Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The sun shone warmly on faithful and clergy as they gathered outside the soon-to-be inaugurated Leadership 100 (L100) Exhibit Hall for the 2024 Clergy-Laity Congress. Friendly reunions and chatter continued on as hierarchs began to arrive and mingle with the crowd. Before long, it was time for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, together with the Patriarchal Representatives to the Congress, Their Eminences Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain and Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, the hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod, L100 Chairman Dimitrios Logothetis, and Executive Director Paulette Poulos.
2 Comments
+Elpidophoros is proposing an abusive ’25/’26 budget which would be a horror to the faithful. They probably think it will pass due to the likely very low delegate turn out given San Diego’s long distance from most parishes in the U.S. It will add 5.9% and 8.9% to the annual Parish Assessments! How many more gyros need be sold to make that up?
A motion must be made for a secret ballot. The Priests and Hierarchs cannot oppose an Archdiocesan Budget as +Elpidophoros will seek to sanction them.
Otherwise, let us pray that the 47th Congress enables progress to the Holy Archdiocese which has dropped 100,000 members in recent years.
It fascinates me that the greatest issue confronting the GOA, the loss of parishioners, does not seem to be on the agenda of the Clergy Laith Congress. The GOA is in a state of terminal decline and no one addresses the issue. Additionally, it seems to me that the issue of language in the church should be discussed. There is a direct correlation between the 2 issues I mentioned.