September 30, 2005
Dear SCOBA Hierarch:
Glory to God for all things!
Over the past dozen years much has been made in the U.S. from several quarters about the
need for Orthodox Christian unity. Those who advocate some form of unified, autocephalous
American Orthodox jurisdiction are claiming that Orthodoxy in America
is ready for this momentous step. One Orthodox lay group even makes the bold
claim that “Collectively, we are a mature Church,
able to guide our own Church administrative affairs in America. The ancient Patriarchates will be strengthened when they recognize the maturity of
their sister Churches in America.”
Whether Orthodoxy in America
is mature is debatable. All one need do is examine inter-relations between
and within the current ecclesiastical organizations at all levels. There is a
distressing prevalence of negativity and disharmony between hierarchs and laity, clergy and laity, and hierarchs and clergy
within many jurisdictions for an objective observer not to question assumptions
like the one above. Indeed, that same lay organization which was founded to promulgate
and defend noble Orthodox Christian principles, presently seems like nothing more than a club wielded by one or
two archdioceses against a third.
Today, the Concerned Orthodox Christian Alliance calls on SCOBA hierarchs to take the positive
step of reviewing and improving the management and treatment of Orthodox priests of
all jurisdictions within North America. An
Orthodox faith that is truly mature and practicing the commandments of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ should prize
its clergy, taking care of them in such a way that shows the world the true light of holy Orthodoxy. All of us who would lead: hierarchs, clergy or laity, must first be willing to serve each other as members
of the body of Christ. “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your
servant.” Matt. 20:26
Therefore, we urge the following steps be accepted and implemented at
once by all American Orthodox jurisdictions:
1. Each priest will be provided annually a rudimentary, written performance appraisal by his bishop
(example attached).
2. Any priest who is either suspended from performing priestly duties or laicized
must receive, if requested, a spiritual court as provided by the canons.
3. Each jurisdiction will implement a policy for compensating priests
who are in-between assignments for a minimum of 6 months, unless they are the subject of disciplinary action.
4.
Each jurisdiction will publish and insure compliance
with clergy compensation guidelines for parish councils that include provisions for: periodic cost of living adjustments;
vacation; insurance; severance; and relocation and retirement policies and benefits.
No doubt many of you will read this and say that your archdiocese already has many of these
things, while others might say that we cannot afford all of them. We suggest
that working together as one body in Christ, the Orthodox Church can’t afford not to adopt these measures. This is for the good of the faith in America;
this is the least we can do to show that our faith is matched by our works, and that we are following the canons of holy Orthodoxy.
Our priests baptize our children, marry us and bury our parents. They hear our confessions, and present and defend the Eucharistic cup.
In addition to the sacramental life which our clergy help us to live, they are there to bless our homes, comfort parishioners
in sorrow, and help laity and hierarchs alike in times of trouble. But who comforts
the priest? Who takes care of those (and their families) who minister to the
flock?
As we move into the third millennium since the birth of our Lord, and the second century of
Orthodoxy in North America, the answer is clear: we
all must do so. The faithful expect that
our priests be properly taken care of with Christian love. Hierarchs
and laity alike must join together to insure a uniform, professional and compassionate treatment of our faithful, hard-working
American Orthodox clergy. We call upon you, the Orthodox hierarchs of North America, to establish a SCOBA commission to study these recommendations, and to make implementation
of these provisions a priority within your jurisdictions.
Thanking you for your lifelong dedication to the Church, your leadership on this issue, and
your prayers and blessings, we remain
Yours in Christ,
John
Pappas
Chairman
Concerned Orthodox Christian
Alliance
