OF "RADICALS" AND "CONSERVATIVES"

To the Johnny-Come-Lately "UNIFIERS":

You do not get to define solely the terms of the community's ongoing discussion regarding its future.

Who are you calling "radical", and who are you to define what is "radical"?

We contend that you are radicals. We aim to conserve for our kids and grandkids that which our grandparents and parents left us. Conversely, you seek to alter - radically - what we seek to conserve.

You claim to come in peace; you claim to promote "unity".

Yet you still condone a separate corporate entity, created by unauthorized and unelected parishioners, for Prophet Elias only, under the most specious of excuses, including those provided by Denver. Incidentally, this ongoing farce is often cited, rightly or wrongly, as a major reason for constrained stewardship. The creation of that separate corporation is also contrary to those vaunted, flawed UPRs you chastise the current Parish Council for violating.

In short, people aren't giving because they know you are still actively conspiring amongst yourselves and with Denver to split this community and to take community assets that belong to all. This, despite all your protestations of "cooperation" and "unity" with the elected Parish Council and with the "silent majority" you now claim to represent.

The issue of whether the majority in this community wants a split at this time has been long settled, yet you, the true radicals, will not let it go. Sorry, your pious claims of commitment to the Lord and His Church, and desire for "unity" and "progress", ring hollow. This community is stagnating due to your machinations and those of Denver, your "piety" notwithstanding.

You chastise the parish council's injunction against “inaccurate data and commentary” and are frustrated that "such does not extend to the 'vicious' observations posted on a certain internet blog site."

This blog and Mr. Saltas have answered your paranoid desire to see free thought regarding this community's real problems squelched. Mr. Saltas put it perfectly in saying that it is not the Parish Council's duty to "make someone else's bed".

As for your unctuous pronouncements regarding "vicious observations", you may want to reinforce your own glass houses.

What is more "vicious" than:

• appealing to Denver to overturn the will of 72% of parishioners at a General Assembly (November 2006) that acknowledged that this community sees nothing wrong with alternative means of fundraising to supplement stewardship - which you insist must be the sole means of revenues - in providing services and ministries to our youth, our seniors and other church and community ministries, including community outreach and raising awareness about our faith and culture;

• standing by while stewards of long standing are unjustly chastised and/or sanctioned;

• denying the results continually of a community-wide survey that CLEARLY indicates that the "silent majority" DO NOT WANT TO SPLIT;

• deigning to remain in power, squelching the will of the majority, due to the unreasonable interference of the clergy and hierarchy in the nomination and election process, as well as regular parish assemblies, again in contravention to flawed UPRs;

• initiating a truly vicious FINRA/SEC action against an outstanding and generous member of this community that threatened the reputation and livelihood of both himself and his family (a fine example of your true Christian piety, no doubt!);

• engaging in actions that have, in effect, frozen funds needed to make vital repairs to the Holy Trinity campus - particularly the Sunday School rooms; 

• showing a casual indifference that six older parishioners were forced to either stay home or to stand in sub-freezing weather outside their own church during a "kangaroo court" Special General Assembly that featured a "hired gun" from Houston who had the gall to criticize in a cowardly and VICIOUS manner, banned members when they were not there to defend themselves;

• indulging in a cynical display of indifference when the true silent majority was forced to bring civil action against the former anointed appointed by paying your own attorneys first (the true silent majority paid for their own AND yours!) and letting the newly elected parish council figure out how to pay priests, employees, utility bills, insurance, and the like;

• claiming to be "unifiers" while still working actively to undercut and undermine unity in this community in order to split it;

• accusing the current parish council of financial malfeasance in the local press, then claiming to be satisfied with an examination of the financials, and thereafter FAILING to correct such in a follow-up interview with said local press;

• refusing to cease calling the broker and trustees of the HCF funds "robbers and thieves";

• insisting that your commitment to the Lord and Savior and His Church is your utmost concern, when it is evident that you claim sole right to define what that commitment must entail, and presuming that your "piety" is so much purer and greater than that of others.

Now cast your stones!