Ignoring the UPRs at its Best!

Less than half of our community received the agenda for the upcoming general assembly which included the "new rules" regarding who is and who is not considered a member in good standing. The below is taken from the upcoming Sunday bulletin and was included in the mailing of the general assembly agenda.

SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY HELD TODAY

Please note that the SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY of our parish will be held TODAY at 3pm at Prophet Elias. Only committed stewards (Orthodox) who are current on their pledge through first quarter 2010 or those who made donations in first quarter 2010 will be allowed to participate in the General Assembly. Those speaking can assist in maintaining the decorum of the General Assembly and by limiting their comments to two minutes. In addition, in an effort to make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak, individuals who have spoken to the assembly on specific issues will be allowed to speak on the same subject only after everyone who wishes to speak has done so. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. (Emphasis added)

Our local leaders, who pride themselves on following the Uniform Parish Regulations, have in this instance (again) made up these rules which are contrary to that which they so desperately try to hold on to. Below is the actual Uniform Parish Regulation addressing membership in good standing:

ARTICLE 31
http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/documents

PARISH ASSEMBLY

Section 1: A Parish Assembly may be convened for matters other than those involving canonical and dogmatic issues. The Parish Assembly is the general meeting of the Parishioners in good standing of the Parish and is the general policymaking and appropriating body of the Parish.
Section 2: Notice of a Parish Assembly shall be mailed to all Parishioners in good standing at least ten (10) days prior to the Assembly and shall include the agenda. The agenda shall be prepared by the Priest and the Parish Council and shall include all items to be discussed at the Assembly.

Section 3: A Parish Assembly consists of parishioners in good standing of the Parish who have met their stewardship obligations to the Parish in accordance with the Parish Bylaws. A person whose name appears on the Stewardship rolls but who is in arrears in the payment of his/her stewardship obligations may take part in the Parish Assembly by meeting such stewardship obligations on or before the date of the meeting. If a Parishioner is delinquent for more than the current calendar year, he or she may vote at the Parish Assembly only after that parishioner has met the unfulfilled stewardship financial obligations at least thirty (30) days before the Parish Assembly. (Emphasis added)

We urge everyone to attend the general assembly and demand from the proistamenoi and the parish council to show the documents contradicting the Uniform Parish Regulations regarding membership. It is a shame that these proistamenoi and the hand picked parish council resort to these underhanded tactics in an attempt to keep members of our community from fully participating in the life of THEIR CHURCH.