Church Splinters over treatment of Orthodox Priest

By Rick Farrant
The Journal Gazette

Posted July 9. 2005

St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Christian Church, at 639 Putnam St. in Fort Wayne, is in turmoil after the removal of the priest, the firing of the parish council and the resignation of many parishioners.

The reassignment last month of the priest at St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Christian Church in Fort Wayne has led to the forced disbanding of the 10-member parish council and the voluntary resignation of 55 parishioners.

The actions against the Rev. Isaac Henke and the council were taken by Bishop Mark Maymon of the Toledo Diocese of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, former parishioner John Pappas said.

In response, 55 church members who supported Henke formally submitted their resignations Tuesday, and Pappas estimated 30 to 40 more of the church’s roughly 150 parishioners will also leave.

Henke, meanwhile, has refused his reassignment to a parish in La Crosse, Wis., and effective today will be placed on unpaid leave, Maymon said. Henke has also asked to be released from the archdiocese.

Parishioners who argued against the removal of Henke said a minority of church members had sought the action, the reasons for the removal were never clearly stated and the Orthodox hierarchy largely turned a deaf ear to opposing viewpoints.

Most importantly, the hierarchy ignored the unanimous support of Henke by the parish council, said Pappas, who was appointed spokesman for the former council.

Pappas said that historically the Orthodox Church has practiced what it calls conciliarity, which he said essentially means all people in the church should be equally involved in arriving at decisions.

“The basic frustration here is the lack of conciliarity, which is a hallmark of Christian orthodoxy,” Pappas said. “The Orthodox church is the hierarchs, clergy and laity working together. This has not happened.”

Henke did not return phone calls, but Maymon said in a telephone interview and in prepared remarks that simmering divisions within the church at 639 Putnam St. made it “necessary to give both the pastor and the parish a fresh start.”

He said he did listen to the concerns of parishioners, answered them and “they simply did not like the answers they received.”

Not so, Pappas said.

“It was lip service, and it was too late,” he said. “We had sent letters and e-mails for months and months to the archdiocese, as well as the bishop.”

Maymon did not specifically identify the objections to Henke’s six-year leadership but said a priest can be reassigned “at any time for any reason or no reason at all.”

“The idea of conciliarity referred to by the former council has been grossly misinterpreted,” Maymon said. “While it is true the church consists of the clergy and laity, it is the bishop who is the sole shepherd and teacher of the faithful.

“Conciliarity applies to relations between bishops and accountability for remaining faithful to our holy tradition.”

Maymon suggested that had it not been for a June 23 letter sent by the parish council to local parishioners, other Midwestern parishes and some bishops, the additional action of disbanding the council might not have occurred.

The one-page letter, obtained by The Journal Gazette, said people inside and outside the local parish had engaged in a campaign “to smear the reputation of our pious priest.”

The letter, which also wasn’t specific about allegations against Henke, concluded: “We want all to understand that there is no possible way your parish council could stand by and complacently ignore the unjustified attacks and suffering of our brother, an innocent priest and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

“To do so, would be the height of hypocrisy for those who wish to truly live the faith.”

Maymon has moved quickly to name a new priest – the Rev. Anthony Michaels of Ironwood, Mich. – and said he will install Michaels on Sunday.

He has also appointed a four-member interim committee to help Michaels administer the parish.

Maymon said he hopes the parishioners who have left “will come to their senses and return to the church.”

Disgruntled parishioners, however, say that isn’t likely.

Dr. Ashraf Hanna, a member of the ousted council, said he will not be going back to St. John Chrysostom because he believes he was disrespected by the hierarchy.

“What happened doesn’t change my faith in God one way or another,” he said. “My feeling is it’s more an evil work, not God’s work, that brought all of this chaos to happen.”

Hanna said it’s too early for him to know where he’ll practice his faith now.

But Pappas predicted former parishioners will become a “traveling Orthodox parish,” worshipping at other churches until they find a home.

“We’re going to be the congregation in exile,” former parishioner Kay Brown said. “It’s like Moses in the wilderness. We’re going to travel around the mountain, hopefully not too many times.

“All we want is to live quiet Christian lives of integrity. We’re not into power and money and who’s top dog.

“Leave us alone,” she said, “and let us practice our faith.”