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Child of Governance

Analysis: Where are We Going – on a Dead-End Route?

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos After all of the astonishing revelations The National Herald has made about the Archdiocese’s dire financial situation, the crucial question on the minds of thousands of Greek-Americans throughout the United States is: where are we going as an Archdiocese and a community in general? Those who are in charge at the Archdiocese – along with Archbishop Demetrios, who is at the top – are trying to capitulate with spin and propaganda, using as tactics slogans that all is well and good. Unfortunately, that spin seems to have affected the Church’s ultimate authority, Ecumenical…

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Letter to the Editor: On the Archdiocese

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: The National Herald In Chicago, after waiting for decades for a house cleaning, we will be patient with Metropolitan Nathanael to learn the ropes. In the Archdiocese as a whole, I completely agree with Mr. Kalmoukos about audits of all Metropolises. Bravo to the Metropolis of Pittsburgh for releasing information – the rest must follow. He is also right that the lay leaders bear much responsibility. Everyone knew administration was not Archbishop Demetrios’ strength. How long did the Archdiocesan Council need to see they needed to take bolder action when he unwilling to cut staff – a few years…

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A Palestinian Greek orthodox Christian woman lights a candle as she attends the Christmas Eve Mass at St. Porphyrios Church in Gaza City, early Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Faith in Our Lives

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: The National Herald By Antonis H. Diamataris This year’s National Prayer Breakfast, an important annual American tradition involving many hundreds of religious and political leaders and other officials from all over the world, was held on February 8. This year’s main speaker was President Trump, and so much importance is attached to that fact. The president said that “religion plays a central role in American life and freedom.” And so it does. Americans, on average, are religious people. They do not hesitate to express their faith in words and deeds, Their faith is a deeply rooted human need and…

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Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and all Albania Anastasios. (Photo by Eurokinissi)

America’s Greek Archdiocese Can Take Lessons from Albania’s

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: The National Herald In June, 2012, an Orthodox Church was built in Tirana, Albania. Yes, Tirana, Albania. That marvelous cathedral was built largely through the blood, sweat, and tears of Archbishop Anastasios, the Primate of the Church of Albania. The Resurrection Cathedral currently stands as the third-largest Orthodox church in Europe. This was nothing less than a miraculous accomplishment considering Albania, a very poor country, was not that long ago under the grips of communism and fiercely anti-Christian. Yet, in a largely Muslim country, Archbishop Anastasios has managed to revitalize the Orthodox Church, building new churches and restoring many…

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Dr Frances Kostarelos

Religious Pluralism, Fundamentalism and Contested Identities in North American Orthodox Religious Life: The Case of the Greek Orthodox Church in North America

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Dr. Frances Kostarelos, PhD., is Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois. She has written on issues related to religion and has served as a program evaluator for the Lilly Endowment grant awarded to Hellenic College for several years. CLICK HERE to read: RELIGIOUS PLURALISM, FUNDAMENTALISM AND CONTESTED IDENTITIES IN NORTH AMERICAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LIFE: The Case of the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

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George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity

Musings of the Executive Director: “The Road Not Taken”

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories, Uncategorized

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity For thirty-one years, Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) has been the voice crying in the wilderness.   The cry has been for renewal of our ancient, apostolic faith within our pluralistic, American, cultural context.  The hallmarks of this renewal are characterized by the de-tribalization of the separate Orthodox Christian jurisdictions that evolved here, so that they could work in canonical unity; administer the Church in ways that are accountable and transparent; and respect and include the input of the laity in matters of administration, governance and our journey together as a community of faithful.  OCL has not wavered…

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IT’S TIME TO MERGE ST. VLADIMIR’S AND HOLY CROSS

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News

Source: Public Orthodoxy by George Demacopoulos It has always been the case that forces beyond the control of the Church have prompted changes in the practice of theological education. For example, Ottoman repression led many Greek Christians to seek education abroad. Tsar Peter I imposed Western-styled seminaries upon the Russian Church. And the Bolshevik Revolution crippled religious education throughout Russia and much of Eastern Europe. While not as dire as those examples, Orthodox seminaries in the United States face significant structural challenges. At one and the same time, the real cost of operating a seminary is steeply rising while active participation…

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Peter S Makrias

Holy Fathers, are you fooling us?

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Uncategorized

Source: Estiator Magazine By Peter Makrias An announcement issued by the Holy Synod affirms the fact that the time has come for our Church in America to separate itself from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and declare its autocephaly. Based on its references to the meetings of Novem­ber 27th and 28th, the Phanar considers us to be its subjects and takes us for little children. “During these meetings, all the issues on the daily agenda were re­viewed and appropriate decisions were taken on all items.” But what were the topics on the agenda? What happened with the “triprosopon” list of three candidates to fill the…

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George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity

2017 Year End: Ramblings of the OCL Executive Director

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity State of Orthodoxy in the U.S.A. Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) completed its 30 years of service calling for transparency, accountability, unity and advocating to maintain the voice of the laity as an equal in the administrative life of the Orthodox Church, thereby contributing to Church renewal.   As we have seen and experienced in 2017, disrespect and disregard for this principle has contributed to the disorder, financial mismanagement and disunity that has furthered the decline of Orthodoxy in the USA.  The census statistics, surveys, research on the status of growth, retention and development confirm this decline. Since…

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