Take Our Church Back!: An Open Letter from One of Our Young Parishioners

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

An Open Letter from One of Our Young Parishioners

Greetings Bloggers,

My name is Matthew Hedberg, I have been an active member of the Greek Orthodox Community of Greater Salt Lake for my entire life. I was in attendance at the most recent Parish Council meeting and read into record a petition that I have drafted on behalf of the cosigned youth. I wish to avoid any misconstrued notions that my addressing this audience via this medium is intended to be incendiary or critical of the Parish Council. On the contrary, they were very kind and open towards me, and I observed a great deal of impassioned concern and consideration being taken on behalf of the members of the council as they actively pursued resolutions to the issues that they addressed. That being said, the condition of this community is what it is, the recent actions taken by the parishioners group that wishes to separate the two churches and the Metropolitan’s office are forcing the issue of a schism upon us. My petition addresses five important issues facing our community the most important one being unity within our community and the avoidance of the aforementioned schism. I write to you today to request that those of you who read this blog and have children who may be interested in signing the petition might approach them about reading the petition to see if it accurately reflects their opinions. The legacy being shaped by you today is the legacy that we, the youth, shall inherit. I am not including the text of my petition in this post although I will be glad to do so once all the signatures have been obtained. If you would like to receive an electronic copy of the petition for your children to view please contact the blog administrators at tocbslc@gmail.com or refer to the official minutes for the Parish Council meeting of June 25, 2007. I hereby grant the TOCB administrators of this blog permission to release my email address to individuals requesting further information on this issue.

Thank you for your time,

Matthew Hedberg

Moderator's Note: Matt, thank you very much for your post. Please provide us the petition when it's completed, and we will be happy to post it. Those wishing to review it, may obtain Matt's e-mail address by e-mailing tocbslc@gmail.com.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Matthew, God bless you and the youth of this community. You are the ones who will be the future of the church in Salt Lake. Thank you for taking charge and letting the people who are attempting to weaken our Orthodox family that you will not stand for it; that you will step up to ensure the viable future of our glorious church.
With brave youth like you I dont fear for the future.; June 28, 2007 at 11:49 AM

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CONSEQUENCES OF UPR "THEOCRACY"

The UPRs, as currently enacted, have succeeded in proving that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Having witnessed events first-hand for so long now, it is hard not to come to the sad conclusion that some of our clergy actually seem to relish the controversy, despite any inherent intellect, ability and talent.

Unfortunately this “brave new church”, spawned by these vaunted UPRs, and by this ridiculous and inept notion of the church as a military-style hierarchy, fosters a lack of humility, tact and compassion. It promotes utter disrespect and disregard for the laity, which, in turn, promotes disrespect for the clergy. The schism the regulations profess to prevent is the schism they are now engendering.

FALSE INFO? WE DON'T THINK SO!

The Metropolitan accuses many of providing false information with regard to parish property. He cites that the UPRs state that the parish holds title to all its real estate and personal property. He asks "what is the argument"?

One could be tempted to find comfort in this citation, if not for two other existing UPR conditions.

The first is that the Parish Council holds all control of said properties owned by the parish. Since the Parish Council can be disbanded, presumably at the whim of a peevish hierarch, where has the control shifted?

Second, if the laity becomes so exasperated with this sorry state of affairs that it reduces funding (the only real power left to it under an obnoxious system where the laity is utterly marginalized) and if a community is declared in disarray, or in schism, it is the hierarchy that comes in to take the real property. (This action was, in fact, attempted in 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia.)

CONSIDER ...

There is a danger in the amassing of the Church property under one control. As the Catholic Church learned (the hard way) in sexual abuse cases that the the entire property holding will be subjected to payment of a lawsuit. Much better to decentralize!

This is a well-known business practice where corporations incorporate separate facilities so if one has poor results it can be dissolved without damaging the entire corporation. A single store could become bankrupt but not the whole.

- Peter C. Peropoulos - Houston, Texas

THE CHURCH AND THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

From the Special General Assembly, June 27th, 1999: "First and foremost we are a church (ekklesia--meaning the people) any decisions should help minister to the people, effective, and efficient ministering to our peers. The Church has to do with people; people are the most important." - Fr. John Kaloudis

==========================

«Η έκκλησία δεv είvαι εξoυσία, ειvαι διακovεία.»

"The Church's purpose in not that of dominion or power; it is that of service."

- Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece

==========================

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

- The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

ON A COLD AND RAINY OCTOBER AFTERNOON ...

Today, October 24th, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. nearly 350 Greek Orthodox Christians gathered to say that voices may NOT be stilled or stifled. Of those who attended, 347 registered to participate and to vote; 339 actually cast ballots. Three questions (in synopsis form here) were asked, with both English and Greek ballots provided:

1. Asked if those assembled agreed with the decreed split, or if they would prefer to remain united. Vote: 328-FOR UNITY; 11-FOR SPLITTING

2. Asked if those assembled would favor the formation of a committee to appeal to the Archdiocese, the Eparchial Synod, and the Patriarchate. Vote: 330-FOR; 9-AGAINST

3. Asked if those assembled favored exploring legal action to prevent or challenge the division of the Parish in civil court, recognizing that the option would involve considerable expense. Vote: 248-FOR; 91-AGAINST

“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them,

and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

But it shall not be so among you:

but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,

but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28, KJV)

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

An Open Letter from One of Our Young Parishioners

1 comment:

THE LEADER WE DESPERATELY NEED!

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STEWARDSHIP

SAYS IT ALL!

TRANSLATION? (Please note the translations are not exact)

CONSEQUENCES OF UPR "THEOCRACY"

A QUESTION OF "RESPECT"?

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

HELLENIC MUSINGS

Misconstrued? WE THINK NOT!

One Year Later!

ΑΙΩΝΙΑ H MNHMH!

FALSE INFO? WE DON'T THINK SO!

MOVING FORWARD!

CONTACT US

CONSIDER ...

A "MUST READ"!

BLOG ARCHIVE

CALL TO ACTION & AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL COMMUNITIES!

THE CHURCH AND THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

ON A COLD AND RAINY OCTOBER AFTERNOON ...

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE VOICE OF GOD!

SHAME (Dropi) & DEMOCRACY

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