Letter from Metropolitan to Parish Council, 23 Feb 2012

Moderators' Note: the original of this letter may be viewed HERE.

+ GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF DENVER

February 23, 2012

Rev. Michael Kouremetis,
Rev. Matthew Gilbert,
Mr. Phillip Floor, Council President
The Esteemed Parish Council
The Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Salt Lake City
Holy Trinity Cathedral – Prophet Elias Church
c/o 279 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

Beloved in the Lord,

I am in receipt of your letter informing me that the fifteen parishioners who accepted to be on the Interim Parish Council for 2012 have taken the Affirmation of Office as prescribed by our Archdiocese Regulations and are now working as one entity for the growth and progress of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Salt Lake City area.

I hereby accept the fifteen parishioners as members of the canonical parish council of the Greek Orthodox community and parish for the year 2012, as provided by Article 26, Section 5 of the Uniform Parish Regulations.

As I mentioned in my letter to you dated January 12, 2012, the Parish Council is to facilitate the continuity of all parish ministries for the good of the members. It shall also prepare to have canonical parish council elections as soon as it is practical.

Having received word from your president, Mr. Phillip Floor, that by consensus you believe that a general assembly for proper parish council elections should be held soon after the Great Fast and the glorious Paschal celebrations, I accept the date of Sunday, April 29, 2012 which you have proposed to me, as practical for such an assembly.

Information has come to me that a group calling itself the Greek Orthodox Church of Great Salt Lake has proposed elections for its “CORPORATION” in the near future. Clearly, this has nothing to do with you and your parish, since the Church is not a “corporation” but a cell in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which is under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is obvious that attempting to reduce the Body of Christ, which has existed for nearly 2,000 years, to the status of a modern secular organization is absurdity.

I express my complete confidence in all fifteen members of the parish council to work together as sons and daughters of our loving God, Who established His Church in the world for the salvation of His people.

With paternal blessings,
/s/
+ Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver