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church makes it impossible that the GOA could turn itself into a Christian cult. The GOA is just too exclusive Gods only right and true to turn itself into a cult. Its exclusive Gods only true truth protects it from ever turning itself into a Christian cult. Its corrupt, failed, irrelevant, incompetent, abusive, cultic and dying real world outcome proves it would never turn that state of church into a Christian cult. Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church by their Gods only true truth do not make authoritarian religious power and control political decisions that could corrupt it and turn it into a Christian cult, it can only make by its Gods only true truth the most God truthful humble Christ centered spiritual decisions for itself. The exclusive claim says so. If the exclusive ORTHODOX! say so then it is exclusively so and they cannot be wrong about themselves in their exclusivity that has no comparison to it. Of course, what sees itself exclusively as Gods only true church that has no comparison to it would never turn that mindset into a cultic mindset, right? That mind set would never lead the GOA into turning itself into a Christian cult, correct?

    Gods only true and right Christians in Gods only true and right church are Gods exclusive standard of God right and true measure that determine the spiritual state of other churches and Christians compared to their exclusive position before God. A church placed in that exclusive position of Gods only true and right spiritual judgement by God cannot be a Christian cult. Its exclusive position given to it by God protects it from turning itself into a Christian cult. If anything, it is what determines if another church outside of it is a cult or not. At the very least it see those churches outside of it as heretics practicing apostasy in comparison to its Gods only true church standing before God.

    It is obvious that there was no Christian cult influence in the Jaharis decision to not name the unnamed persons name. It was not a authoritarian religious political power and control decision not to name this unknown persons name. The spiritually mature Christ centered led by the Holy Spirit co-chairman of the council would only make a humble other centered Christ centered service decision not to state this persons name. There is a spiritual reason and not a religious political reason why this person is not identified by name. Michael Jaharis by his humble other centered Christ centered spiritual maturity would never play a religious political authoritarian power and control game with a systemically corrupt hierarchy and submit to them for religious political power and control reasons to not to state an unnamed persons name. He is a Gods only true Christian who puts Jesus Christ first in his life over the immoral and/or unethical demands of systemically corrupt authoritarian power and control political rulers. Jesus wouldn’t and so Jaharis wouldn’t either. Michael Jaharis follows the authority of Christ first over the unethical and immoral authority of known systemically corrupt authoritarian power and control religious political church senior leaders. Jaharis is the laity leadership role model and example to the GOA laity of what a Gods only true Christian layman is by how he practices Gods only true church morality and ethics in his spiritually mature Christ other centered decision making for the GOA on the Archdiocene Council. He is not about shame in not naming a unnamed persons name and not naming his name proved he isn’t. Any spiritually immature imbecile who is a spiritually dead Christian leader in a church culture of unrepentant corruption and cultism and who practices sick religious codependent enabling of known religious political corrupt authoritarian power and control rulers knows that Jaharis would not involve himself in corrupt and rigged religious political power and control games that only take him in POWERLESS circles. Why just look at the role model and example Jaharis has been in his senior laity leadership role on the council and where his leadership has helped enable the state of the GOA into what it is today. He and the other laity leaders like him and the hierarchy together have all together in UNITY have led the GOA into the state it is in today and so that means that these leaders can now lead it out of the state of church they led it into by that same unity. It make perfect Orthodox Mind sane and rational sense that they can. The GOA is not church unity by sick and systemically corrupt authoritarian religious political leaders who are not transparent and accountable by their exclusiveness above Gods authority over them. No, it is unity by Christ centered Christian morality and ethics in humble other centered service that is transparent and accountable by its submission to the authority of Christ FIRST. Just look at the state of the GOA and tell me different.

    I just held Jaharis transparent, but no one will hold him accountable with consequences anymore than they will with the hierarchy and elder.

    Mark my words. Any save the GOA strategy come out of the 2014 Archdiocene Congress Conference will fail within 5 years. What happens over time to a top down authoritarian power and control centered church that exclusively claims to be Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church? Those with this mentality of church will not be able to lead that church out of the corporate systemic sin corruption and bondage that mentality has led it into unless it reforms its authoritarian structure of rule and disowns the exclusive claim. Those two issues when merged together as one in mindset and then combined with ethnocentric exclusiveness as one in mindset are the end of the GOA in America.

    When a church is found in an ingrained and generationally transmitted unrepentant systemically corrupt state at this depth of systemic corruption and for this long of a period of time the first strategy for it to find correction is corporate repentance of systemic sin and bondage. Only after that can a save the church strategy of church growth and relevancy development will work. There will be no corporate repentance and bondage breaking coming to the GOA. Its hierarchy is not repentant to lead that repentance process. The strategy fails within 5 years. All of my predictions of the GOA have come true. All of them. This one already has. It only a matter of its process of failure unfolding now.

    That strategy is DOA (Dead Orthodox Arrival). The strategy does not recognize the greatest threat to it is the GOA itself in its unrepentant corporately corrupt systemic sin bondage state. There is no mention in the strategy of the GOA going through a process of corporate repentance and bondage breaking. The GOA is going to continue to hold onto its authoritarian religious rule structure of power and control and its exclusive claim. There are 9 other reasons why the strategy will fail and they are either not seen or they are denied by the exclusive viewpoint the GO have of themselves that is delusional. Delusion is not a good basis to develop a strategy on. The strategy is self defeating without corporate repentance and bondage breaking first.

    Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church did not hear this and they did not hear this because their exclusive Gods only true truth can’t be wrong about itself. No matter how completely wrong it is proved to be it can’t be completely wrong in its Orthodox Mind because at its core it still believes it is exclusively God only right and true Christians and church. Its exclusiveness cannot be wrong about its exclusiveness. Don’t right that exclusive wrong and the GOA will never get their church right.

    Theological exclusiveness combined with exclusive Gods only true rulers in authoritarian rule power and control over Gods only true church is the end of the exclusive Orthodox in pluralistic freedom of religion open system America and where freedom of religion is religious competition among religious options that are compared. From where the Orthodox came from they were the only option that was never compared. Now they are in America where there are many options to compare. Good luck Orthodox surviving the comparison you create for yourselves by the state of your church. You only represent about 1% of Christianity in America and so you have the most to lose. The two largest Orthodox jurisdictions in America are both dying slow, ugly and painful deaths and there is a serious love loss between them. Other than their exclusive claim and authoritarian structure of power and control rule they share one more thing in common, both are systemically corrupt and in corporate spiritual bondage. That corruption and bondage is a symptom pointing right at its source cause, the exclusive claim merged as one with the authoritarian structure of power and control. With a disease you always trace its symptoms back to its cause and so you can treat the cause to bring a cure to the symptoms the cause is creating. You cure the source cause of the disease to cure the symptoms of the disease. If it is a life threatening disease that you get the cause of it wrong the disease will kill you dead. The Orthodox are dying in America. They are not treating the cause of what is killing them dead. At best they are treating the symptom and can’t see the cause by how the exclusiveness of the cause convinces them it would be impossible for it to be what is killing them dead. A symptom of this disease that is a highly effective defense mechanism of the disease is how it blinds you to the cause of the disease. If you can’t see it the disease will kill you dead.

    Who by a lie of deception is capable of blinding us to what in truth is killing the church we belong too dead? He has an exclusive viewpoint of himself too. He wants to exclusively be God and if he has deceived you by a exclusive lie he will turn you into who he is his desire to be exclusively God. He will turn you into idolatry of him as God and by his lie of exclusiveness believed you will not see the idolatry you are really involved in of him. By his exclusive lie believed he will enable you to turn your church into exclusive God and salvation, into a cult, and so that you will unknowingly and blindly worship him as your exclusive idol god who has replaced the one true God. He is authoritarian dictator who wants to exclusively be God and he rules in own his power and control and his only real power to control is belief in his lie. Sound familiar?

    The Orthodox in America have a very exclusive disease that only they exclusively have. However, they are doing an excellent job at closed church system quarantining the disease off from the rest of Christianity in America and so that others are not infected with their disease. The disease is a failure in its epidemic spread and thank God that it is! Thank God that the disease is dying and so it will not kill Christians as dead as it is. The more that disease dies the more the threat of it dies with it. America will soon be Orthodox disease free. If Orthodoxy in America is not unrepentant corporate systemic corruption and bondage as its disease, then what is it instead? Oh, I see, it believes it is the cure to the pagan Christianity disease it is surrounded by here. Yes, this is the Orthodox century for America but not in the way they believe it is. This is the century we get to watch Orthodoxy die in America by the disease that it is.

    Greek Orthodox what is the name of the person who has no name? Is it an exclusive Orthodox secret? Why won’t the exclusive Greek Orthodox state this persons name? Would saying his name detract from or diminish the exclusive Greek Orthodox claim or expose something not right about it? Everyone else at the congress were called by their name and so why not this unnamed person too? I see right through you.

  3. Ashley Nevins on

    Over two years later and the investigation of what happened at the monastery on July 11, 2012 continues. How can it continue without cooperation of the monastery and without the hierarchy making sure the monasteries do cooperate? Jaharis will not tell the church the details of the lack of cooperation or who is responsible for making sure the monasteries do cooperate. He will not be specific, but instead chooses the safety of ambiguity. Does the hierarchy proof read and then approve what he is going to say before he says it? It would seem to me that he could refuse them and say what he really wants too and then if they did not like that they could either stop him from speaking or if he did speak out of their defined context or boundaries they could discipline him in some way. In other words, you have to get into serious trouble with the hierarchy by telling the truth of them and how they are impeding the investigation or nothing changes. You don’t elude to it. You tell the church exactly what is going on and why it is going on. You point right at the specific men on the hierarchy by name who are the primary impediment and you expose them in public.

    The Co-chairman of the council in effect is really unwilling to break the rules of authoritarian power and control hierarchy and that steal the power of men like Jaharis to prop their power up with for the purposes of holding the power of the laity leadership down.

    Here are the rules of authoritarian power and control that are designed to prop up and protect their power and control:

    1. Don’t think (Only think like you told to think by the hierarchy)

    2. Don’t feel (Be apathetic and indifferent like the hierarchy)

    3. Don’t look ( Don’t notice what is going on – be an ostrich – ignore the obvious)

    4. Don’t talk (Only say what the hierarchy wants you to say – only talk about what the hierarchy allows you to talk about)

    5. Don’t ask questions (Believe everything the hierarchy tells you – never question it.)

    6. Don’t expose (Protect the hierarchy like it protects itself from expose’)

    7. Don’t act (Never act outside of hierarchy on your own- only act with their permission.)

    In other words, always stay in submission to corrupt authority and whose unity is corruption. Follow the authoritarian power and control rules of the hierarchy that steal your power and then hand your power over to corruption and so it can use the power handed over to manipulate, intimidate, threaten and coerce you with to keep their positions of power secure and keep you in line for the purposes of mind control over you. If you can be mind controlled by the rules then you are no real threat to the corrupt authoritarian power and control. You will be rendered powerless neutralized. You will be turned into powerless puppet pawns easily manipulated by the puppet master hierarchy. In your powerlessness you will play the powerless and rigged authoritarian power and control religious political game and lose the game every time by playing by their power and control rules.

    The Archdiocene Council leader Bill Stotis and his committee that were supposed to investigate the monastery and write a report on what the investigation found and then deliver it to the the church played by the authoritarian hierarchy power and control rules of their rigged game and they LOST. They were afraid to break the rules and deliver the report to the church as is and then expose the who, what and why reasons it is not completed . I understand that report as its stands now is over 200 pages in length. It was supposed to have been delivered to the 2012 Congress and it never happened and the reasons why are not a secret but are kept a secret. It is no secret that Stotis and his committee followed the authoritarian power and control rules and that is not being admitted by them. Instead, you get nothing but powerless blaming excuses from them that they are being stoned walled. It would never occur to Jaharis to break the rules and speak independently on his own outside of hierarchy permission and expose the entire corrupt council for what it really is. He can’t unless he wants to expose himself in the role he plays in the rigged authoritarian religious political game and why he is playing it. You have to stop playing the rigged authoritarian power and control religious political game to find the freedom in Christ to speak out and expose the entire corrupt structure and system of church. Jaharis would have to humble himself in repentance in public before the entire church and tell them the exact nature of his sin wrongs in playing this game and seek their forgiveness. He would have to willingly hold himself transparent and accountable for his role as co-chairman that helped enable the church to come into the failed and corrupt state it is in by his leadership role played on the council. If he doesn’t and if he blames others instead of taking responsibility for his role in leading the church into this state then he is a hypocrite when he wants those at the monastery held transparent and accountable in a fashion he himself will not be held transparent and accountable.

    The hierarchy, the monasteries and Jaharis and the council are not held transparent and accountable. The reason why is because they are all involved in playing the authoritarian power and control religious political game that is not held transparent and accountable by the church leadership who plays it. That only makes sense that those who play this game will not hold themselves or the game itself transparent and accountable. The only way these corrupt men who play this corrupt game can be held transparent and accountable is by no bias or favoritism that breaks the rules of the game and exposes all of them for their role in the game and in leading the church into a corrupt and failed state. However, since all are corrupted by playing and are guilty of playing the game no one who is playing this game can hold anyone playing it transparent and accountable for playing this game themselves.

    Greek Orthodox, what measures do the laity leadership have to take to remove the systemically corrupt hierarchy and cult leader elder? I will explain it to you. The structure and system of authoritarian power and control has been so structurally and systemically corrupt for such a long period of time that the only solution now to remove their entrenched bondage of corruption is all out grass roots bottom up revolt to revolution to division over unrepentant sin and the formation of a new church outside of the corrupted one and that leaves the corrupted one behind. The GOA needs to face a truth about itself. It is a dead religion church that is systemically corrupt and cultic. It has turned itself into a Christian cult that is beyond the repentance return to God point. If it does not divide over the unrepentant corporate sin and bondage that is its true unity and form another church with a truly Christ centered unity it will die. A church can continue to exist and be dead and that is exactly the state of the GOA and that state of church is not going to change without the formation of a new church that leaves the unrepentant corrupt behind in their dead religion church. If this newly formed church keeps the same structure and system of rule it will fail and because the structure and system of rule is what is primarily responsible for the GOA failure in America to begin with.

    What is this newly formed church and structure and system of rule to be based upon? How about the opposite of how the GOA really exists as a top down authoritarian religious political power and control game? How about its basis being Philippians 2:1-11 in union with the Great Commission? You know, the direct opposite of what the GOA really is in its outcome in the real world. The Orthodox structure and system of authoritarian power and control rule that plays the rigged religious political game is the Philippians 2:1-11 Christ come to us in America?

    Now, if this is not the solution what then is the solution when no solution works? If anyone believes that the save the GOA strategy coming out of the 2014 congress is going to work when the church is still based upon top down authoritarian power and control rule that is corrupt, is monastic cult corrupt, and leadership council corrupt good luck. The game being played has not changed and the game is the solution. With leaders like Jaharis playing this game and who believe playing this game will bring solution the GOA future outcome is as obvious as how the men who lead the church led it into a corrupt and failed state in America.

    What is the Plan B save the GOA strategy when the Plan A save the GOA strategy fails? That question is a I GOT YOU question. At the same time it is not about I GOT YOU and when in reality it exposes how the GOA have GOT THEMSELVES. This is not about I GOT YOU. This is all about YOU GOT YOURSELVES and why and how you did. All is on the line now in the GOA with this new save the GOA strategy. When it fails, and it will fail, its over. Within 5 years of 2014 the strategy will be a failure. It does not recognize what in the GOA are the threats to it. To believe that the leaders who led the GOA into a dead religion systemically corrupt and cult state can lead it out of that state is both spiritually immature and spiritually unintelligent like it was spiritually immature and spiritually unintelligent of these leaders to lead the church into this state.

    Oh, but Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church believe they can defy rational spiritual reality and logic and lead the GOA out of the state it is in by these same men who led it into this state. The irrational state of church can lead itself out of that state and become rational? The GOA is anti rational Christian thinking like it is anti western, modernity and freedom of religion. The theology of the EOC is not anti freedom of religion when it states it is Gods only true church that has no comparison to it and when it is based upon church/state as one in authoritarian power and control rule and when it is under foreign EP power and control rule? Greece where the GOA came from is not a church/state come to America with a church/state mindset about itself? YOU GOT YOU! GOA, YOU GOT YOURSELVES!

    Had the church/state EO been in America at the time of our Revolution they would not have sided with church/state King George when they are church/state King Greece in Greece where they came from and then came here and established the same structure and system of church rule here as they have in Greece? There were Orthodox church FATHERS or Christians who helped frame our Constitution at the Congress that signed off on it? The EP and MP would have signed off on it? The Czar of Russia would have? The old world Byzantine rulers or church/state power and control would have signed off on it? They are about revolution that throws the corrupt church/state authoritarian power and control out and replaces it with democracy based in freedom of religion that is the basis of our freedom of thought? The Orthodox in America don’t want America to convert to Orthodoxy as the only form of Christianity found here? The Orthodox don’t see the Christianity in America as heresy Christianity practicing apostasy and because it is not Eastern Orthodoxy? They don’t want to turn Christianity in America into what it is in Russia and Greece? They don’t think it will turn us into what it is in Russia and Greece when both (ROC and GOA) are foreign rule controlled in America and when both are based upon the same structure and system of centralized authoritarian religious power and control rule in America like it is found in Greece and Russia? The OCA is a complete failure at trying to be free of foreign rule in America and if America were to become Orthodox and free of Orthodox foreign rule it would not turn itself into what the OCA is?

    Orthodoxy in America is like trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole, and you think that you will somehow become relevant here with your church mindset that is basically the opposite of the mindset of freedom of religion, democracy and the revolution that established the USA? You think by your exclusive superior we alone are Gods only true and right church viewpoint of yourselves that you can just come here and take over? Your powerless, systemically corrupt and cultic dead religion church is going to become the dominant Christianity in America because of your exclusive claim in viewpoint of yourselves that sees those not of your Christianity as wrong in comparison to you? American Christians are going to bow too, submit too, obey and serve foreign rulers who are corrupt and do the same with its American church rulers who are also corrupt? American Christians in huge numbers are going to leave their Christianity and join ethnic exclusive jurisdictions under the authority of corrupt American and foreign rulers who all have an exclusive viewpoint of themselves of being Gods only true rulers?

    You heard it here first, the strategy fails within 5 years. I also know what is going to happen to the GOA in the next 10 years as a result of the failure of the strategy. In 20 years it is going to be crystal clear what happened and why it happened and still why and what happened will be denied like these explanations of why and how the failure of Orthodox will continue in the present are denied. You can see why and how any strategy to save the GOA fails today if you will come out of your Orthodox exclusive only thinking (The same applies to the OCA).

    The degree of humility need by Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church needed to bring about repentance that leads to solution to their dying and corrupt state in America is beyond Orthodox spiritual comprehension. You will have to give up and lay down your exclusive claim that defines you and in repentance allow God to define you and only then will you find correction return to God and become relevant Christianity. Oh, I see, all of your believe you are defined by God and that is why your church is a corrupt church failure gone right over the irrelevancy oblivion cliff and where it has hit bottom and crashed and burned. Yes, I know, in the Orthodox Mind the wrong definition is not reason why the two largest jurisdictions are in a state of unrepentant systemically corrupt failure. It must be some other reason that is the problem and that is why neither of these jurisdictions can find that other reason and bring correction to it and so that they can stop their implosions, right? Not one thing I bring up here is the reason. The Orthodox in a state of corrupt failure know what the reason is and that is why they are able to reverse the consequences of their corrupt failure and their real world outcome in America proves that they have, correct?

    Rational real world Christian thinking is not irrational other delusional world Orthodox thinking. Orthodox we alone are Gods only true and right thinking is superior to rational real world Christian thinking. Just ask any Orthodox if you can find one and they will verify this to you. It’s kind of hard to find them in my city of 250K. There are only about a 100 of them that show up at the local GOA parish that was established here about 60 years ago. It is the only parish in about a 50 mile radius give or take a few miles. At its 50th anniversary about 400 showed up to bow and kiss the ring of +Gerasimos the Greek church ruler appointed by the foreign ruler EP. This local parish also puts on a pretty good evangelism outreach Greek culture food festival every year to raise money and prove they are pluralistic inclusive like Jesus was in the Gospels. In this same 60 year period several churches with average Sunday of attendance of over a 1,000 each have been established but they don’t count in the Orthodox Mind for their being heresy Christianity practicing apostasy. Only Gods only true Christians in Gods only true Greek exclusive church count in their Orthodox Minds and just look at how many of them there are you can count. Can you count to 100? Not to worry, they have a new bay area California cathedral that is going to bring American Christians into the GOA by droves. By a save the GOA strategy +Gerasimos and the other hierarch’s are going to lead the GOA into a new day of revival that leads to the restoration of church growth and relevancy in America. The local parish here will soon become a mega parish with over 1,000 regular Sunday attenders in a just a few years. The word ‘GREEK’ in their name brand title is going to bring them in. They are going to do what the OCA only dreamed of doing but instead failed in the doing of it and the Greeks will do it by the same basic centralized structure and system of authoritarian rule power and control rule enmeshed as one with the exclusive claim that the OCA has. The OCA failure must have been caused by not being under foreign rule, but the save the GOA strategy will not fail by being under foreign rule. In fact, at the launch of this save the GOA strategy at their 2014 church leadership congress conference the EP spoke to them by Skype proving that he supports them and his rule over them in the saving of the GOA in America. The sexually corrupt EP of Astoria, NY fame is going to lead them in coming into new growth and relevancy and they all agreed with what he told them and they all clapped and cheered at the end of his Skype presentation. There is something wrong with me and not this picture, right? I can’t get it right because I am not a Gods only true Christian in Gods only true church and so I just can’t get it God right and true like only the exclusive God right and true Orthodox can. I fully understand your Orthodox Mind in thinking that exclusively believes that unless you think Orthodoxy only exclusive thinking then you are thinking wrongly and can’t get it right about the Orthodox in America. Don’t believe a word of this. It is all based in heresy Christianity that is practicing apostasy and so it is wrong in what it tells you.

    I can name what the problem is and what its outcome is and will continue to be but the GO can’t tell me the name of the unnamed ‘PERSON’ in the Jaharis 2014 state of the church speech. Did that person’s life not have an outcome of spiritual growth and relevancy in his Christianity by being a member of Gods only true church? Did his outcome not match the new GOA relevancy and growth strategy dream of their church future in America? Did his outcome remind them of what their real world outcome is making it difficult to state his name for how it would personalize to them what happened to this person as a result of his being involved with their church? Did his outcome expose something the GOA is in denial of and will not address? Does something about this unnamed person’s name cause the GOA to feel shame if they were to speak his name or the name of his family at the GOA family themed congress? Was this unnamed person never a church family member of the big happy church family that is the GOA and that is why his name is of worthless value and insignificance to state?

    Co-chairmen Jaharis along with the hierarchy that he by idolatry of them and his church serves have made a authoritarian religious power and control political game of this persons name. The more they do that the more they prove they are a shamed and shaming shame based church that they all enable and support by playing the shame game. The reason why he does is as important as the fact that he is doing this. The reason is as obvious as him practicing the reason why he does this. Jaharis is practicing shame and shaming. He is a shame based Christian in a shame based church that has indoctrinated him by and into shame. No shame based leadership council, shame based monasticism and shame based hierarchy can lead the GOA out of its shame based state and when all in the church are practicing the sin and bondage of the shame based game that cannot speak this persons name in a state of the church speech. Not saying this unnamed persons name points directly to the state of the shame based GOA. It does not hide this fact. It exposes this fact and men like Jaharis all play along and then wonder why they are powerless to carry through on promised action against the ‘DISEASE’. Shame and shaming in the shame based church is the real disease and Jaharis in infected by his life long indoctrination inside a church culture of shame. By his submission to the disease he systemically spreads it by practicing its shame and shaming of this persons unspoken name. Shamed life that has no name is cheap in the shamed based GOA. Life is expendable to the authoritarian power and control shame based religious political game the GOA plays. Jaharis proves he is one of the senior central leaders leading the playing of this shame based church game by how he will not state this unnamed persons name and how that shames that unnamed person. Not saying his name says everything about this shame based church and why it is a shame based church. It is not a small issue. It is an all encompassing issue that exposes the shame based church and its shame base authoritarian power and control religious political game.

    Jaharis states that the investigation continues. No, the only thing continuing is the shame based church playing its authoritarian shame based religious political game that cannot state this unnamed persons name. It continues from his 2012 speech to his 2014 speech and it will be the same in his 2016 speech. Nothing has changed and nothing is going to change. It is all going to stay the same dying shame based church same. What Jaharis calls the ‘disease’ can be removed but the disease of the systemically corrupt and unrepentant hierarchy will remain along with the shame basis of the shame based church that shames. In other words, leave the systemically corrupt hierarchy in place and the shame based church stays in place and nothing changes no matter what monastic is removed. Anyone removed will in time be replaced by the same shame and because the shame basis of the shame based church was not removed. The shame based church can only reproduce shaming leadership monastic or otherwise that is formed from its basis and the basis is shamed and shaming, it is shame. Corrupt authoritarian power and control rule can only reproduce what it is in the reality of the real world that tells you what it really is and it really is shame based systemically corrupt and unrepentant authoritarian rule.

    Does the authority, power, character and power of Jesus Christ rule over the shame based church or does another god rule over the shame based structure and system of authoritarian power and control rule? What is the name of that god that rules over such a church? Is it Jesus Christ or is it His direct spiritual opposite who wants to exclusively be God and who by deception brought spiritual death and shame into the world? Is He Christ grace and truth based or is he lie and shame based? Is the opposite of truth a lie and is the opposite of grace shame? Which one, Christ the truth that sets us free of the father of lies who sets in bondage, does the outcome of the GOA tell you who is in true rule behind the scenes of the shame based, systemically corrupt, cultic and unrepentant GOA?

    I just broke all of the don’t question rules of the authoritarian shame based GOA hierarchy. I dared to ask the GOA the hard questions it will not ask itself or answer when asked these questions of it. The answers would only expose them further for why and how they are a systemically corrupt authoritarian shame based church that is dying. I speak all of this in western, rational and modern Christian terms and that is just another reason for the authoritarian shame based Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church the GOA can reject them. I am not speaking exclusive Orthodox Speak Only. I don’t speak east. I speak west that is rejected by the EASTERN Orthodox who see their Christianity as superior and beyond comparison. (Just ignore its state and believe its exclusive we alone are God right claim and you too will believe it is superior Christianity that has no comparison) Not only that, why would Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church of shame based authoritarian power and control and that is itself practicing wrong Christianity and apostasy by being found in this corrupt, cultic and unrepentant dying state listen to someone who they believe is a heretic Christian practicing apostasy and who is not in their same state? Of course, any such person would have to be wrong in comparison them or they would have to face their heresy that practices shame based authoritarian power and control apostasy. No one can tell Gods only true and right Christians how heresy and apostate they are for how Gods right and true Christians they are in their exclusive we alone are God right Orthodox Minds indoctrinated by a church culture of authoritarian power and control, systemic corruption, cultism, unrepentance, powerlessness, exclusivity and shame. I wouldn’t listen to Ashley Nevins either if I had been indoctrinated by and into this. I would also believe he has this wrong for how exclusively Gods right and true I have been indoctrinated to believe that I am in comparison to him being one of those heretic apostasy practicing Protestant Evangelicals who are lost and aimless by not being of the lost and aimless dying Orthodox in America. It would make perfect Orthodox rational sense and sanity to me if I was of this not to believe what he is telling me is the the truth of me and my church. I too would have an exclusive, closed, isolated and insulated viewpoint of what he is telling me is wrong and because of how the exclusive, closed, isolated and insulated church system had indoctrinated me into believing how God only right and true that my church and I are. Yes, I would hold what is being told to me highly suspect if I would believe at all if I had been indoctrinated by a church with this exclusive mindset of itself in a culture of church corruption, shame, unrepentance and authoritarianism. I would lose my ability to think Christ ethics and morality in freedom in Christ for myself outside of how my authoritarian exclusive thinking church had indoctrinated me by its closed system unethical and immoral state that is not transparent or accountable. I would allow it to tell me what and how to think and allow it to think for me and so to insure that it can keep authoritarian power and control rule and mind control over me. I would model what was modeled to me and model that to others just like me and who are the indoctrinated model of this state of church and its state of mind found in its state of church. I would think, have the attitude and behave like someone involved in an authoritarian closed system of exclusive we alone are God right and true thinking that is systemically corrupt, cultic, unrepentant and dying. I couldn’t be wrong about myself or my church, but I would tell you how wrong you are in your wrong church that is not my Gods only true and right church that has no comparison.

    I know how the Orthodox really think and that makes it easy to see right through them and make predictions about them that all have come true. The save the GOA strategy fails within 5 years. Now, all of you Greeks who believe in that strategy work hard to only see it fail and then stand around in your dying parishes and wonder what went wrong. (Hold that failure in your hands like Stotis holds that undelivered failed monastery report in his hands.) Yes, build another cathedral to prove to yourselves that your are still viable and sustaining relevancy and when you are really only relevant to yourselves in America and where your dying state exposes that you are not viable or able to sustain yourselves here. Yes, GOA members believe that the hierarchy, the leadership council and the elder are going to save the GOA in America. Believe that your exclusive viewpoint of yourselves in your exclusive claim is going to be the strategy that saves the GOA and when that exclusive claim is the foundation of your exclusive we alone are God right and true church thinking, attitude and behavior seen in your reality of the real world corrupt failure outcome in America. Above all else remain under the authority of the foreign ruler sexually corrupt EP who is dying in Turkey and who approves and appoints who is in your HOLY hierarchy of Gods only true rulers who rule over your dying Gods only true church in America. Then have the co-chairman of the corrupt leadership council give a state of the church speech of the money state of the church and that does not by transparency tell the church directly and specifically who and what is responsible or why they are responsible for this state of church and then don’t hold them accountable with consequences. Instead believe they will lead you into a growing relevant state of church that is not systemically corrupt, failed, unrepentant and dying.

    GO what is the name of the name of the unnamed person in the 2012 and 2014 Jaharis state of the church speeches? Not saying his name proves why your church future will continue to be a systemically corrupt, cultic, unrepentant and dying outcome. You have to have the spiritual intelligence of spiritual maturity to understand and see how that it does expose your church future in America no matter how you design, develop and implement any save the GOA strategy and no matter who you exclusively claim to be in such a strategy. It is no small matter that does not matter. In reality it points directly at the core problems self destructing the GOA and that they will not name by name. You know, like each hierarchy member named and their responsibility for the dying state of the GOA named and why they are not held transparent and accountable with consequences for this corrupt and failed state of church. If you don’ hold the corrupt transparent and accountable by name and don’t name what their corruptions are you will never bring them consequences for this state of church that only proves how Christianity dead the state of the GOA really is in the real world. Nothing will change and it will remain the same dead form of Christianity.

    Now be Orthodox exclusively right about yourselves and be sure not to believe me. This is what you do not believe, the save the GOA strategy does not face or deal with the systemic corruption or the rulers who lead that corruption through the structure and system of top down authoritarian rule power and control that centralizes power and control in their hands and where that is the set up for the strategy failure. Run that through your exclusive we are Gods only true Christians in Gods only true church Orthodox Mind filter and believe what you have been authoritarian and corrupt closed system indoctrinated to believe and then don’t believe me. Keep handing your power over to what steals it to prop itself up with to hold you down and back with and believe that is your top down centralized authoritarian power and control solution. How a church thinks determines its real world outcome and so believe that your Gods only true and right exclusive thinking will only have a positive outcome on the state of your church. In your exclusively thinking Orthodox Minds the more we are Gods right and true exclusive thinking the better our outcome in America. Keep believing that and thinking that and see where it takes you in the next few years by the save the GOA strategy that cannot be the wrong strategy for how God right and true exclusive it is by the Gods only right and true Christians who framed it and will implemented it.

Leave A Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.