“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)

The word the Athenians used for their Assembly was Ekklesia, the same word used in the New Testament for Church
(and it is the greatest philological irony in all of Western history that this word,
which connoted equal participation in all deliberation by all members,
came to designate a kind of self-perpetuating, self-protective Spartan gerousia -
which would have seemed patent nonsense to Greek-speaking Christians of New Testament times,
who believed themselves to be equal members of their Assembly.)

- Thomas Cahill, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter



ΦΙΛΟΤΙΜΟ: THE GREEK SECRET

Friday, November 13, 2009

General Assembly

As the fall general assembly approaches, there are existing issues in our community that must be addressed. In addition to the election of the Board of Auditors, an issue avoided by recent past general assemblies yet required by the UPR, the following matters must be addressed openly and honestly:

  • Finances: Through the first 11 months of this year (including the spring general assembly) we have not been afforded the courtesy of seeing a statement disclosing all community financial accounts. The community's request for full disclosure and transparency in all financial matters including the "special" accounts used in the remodel of Prophet Elias and the pavilion is long overdue. These "special" accounts require the same transparency even though our president has stated the monies are "donated." The community deserves an accounting of how the money was spent without needing to know who donated what.
  • Personnel: Who is in charge? Is it the Operations Manager or the Proistameno of Prophet Elias only? The recent release of a non clergy staff member should have been the decision of the Operations Manager in conjunction with the Parish Council and not the Proistameno of Prophet Elias only. It is unthinkable that the Proistameno of Prophet Elias only would need to take time away from focusing on the spiritual matters of the community and waste it with matters that can easily be resolved by the Parish Council and the Operations Manager.
  • Elections: How many candidates will the Proistameno of Prophet Elias only disqualify this year? His pattern has been to disqualify those who he believes do not agree with him and can't manipulate. His reasons for disqualifying are without merit and endless. He believes that as members of this community we are incapable of thinking and acting in the best interest of our church. Time will tell if he has realized his past mistakes.
  • Old and New Business: Why were these items removed from the general assembly agenda? Bring them back and allow the voice of the people to be heard.
The general assembly is a time when the people have an opportunity to express their concerns and opinions. Hopefully the chair of the upcoming assembly will not follow the tactics of previous chairs (our president) by limiting or shutting down discussion. Let the voice of the people be heard.

Posted by TOCB Moderator at 9:58 PM

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