Sophistry At Its Finest

SOPHISTRY - a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.

(In other words, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with 'bull dung'!" - the Metropolitan's phrase some time ago, most certainly not ours.)

The following two letters were received by most parishioners today. Click here to see the scanned originals. The texts of both correspondences are found below as well.

LETTER FROM OUR ESTEEMED CLERGY AND PARISH COUNCIL

July 27, 2010

Dear Parishioners,

On July 20, 2010 the Parish Council and the Clergy received a signed petition and a resolution from a group of our Parishioners. A chosen representative of these signers also sent this petition and resolution to His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, to the Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese and to the Legal Counsel of the Metropolis. The petitioners are requesting a Special General Assembly to act on the specific resolution.

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah has mailed the Clergy and the Parish Council of our Parish his response to the petition and resolution, which we have enclosed. His Eminence has denied the request for a special General Assembly and has corrected actions that the General Assemblies have voted upon in the past which are in conflict with the "Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America".

The Parish Council recognizes the right of "at least ten percent (10%) of the Parishioners in good standing of the Parish "to submit a written petition requesting" that a Parish Assembly be called for the purpose of conducting business that is properly considered under the Uniform Parish Regulations and Parish By-Laws. The Parish Council remains willing to convene a properly petitioned Parish Assembly to consider any resolution that is in conformity with the Uniform Parish Regulations and the Parish By-Laws.

In the Lord's Service,

The Clergy and Parish Council of the Greek Orthodox Church Of Greater Salt Lake

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

LETTER FROM OUR ESTEEMED METROPOLITAN


GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF DENVER
July 23, 2010

Reverend Matthew Gilbert, Proistamenos
Reverend Michael Kouremetis, Proistamenos
The Esteemed Parish Council
Holy Trinity Cathedral/Prophet Elias Church
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
279 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Beloved in the Lord,

I am in receipt of a petition from the Salt Lake City area which has been signed by a number of households from the Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Salt Lake. From the signatures I see, I notice that there are four and five from the same household. I also notice that there are duplicate signatures of persons who have signed at least twice. I presume that all those from the same household are contributing members of the community.

Be that as it may, allow me to respond to the Exhibit "A" Resolution. I see that there are nine "Whereas" paragraphs:

1 "Whereas" is consistent with the Uniform Parish Regulations;

2 "Whereas" is consistent with the Uniform Parish Regulations;

3 "Whereas" is not consistent with the Uniform Parish Regulations. The resolution mentions an auxiliary bishop who purportedly relaxed the Uniform Parish Regulations. The fact of the matter is that, once the Ecumenical Patriarchate approves the Uniform Parish Regulations, no one has the right to relax any part of them, not even the Archbishop. Moreover, Article 15, Section 1 states, "Locally, the Parish is headed by a canonically ordained and duly appointed Priest. The assignment of such appointed Priest shall bind the Parish to the Archdiocesan Regulations and the Uniform Parish Regulations with the same force and effect as if the same were formally approved and adopted by the Parish." In addition, under Article 34, Section 1, we read, "The Parish Council shall be the custodian of all parish funds." Also, under Article 16, Section 1, "Parish property shall beheld andused bythe Parish... "

4 "Whereas" is not consistent with the Uniform Parish Regulations because the responsibility of raising and administering funds is the responsibility of the Parish Council, for which purpose the general membership voted for it to assume such responsibility. This "Whereas" takes away the responsibility of a properly-elected parish council.

5. "Whereas" is not consistent with the Uniform Parish Regulations, in that it usurps the responsibility of the Parish Council which was elected for the upkeep of the parish

6. “Whereas” is contrary to the Uniform Parish Regulations, in that it recognizes a separate body of individuals who usurp the authority of a properly-elected parish council.

7. "Whereas" is contrary to the Uniform Parish Regulations in that it ignores the existence of a canonically and legally elected parish council with the establishment of two secular entities not responsible to that council.

8. "Whereas" raises the question, "To whom has the aforementioned family given its gift? Was it to the church for tax-exempt purposes or to another entity that has no tax-exemption status"

9. "Whereas" mentions the funds given to the HCF, rather than to the Greek Orthodox Community of Greater Salt Lake. This has nothing to do with the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Consequently, the "BE IT RESOLVED" (1) is in total contradiction to the Uniform Parish Regulations because no parish assembly can contravene the Uniform Parish Regulations, not even the Archbishop.

Also, FURTHER RESOLVED (2), no parish assembly can move parish money out of the church treasury and give it to a secular body to do exactly what the Parish Council is responsible for doing, thus usurping the authority of the Parish Council regarding funds and property.

To continue, FURTHER RESOLVED (3), a parish assembly cannot support an entity which is separate from the parish because a parish assembly meets only to decide on parish issues as spelled out by the Uniform Parish Regulations. A parish assembly has no business meeting in order to consider an entity which is not officially a part of the community and the Parish Council.

And, finally, FURTHER RESOLVED (4) is totally in contradiction of the Uniform Parish Regulations in giving authority to two individuals who have not been elected as current members of the Parish Council, as previously noted.

Consequently, the request for the convening of a parish general assembly on the issues of Exhibit "A" RESOLUTION cannot be honored. General assemblies are held onlv to conduct the business of a parish, and they take place under the authority of the Parish Council, which represents the members of the parish who are faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Finally, as a hierarchical Church, which has come down to us from the days of the holy Apostles, we adhere to the canonical teachings which mean that no members of a given parish may go contrary to the administrative principles of our hierarchical structure, in order to organize separate entities which are separate from the body of our one, holy, and undivided Church. Specifically, "The Parish shall furthermore abide by the decisions of the Clergy-Laity Congresses, irrespective of whether it was represented thereat, the administrative determinations of the Archdiocesan Council, and such interim legislation as may be adopted between Congresses by the Archdiocesan Council (Article 15, Section 7)."

I believe that more than enough has been said to verify that there can be no general assembly held to decide issues which have nothing to do with matters which are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church, and with the Uniform Parish Regulations of our Archdiocese, which govern the administration of our parishes throughout the Archdiocese, without exceptions and contradictions.

With Paternal Blessings,

/s/

+ Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

Christian Love???

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

There is a parish nearby that received the two attached letters.

Such eloquence!!! Is there any doubt in any reader’s mind that Johnny, Jack and Chivas were co-authors of these συχαμένα letters.

These are letters that are written by a Hierarch of our faith that exude love, compassion, understanding of current economic conditions, etc.

The Denver Metropolitan will be known for his grasp of the issues and his expeditious way of dealing with them in a Christian way. He will also be known as being capable of destroying Greek Orthodox parishes single handedly and from within.

Have a nice time reading this drivel, poppycock, and claptrap.

Nick

P.S. I cannot wait to receive a copy of his letter to us as prefaced by our own Fr. Michael. It should also be a work of art.

Nick J. Colessides
Voice: 801/521-4441
Fax: 801/521-4452
Email: nick@nickjcolessides.com

BREAKING NEWS: The Letter We're About to Receive

Apparently, the Proistamenoi and Parish Council are about to send us this letter, assuming no further revisions and on official letterhead. (Click here to see the draft version not as yet on letterhead.) The text of this letter (below) also provides is a chilling description of what the Metropolitan has in store for us. (His letter is not as yet included). Read what's to come and weep - yet again.

July 27, 2010


Dear Parishioners,

On July 20, 2010 the Parish Council and the Clergy received a signed petition and a resolution. This resolution was copied and mailed to His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, to the Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese and to the Legal Counsel of the Metropolis by a chosen representative of the signers. The petition is requesting a special general assembly to act on the specific resolution.

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah has mailed the Clergy and the Parish Council of our Parish his response to the petition and resolution, which we have enclosed. He has denied the request for a General Assembly and has corrected actions that the General Assemblies have voted upon in the past which are in conflict with the “Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America”. The Parish Council will take corrective measures to correct these anomalies so that we, as a Parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, are in correct order with the Archdiocese.

In the Lord’s Service,


The Clergy and Parish Council of the Greek Orthodox Church
Of Greater Salt Lake

MODERATOR'S COMMENTS:

This community does not DESERVE such treatment from its clergy. It is high time we were able to check out some better-qualified candidates as our priests. Is it really too much to ask for priests

• who actually have some people skills;
• who might not have splitting this community and slandering long-standing stewards on their agenda;
• who do not prevaricate;
• who honor the honest needs and expressed will of the community;
• who work with all the members of the parish instead of their favored few;
• who foster and insist upon honest and transparent administrative practices;
• who put the Church before themselves;
• who love BOTH churches and honor all members in our community.

Oh, and while we're at it, how about having some parish council members who don't think they have "get into heaven FREE" cards, and who don't hyperventilate if the clergy look at them cross-wise while mentioning the "divinely inspired" UPRs, along with uncited canon law? How about parish council members who stick up for their church and community? Remember? The same community their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents built, first for the greater glory of the Lord, and then for us, their posterity!

A Follow-Up Regarding "Twisted Logic"

After conducting a bit of our own research into ecclesiastical law, we would like to offer a bit of follow-up to our previous blog article regarding "Ongoing Threats and Twisted Logic".

Not to attempt to argue, nor correct Metropolitan Isaiah about the use of the term “titular” Bishop, it is noteworthy that the 1964 Articles and Uniform Parish Bylaws, contain on page 3 the following references to “Bishop.”

On page 3 in the English version the term “Bishop,” “Archdiocesan District Bishop” “Bishop of the Archdiocesan District,” and “District Bishop” appear; the designations are used interchangeably.

In the Greek language there is only one designation that of “Βοηθού Επισκόπου”.

Except for the Archbishop, ALL Bishops in the United States of America WERE AND STILL ARE “Auxiliary Bishops” or “Βοηθοί Επίσκοποι” administratively, and “titular” Bishops ecclesiastically. The designation of a Metropolitan does not elevate an auxiliary Bishop to an Archbishop, unless he is a fully titled “Bishop;” not an auxiliary, nor a titular. When an Auxiliary Bishop is designated as a Metropolitan, he no longer uses the name of the City he had represented, and the position is deemed “widowed.”

Metropolitan Isaiah should not try to hoodwink his flock with his eloquence.

ONGOING THREATS AND TWISTED LOGIC

[Moderator's note: the excerpts in green italic font are taken verbatim from Metropolitan Isaiah's most recent letter, dated July 1, 2010 to this community.]

After going through a massive number of letters and comments regarding the abnormal and uncanonical situation which continues to exist in the community, and which will soon be resolved in the preservation of the Holy Canons and the Uniform Parish Regulations of our Archdiocese in the United States of America, please allow me to object to those individuals who have repeatedly taken the name of His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Olympos in ways, I am totally convinced, which are totally disrespectful to his reposing soul.

Yet more threats? Was it not the Metropolitan who promised to honor, albeit grudgingly, the "split survey vote" (87% AGAINST splitting the community) in his letter to this community, December 6, 2007?

The title of the deceased bishop reflects the fact that he was a titular bishop with no administrative authority. When a bishop has the title of a non-existent city, this indicates that he has no authority of his own and always responds to the wishes of his superiors. When Bishop Demetrios was located in Los Angeles, California, he served the ecclesiastical needs of the parishes. He never had any administrative responsibilities.

According to this tortured logic, bishops whose titles have included names of cities no longer in modern existence, have no administrative authority. This is utterly disingenuous. If we were to believe this, then it surely follows that His Eminence, who in 2002 was still Metropolitan Isaiah of Proikonisos (an ancient city in his title) had no administrative authority to disband a properly elected Parish Council in September 2002 in this city. Presumably, this would hold true with any and all other "administrative" actions he might have taken, while still Metropolitan of a no-longer existent church entity?

Bishop Demetrios had an ancient city affixed to his title; this has not been uncommon then or now. Nevertheless, he was the presiding hierarch of the Greek Archdiocese, Western States District, to which our church belonged at that time. If, in fact Bishop Demetrios had "no authority of his own" and always had to respond "to the wishes of his superiors...", then clearly he must have consulted those superiors in order to go ahead and send those letters under his signature. To say that Bishop Demetrios, eternal be his memory, had no administrative responsibilities or authority when he was our presiding bishop is to impugn his honor and his memory, and implies that he was a liar and a fraud by sending those letters and signing them! And it is not WE who have implied it!

Finally, when I was assigned as the assistant priest at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Salt Lake City in March 1962, under Father Steven Katsaris, who could not wait to leave the parish quickly enough, it was Archbishop Iakovos who assigned me, and not Bishop Demetrios.

There was only ONE Greek Orthodox church in this valley at that time. No one who was around then seems to recall anyone treating then-Father Isaiah so badly as to cause such rancor on his part. Further, nearly all parishioners in our memory held Father Katsaris in high esteem. Frankly, both the negative second-hand assertion about Fr. Katsaris and the fact of the Metropolitan's first assignment as a new priest are not relevant. It is simply clear that the Metropolitan, along with the Proistamenos-of-Prophet-Elias-only, holds our Cathedral campus and parishioners who mainly attend there, in great disdain. Inexplicably, the Metropolitan cannot resist demonstrating his contempt, both in how, and to where, he addresses his increasingly vitriolic missives. How sad and how unseemly.

May our loving God forgive those individuals who have been attempting to besmirch the name of my brother in the Lord, Bishop Demetrios, who was kind enough to do the funeral of my father in California. May these individuals be forgiven by our Lord Jesus Christ, and may the soul of Bishop Demetrios continue to rest in peace.

Interestingly, the Metropolitan fails to mention that Bishop Demetrios also ordained him to the priesthood in 1962 - a rather curious omission. Regardless, the only reason Bishop Demetrios might not be resting in peace is the assertion that he lacked any authority to affix his name to the letters he signed and sent to this community in 1964. That assertion was made by Metropolitan Isaiah, and NOT by anyone who holds the unity of this community dear.

Inexplicable Correspondence!

The latest letter from the Metropolitan, sent first class by the proistameno of Prophet Elias only, is both surprising and baffling. (Why are we still waiting for the last letter from the Metropolitan a portion of which was read at the last general assembly?) Surprising because it lacks the venom of his previous letters and baffling because I have no clue why it was sent. The letter implies that unseemly things have been written about the late Bishop of Olympos, Demetrios and have come to the attention of the Metropolitan of Denver.

I believe that the proistameno of Prophet Elias only, in his efforts to (mis)inform the Metropolitan about the happenings in this community, has yet again done a masterful job of providing this (mis)information resulting in the above letter which is very baffling. No one has spoken ill of the late Bishop of Olympos, Demetrios. Only the letters written at the time he was responsible for the "Greek Archdiocese Western States District" have been disseminated.

Your Eminence, all correspondence between this community in 1964 and the late Bishop of Olympos, Demetrios clearly shows he is "responding to the wishes of his superiors."
The proistameno of Prophet Elias only, in his quest to take control of money that was raised for specific purposes, has provided this (mis)informaton forcing Your Eminence to write a letter which makes absolutely no sense. As has been stated, no one has "besmirched" the name of the late Bishop of Olympos, Demetrios. Reading your letter, I believe that you have been badly misinformed.

Yannis Armaou

P.S. Your Eminence, as you state in your letter, you served at Holy Trinity which was the only church in Salt Lake City at the time. It is now a Cathedral.....
Clearly the existence of two Proistamenoi is only on paper. The proistameno of Prophet Elias only dictates (I believe even to you) what happens in our community.

WATCH THIS SPACE: The Ongoing Cost of Lost Opportunities

Our grandparents did GREAT things for our Church and Community from 1905 onward, and managed to create a THRIVING community even during the GREAT DEPRESSION. What can our current leadership claim as accomplishments?

Each day, from here forward, we will list an "action item" that COULD have been possible, had we not had the backward-thinking few, including backward-thinking clergy, engaged in OBSTRUCTING the efforts of many VISIONARIES in our community.

It is indeed TRAGIC to consider what, in this past decade, we might have accomplished:

1. Upgrades to provide safe, well-appointed Sunday School facilities at Holy Trinity
2. Repairs to mitigate water problems in basement Sunday School rooms at Prophet Elias
3. The Anthony G. Skedros Memorial Gymnasium
4. New rooms to facilitate the teaching of the Greek language
5. Repair and renovation of the Prophet Elias dome
6. A Hellenic Cultural Museum honoring our great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and OURSELVES (for heaven's sake!) along with providing our children and grandchildren with an ongoing reminder of their wonderful heritage!
7. An opportunity to purchase a valuable piece of downtown property which has since DOUBLED in value.

Many of these, along with others, might have been possible, might have been in the works. We might today be well on our way to having two updated, beautiful church campuses that would be a springboard to further the work of Christ in this valley, this region, this country.

Metropolitan Isaiah in 2005 said, "... every Greek Orthodox parish is owned by the general membership. This means that in the matter of revenues and property, the general membership makes all the decisions." In 2006 the general members His Eminence referred to VOTED by a 72% margin to go forward as a community with the Hellenic Community Foundation. The MINORITY prevailed upon the Metropolitan to stall this effort despite his own words and despite that vote. In 2009 the "go-ahead" was finally given. And now these same people seek once again to strangle this effort and to stagnate this community. We must not let that happen.

Action Required! - Looking Back to Move Forward

On November 15, 2005, Metropolitan Isaiah mailed a letter to the Parish. The complete letter can be viewed by clicking here. Metropolitan Isaiah stated in the last full paragraph of the first page the following:

First and foremost it must be stressed that every Greek Orthodox parish is owned by the general membership. ... This means that in the matter of revenues and property, the general membership makes all the decisions. (Emphasis added).

We urge all parishioners to sign a Petition calling for a Special General Assembly in order to implement Metropolitan Isaiah’s directive and move our community forward.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

/s/

Nick J. Colessides

Note: the Petition and all information materials may also be accessed on its separate blog page by clicking here.

A "Lesson" for All of Us???

In the latest Messenger, which one cannot find, at this date, online, we are asked to consider the following "...lesson for all of us."

We sin if we reckon that we owe it to our kinsfolk to hate those whom they hate. Such a hate infects us like a a hereditary disease. Adopting the loves of our kinsmen, we also adopt their hatreds. Even great spiritual giants were sometimes given to this weakness. Patriarch Theophilus could not bear Saint John Chrysostom, and remained his bitterest opponent to the end of his days. Saint Cyril, his kinsman and heir on the Alexandrian throne, inherited his hatred for Saint John and carried it himself for a long time. Saint Isidore of Pelusium exhorted Cyril in vain to change his mind about St. John Chrysostom and inscribe him in the Diptych of Saints, but Cyril was unable to overcome his ill-will. Then the Most Holy Mother of God, for whose honor and glory Saint Cyril had fought so fiercely against Nestorius, appeared to him in a vision, surrounded by angels and accompanied by Saint John Chrysostom in great glory, and the Most Pure Mother of God begged Saint John Chrysostom to forgive Cyril and embrace him. This vision completely reversed Cyril's attitude to Chrysostom, and he repented with shame that he had so hated him, doing his utmost for the rest of his life to glorify Saint John as a great saint of God.

--- Saint Nikolai Velimirovic

We submit that before our clergy in the latest Messenger ask us to consider this lesson, they themselves ought to consider it. Both Fr. Michael and Fr. Matthew have expressed a desire to live/retire here as our spiritual leaders, presumably, but also as members of our community. One would hardly know it.

Fr. Michael, in particular, has expressed an absolute disdain regarding Holy Trinity and the many parishioners in our greater community who mainly attend our original church, Holy Trinity - the CATHEDRAL in this city. Further, considering his attitude toward those who, a) have taken exception to his years-long UNWILLINGNESS to RARELY even set foot in the Cathedral, except when asked to perform services there (for which he undoubtedly receives "tychera" in addition to a handsome salary), and, b) his general disdain for those who still consider Holy Trinity, ALONG WITH PROPHET ELIAS (since it was the "spousal" extension when the community grew of Holy Trinity) their spiritual home we say the following:

First, this lesson needs to be espoused FIRST, by YOU, Fr. Michael, and please, while you are at it, ask Fr. Matthew to take it to heart as well, BEFORE you deem it necessary to remind your flock of its larger lessons. The Biblical exhortation of "physician, heal thyself!" comes directly to mind.

Second, while we, for generations now, may at times have some mild-to-intemperate differences of opinion among ourselves, we GENERALLY, do NOT adopt the notion that we have HATED those who our kinsfolk hate, or conversely, have indiscriminately LOVED, those who our kinsfolk might love.

Most of us have become educated enough, ENLIGHTENED enough, SECURE enough, to make decisions based on our faith, our experience, and our education and our God-given intelligence. And, despite any differences among us, we still LOVE and RESPECT each other.

These differences we have may or may not always be aligned with those of our current kinsfolk, and probably not always, as seems to be the case, with the mindset of today's clergy who perversely enough seem to wish to control all our thoughts and actions in order to "deem us worthy" for Christ's Kingdom. We know Christ is above such pettiness. As St. Nikolai's passage indicates, even our most revered and renowned clergy were sometimes guilty of the all-too-human frailty of finding fault, even with those considered among the most revered saints of our faith.

We would submit that those who sought to put forth this "lesson", which was undoubtedly aimed at those of us who might find fault with the all-too-evident failings our current leadership, take this lesson to heart THEMSELVES FIRST, before PRESUMING to ask others to consider it.

- The Moderators

Spring General Assembly.

A sad occurrence in the history of our Community

It is indeed a sad event what those of us who were allowed to participate and those who were not, saw unfolding on the premises of Prophet Elias. We were supposed to meet and expedite the usual business of our community, but before the meeting even began we started arguing about who was eligible to vote or not, resulting in angry conversations between board members and parishioners.

Of significance, however, during the Assembly, was the report given by our Internal Auditors on the financial status and business practices of our community, especially after several years of inactivity of any auditing committee.

The report was a masterpiece of unbelievable reality of mishandling and mismanaging proportions of the various funds and accounts of both church offices and for a great period of time. The Auditing Committee gave credit where credit was due, but by majority found fault to just about all facets of the community’s finances. For example, no one expected to read about the co-mingling of funds, the allowance of the clergy to write checks and foremost, to have the Church pay Internal Revenue Service the sum of almost $15,000.00 for negligence.

These and other findings in the Auditor’ Report are very serious in nature and substance and a recommendation should be made to the Board to incorporate it with the next Messenger so that the whole membership of our community take note and prepare itself to come to the Fall General Assembly ready to ask any relevant questions.

The correction(s) will take considerable time and those of us who were in attendance, and foremost, the members of the Auditing Committee, will be eager and anxious to find out when the Fall General Assembly convenes, if their labor of so many hours became a great benefit to our Community or a loss of their valuable time.

Sakis Sakellariou

Nick Colessides Comments on Yesterday's General Assembly

Dear Parishioners,

As one of the participants in yesterday’s General Assembly, I would like to express my personal thanks and gratitude to the following:

To Christina Gamvroulas for her most insightful comments about the total lack of integrity and leadership of the two Proistamenoi. It is worth saying it again to both of them: NTROPI, NTROPI.

To the Audit Team. A magnificent performance, by a group of high level professionals, showing what transparency should mean in our Parish.

To the Chairman of the General Assembly who allowed everybody to speak and did not use the old ploy of “out of order” used by past chairmen. Thank you for allowing us all to participate equally.

Best regards,

Nick J. Colessides

P. S. If you think it appropriate please free to disseminate to others. (Click here for the link to this post.)

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.

Now he wants WHAT?

Several years ago our community began raising funds for the renovation of our Holy Trinity Cathedral through the Hellenic Heritage Campaign. In addition to renovating our Holy Trinity Cathedral, several projects were included relating to the Holy Trinity campus. The then parish council was instructed by the general assembly how these funds were to be administered.

In the 8 years the proistameno of Prophet Elias only has been here, there has never been an attempt to access these funds outside their specific purpose. That all has changed beginning with the "Skedros" funds. These funds were raised for a specific purpose and should remain where they are so the project can be completed.

As such, the following letter is being sent to Metropolitan Isaiah:

Yannis Armaou
2751 Highland Dr.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

May 26, 2010

Via fax: 303/333-7796
Original via mail

His Grace Bishop Isaiah
Metropolitan of Denver
4550 East Alameda Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80246-1208

Invocation of Article 35 of the Uniform Parish Bylaws
Addendum B

Request is hereby made by and the undersigned do hereby request the application of the dispute resolution process prescribed by Article 35, Addendum B, of the Uniform Parish Bylaws, the “UPRs” hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Addendum,”

The undersigned are parishioners as the term is defined under the terms of the Addendum.

A dispute has arisen as it relates to the control and appropriation of certain funds, the “funds” held by the custodian of said funds National Financial Services. The funds were collected for the specific purpose of creating and financing the Cathedral Campus construction of Sunday School rooms, and other community wide improvements as more particularly set forth in the Cathedral’s master plan. The master plan was originally created by Chris Kamanges, AIA, and the local firm of architects Stransky et. al. The funds were generated and raised by the Hellenic Heritage Campaign Committee, the “Committee.” The Committee was established solely by express authority of the General Assembly.

The Parish Council has demanded that the funds be under the exclusive control of the Parish Council. The Parish Council position and demand for control of the money, and the use of the money for use as the operational expenses of the Parish is contrary to the UPRs, and the express position espoused by Metropolitan Isaiah.

The undersigned verily believe that the funds belong exclusively under the jurisdiction of, and may be expended by, and are controlled by, and appropriated by the General Assembly, George Metos, and Manoli Sargetakis, two of the three signatories to the account as the account is now established and administered at National Financial Services. The undersigned wish to participate in the dispute resolution both personally and by counsel of their choice.

Relief requested: The undersigned request that the funds remain in the custody of the Bapis Group, subject only to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Parish General Assembly, and also subject to the here signatory requirement, as directed by the General Assembly.

The undersigned believe that the best way to resolve the dispute is to invoke the provisions of Article 35 and the Addendum, and its appellate processes. Please note and apply the provisions relating to conflicts of interest.

Dated this 25th day of May, 2010.

/s/

Yannis Armaou

cc: Rev Fr. Michael Kouremetis, via fax: 801/424-1296
Rev Fr. Matthew Gilbert, via fax: 801/328-9688
Mr. Jim Mylonakis, President, via fax: 801/328-9688
Mr. Michael Petrogeorge, Esq., Secretary, via fax: 801/328-9688
Mr. Andrew Kornreich, President, Director HighTower, via fax: 773/326-0994

(handwritten post-script added, as follows:)

UPRs have never been followed since Fr. Kouremetis came to SLC.
The Parish Council is hand-picked to serve his agenda!
Leave the money where it is!
Nick Bapis has done so much for this community.

Still waiting.........

Seven weeks ago (on Holy Friday) the proistameno of Prophet Elias only was feverishly scampering to mail the letter which was the cause of a chain reaction of letters leaving several beloved members of our community wondering as to their ecclesiastical status. The last of this chain of letters was explained to the parish council by the proistameno of Prophet Elias only at their recent meeting. In this instance, there was no feverish scampering by the proistameno of Prophet Elias only to mail THIS letter from the Metropolitan to the community.

As we have read, the Metropolitan's first letter of April 16, 2010 was harsh in tone even saying to these members, "From the standpoint of the Church, this is outright robbery. " After listening to more than one side, the Metropolitan, to his credit, changed his position.

Some questions remain unanswered:

• Why hasn't the proistameno of Prophet Elias only and the parish council mailed this letter to the concerned parties and to the community?
• Why wasn't the same urgency exercised with this letter as the one of Good Friday?
• Why is the proistameno of Prophet Elias only holding tight to this letter?
• Do the contents of this letter conflict with the agenda of the proistameno of Prophet Elias only?
• Is the proistameno of Prophet Elias only stalling to convince the Metropolitan to change the decision to fit his agenda?
• Why have the people initially accused not been contacted regarding their ecclesiastical status?
• Is there a fear that this latest letter exposes our assigned clergy to the community?

Answers and accountability from our assigned clergy and parish council certainly IS EXPECTED.

ΗΓΓΙΚΕΝ Η ΩΡΑ

Theater of the Absurd? The Met’s Mixed Messages to this Community

In a letter dated November 15, 2005, our Metropolitan in meeting with Messrs. Gamvroulas, Katsohirakis, and Metos, along with Father Kouremetis, discussed a plan to follow upon the success of the Hellenic Heritage Campaign by creating the Hellenic Heritage Committee. In this letter, it is quite clear that the Metropolitan encouraged development of proposals surrounding this plan. He clearly understood such an entity’s purpose.

That entity, ratified by 72% of a well-attended general assembly meeting the following November (2006), was established. Having lost this vote in the general assembly, for the next three years, opponents of this plan prevailed upon the Metropolitan to set up obstacles to its inception. Its work was finally permitted to begin last year in 2009. Yet, in his letter dated April 16, 2010, one would think Metropolitan Isaiah had never heard of any such plan as was described to him five years earlier!

With the establishment of the Hellenic Community Foundation, the Gregory Skedros Family, as described in Mr. Skedros’ letter to the Metropolitan realized that they had an excellent opportunity to put their monies (temporarily left in an account controlled by the parish council since the HCC campaign had ended), into an account under the aegis of the Hellenic Community Foundation. The foundation’s stated purposes ideally suited the family's wishes for the use of these funds toward the building of The Anthony G. Skedros Memorial Gymnasium adjacent to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The transfer of funds was duly approved by the legally designated trustees of the account: Mr. Nick Varanakis (the now-resigned president of the community), Mr. George Metos, and Mr. Manoli Sargetakis. Mr. Nick Bapis, as the investment manager of the church accounts, first through Morgan Stanley, then through Hightower Investments/The Bapis Group, duly and legally transferred the monies. Four months later, the parish council noticed the transfer and objected.

Having discovered the transfer, the parish council demanded that Mr. Bapis return the Skedros monies to their original account. Yet, the monies were transferred according to correct procedures, and Mr. Bapis informed the council that he lacked any legal authority to comply with their request. While sending Mr. Bapis a letter chastising him and threatening legal action, the parish council also demanded that Mr. Skedros ask for the return these monies. After consulting with legal and financial counsel, the Skedros family informed the parish council that returning the monies would cause Gregory Skedros, and the fund, to lose about 20 per cent of the fund’s value in tax liabilities, which would impact Mr. Skedros personally as well.

Our Metropolitan seems to forget that in 2005 he approved and applauded the establishment of such an entity, namely the HCF. Further, he seemingly ignores the fact that the Skedros Family have been long-time, ardent supporters of our church, having served as parish council officers, choir members, athletes, and faithful stewards. He has allowed his proistamenoi and their handpicked parish council to defame and chastise Mr. Nick Bapis, an archon, a member of Leadership 100, as well as a long-time, generous supporter of this community himself in a variety of leadership roles.

The Metropolitan has allowed the parish council to accept the resignation of Mr. Nick Varanakis, an ELECTED president of this parish council. This, because Mr. Varanakis, along with the other two trustees, Mr. Metos and Mr. Sargetakis, simply followed a perfectly reasonable request to properly transfer the Skedros monies, as the trustees had a couple of times before with other smaller accounts, with no resulting outcry from the Proistamenoi and the parish council whatsoever.

Yet, surprisingly, the Metropolitan saves his greatest wrath for the board members of the newly (finally!) created Hellenic Community Foundation – the same entity he discussed in glowing terms in 2005! However, in 2010, the Metropolitan claims “they (sic) who are responsible for this sinful act (the transfer of the Skedros monies) have … excommunicated themselves from the Church…and he threatens their formal excommunication!

Those who are responsible for the transfer of these monies are not the members of the HCF. The Skedros Family reasonably and properly made this request. The trustees reasonably and properly honored this request. Mr. Bapis, as the investing manager, reasonably and properly followed this LEGAL request (and he may not LEGALLY reverse it as the parish council has demanded of him).

Yet it is the board of directors of the Hellenic Community Foundation – among whose members are yet another member of Leadership 100, Mr. Douglas Anderson, along with several former Parish Council members, the current president of the Orthodox Christian Laity, Bill Souvall, and other prominent Greek Orthodox professionals in our community – on whom our hierarch has inexplicably turned the full measure of his wrath. Yet again (since he saw how well this action turned out the FIRST time?) our Metropolitan has promised to wield, cruelly and arbitrarily, the most extreme punishment to be given to an Orthodox Christian.

In terms of Ancient Greek theater it is as if Metropolitan Isaiah has chosen the chorus of this odd play as the villain. (In ancient Greek plays, the chorus is simply there to provide continuity, remarks, and background information. They are not the active participants of the story.) The newly formed board of the HCF was just beginning its work. Its members played no role in these events; yet it is highly obvious that there are persons in this community that want this group disbanded. Why else would these people be pointed out – SINGLED OUT – as the sole “villains” in this situation?

It is a shame that ancient Greek playwrights are not alive. They would have turned this bizarre set of circumstances into either a fine tragedy or a first-class farce.

- Barbara Billinis Colessides

Letter from Metropolitan Isaiah - November 15, 2005

(To see original document, click here)

GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF DENVER

November 15, 2005

Reverend Michael Kouremetis, Proistamenos
The Esteemed Parish Council
Holy Trinity Cathedral and Prophet Elias Church
5335 Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Beloved in the Lord,

I am in receipt of your letter from Father Michael Kouremetis dated November 4, 2005.

The content of the letter has to do with the meeting I had on Saturday, October 29, 2005 with Father Kouremetis, Mr. Chris Gamvroulas, Mr. Kosta Katsohirakis, and Mr. George Metos. At that meeting I was presented with a tentative plan regarding the proper use of the properties owned by the members of the community around the Holy Trinity Cathedral and across the street on 300 West.

My understanding of the plan was to utilize those adjacent properties in ways that would create a restricted fund strictly for the purpose of building new facilities for the benefit of the Cathedral for appropriate classrooms, banquet facilities, a gymnasium, and also for a Hellenic Cultural Museum. The basic purpose of their plan is, as the committee mentioned, to bring new life into the ministries of the Cathedral.

Because of the fact that our parishes should not operate apartment buildings, parking lots, and other operations that belong strictly to the secular world, I do believe that the committee has been thinking clearly in this matter.

First and foremost it must be stressed that every Greek Orthodox parish is owned by the general membership. All real estate and all revenues belong to the membership. Neither the Archdiocese, nor the Metropolis, nor any other entity can claim title to the revenues and the property of a canonical parish, since each parish is separately incorporated in the city and state in which it exists. This means that in the matter of revenues and property, the general membership makes all the decisions.

What you must be very careful of is to follow the proper procedures. First, was the Hellenic Heritage Campaign Committee established by the General Assembly? What kind of responsibilities was the committee given? This must be very clear. Second, if a separate corporation is being considered, it must be such as to be under the legal authority of the general membership so that the members of the Cathedral do not forfeit their control of any real estate or revenues of any kind. This is in accordance with the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese.

On the basis of what I was told at the meeting on Saturday, October 29, 2005, I encourage you to allow the Hellenic Heritage Committee to continue to develop its proposals so that the Holy Trinity Cathedral may become as active as it was when, with God's blessings, I served there in my first assignment and I will always see the Cathedral as my first spiritual home.
Finally, I urge the committee to fine tune its plan and proposal, so that the general membership will realize that it must not depend on the finances of a new entity to cover all the costs of operating the Cathedral, but each and every member must be a faithful steward of the parish and give to the Church and to the Lord not less than ten percent of his or her net income on an annual basis. Only in this way will our holy Apostolic faith shine among the citizens of Salt Lake City and of the entire State of Utah.

I commend the gentlemen with whom I met on October 29,2005, and am most appreciative to them for sacrificing much of their time and using their God-given talents to help breathe new life into the Cathedral.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, the Establisher of the Church and our holy Faith, bless every member of the Salt Lake City community to the glory of God and for their inheritance of eternal life in His coming Kingdom.

With paternal blessings,

/s/

+ Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

Mitch Manousakis Speaks from the Heart

Xristos Anesti to all. May the light of our Lord God & Savior Jesus Christ intercede and bring peace, love, and the true faith taught us by our beloved Orthodox faith back to us.

My family emigrated to this country in 1947 which was the era of the civil uprising in Greece. One reason we emigrated was to get away from the dictators and the "Prodotes" that were trying to take over our country and our lives. My father, while very poor, brought one thing to Price, Utah with him. It was a beautiful Icon of our Lord with the Panagia which he was able to hide from the Germans. He, upon arrival, gave this icon to the church in Price and is still displayed in the altar. I believe that most of our ancestors had this kind of love for our faith, the Orthodox Church. Indeed, they would not be very happy or proud of what is going on here today.

Suddenly I feel the same frustration and fear here in our community as I did during the 1940's in Greece.

Reading the Metropolitan's letter, I just cannot believe that such hateful, vengeance, and threatening words can come from the people that are supposedly teaching us forgiveness, love of our fellow man, repentance etc. To attack the character of the people the Metropolitan is threatening with excommunication is just beyond my ability to even remotely understand. These people for the most part are and have always been pillars of our parish. They have given so much in both service and financial support that makes it unthinkable to slander them in such a fashion. How dare anyone accuse them of taking anything from our church and of all things, calling them robbers of the parish. These accusers should hang their head in shame.

I have held the fast during this past preparation for the resurrection of our lord. When it came time to take Holy Communion, I could not bring myself to approach and receive the healing of the body and blood of our Lord because I was so troubled with the people administering it and the terrible things they are perpetuating in our community. I know that I am wrong in doing this but being the weak sinner that I am, I felt I was approaching fire instead of salvation. I pray for forgiveness because I blame my spiritual leaders partially for this feeling.

In closing, I believe that if people like the Skedros Family, the Bapis Family and the HCF Board of Directors who are being considered for excommunication, then even though I may be of a much lesser value to this parish and may have done far less, I would like and consider it an honor to be added to this list for excommunication. At any rate the environment that has been created in our parish here has no resemblance to the church that my parents brought me up in and that I have belonged to for over seventy years.

- Mitch Manousakis

Joseph M. Kalodimos Responds to Metropolitan Isaiah

April 25, 2010

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver
4550 East Alameda Avenue
Denver, CO 80246-1208

Indeed He is Risen!

Your Eminence Isaiah:

Customarily, I'd ask for your blessing but I'm not sure that is appropriate from the tenor with which I write regarding the matter in our Greek Orthodox Community in Salt Lake City, Utah. I must voice my disdain for your unorthodox-ed, distorted, and thoughtless admonition which you have so blatantly and distastefully penned to specific members of the community at large. It is offensive as are these other letters which have been drafted and signed from our Clergy and Board Members that propagate this smear campaign on specific parishioners. This must stop now! These people have spent much of their lives' serving to the best of their abilities, through their own personal faith and knowledge in Christ Jesus our Lord and you as well as others, have managed to tarnish the reputations of these fine Christians in an indelible manner. This is a travesty and the fallout will be immeasurable for many years. The question I must ask you is this: Who will be held accountable for this?

Additionally, I am not certain of who is informing you of the "facts" in this situation (of which I'm not totally privy to either). My guess is your “informants” are limited to a few “hand-picked” souls probably on the Finance Committee of the Church and of course, the Proistamenos of Prophet Elias. It certainly wouldn’t be prudent for you to rely on sources like these fine Christians who have served the community in some cases, for decades like those whom you are assaulting. It seems better from your perspective to rely on these other “infallible” sources. What I can say, based on my experience within the Orthodox Faith, is the situation is being handled rashly. Now I know I’m not as reliable as your preferred sources but I’m certain that there are guidelines in the Holy Scriptures, examples from the Church Fathers and from the Saints on handling problems with brothers in Christ concerning "matters" of Faith. Sadly, instead of using these resources which I hope you have been trained in from all of your extensive Theological training, you’ve decided to employ coercive, strong-arm scare tactics to extort and bully these Christians into performing your dictates. Apparently, your use of the word "excommunication" is the only recourse you have chosen to intimidate and to resolve your "disciplinary" situations. I believe that your repeated use of the "E" word (excommunication) is being abused and I would like to add that this remedy is rarely applied within the Holy Church. In my 13 years of being an Orthodox Christian, it is only here in Utah that have I witnessed your repeated abuse of this form of discipline. By the way, I don't recall our Lord ever abusing his power nor intimidating others as you do by swinging the "E” word as if it were a baseball bat at a North Side rumble from my old neighborhood. This is truly alarming! Surely, there must be another way to handle issues. One only need to look at the example of Jesus to see how he would handle these types of situations: with meekness tempered with love.

Also, you speak of Our Holy Faith and use phrases recognized as "Orthodox". My question to you and these other authors is: Why is it that the only quotes in these letters refer to the Uniform Parish Regulations (UPR's) and not the Holy Canons (i.e. Pedalion), Scriptures (i.e. Book of Job, Matthew 28), and as equally important, the voices of Our Church Fathers (i.e. Evergetinos, Philokalia)? Are the UPR's the "new" directive in today's Orthodoxy? Is the use of the UPR's yet another "innovation" brought into the Faith here in America? Or are these "older and outdated" sources no longer relevant in this day and age and take second place to the UPR's? Something is wrong with this picture that you are painting!

Lastly, although I am perplexed at your method for handling this situation, I am concerned with the effect in the long-run. Haven't you ever heard "weigh it before you say it" or in this case, pen it? These letters may have caused irreparable damage to reputations without any forethought. Rumors are abounding now of embezzlement, stealing, even "robbery" within the community and, individuals outside of the community are questioning the events within our community because care has NOT been exercised in the handling of this matter! Even your bold indictment of what has been done is nothing short of "robbery"! In the future prior to writing another letter, you also might consult these very fine Christians for their side of the story to prior to threats of “self-excommunication”. As a side note, just how in the world did you come up with this term? I did not know it was possible to “self-excommunicate”. I apologize since I have never read about this so it is a first for me to see this term so please forgive my ignorance. I know I have never received “proper” training from seminary (this could be said of others too) and by some standards (i.e. Father Michael) in the community I am not “theologically” qualified since I am suggesting crazy ideas such as referring to the Holy Scriptures, Church Fathers, Canons, and don’t forget the Saints. In fact, I must be from outer space-just another uniformed, religious zealot- who will more than likely be mentioned as an example from the Ambon as some “unlearned hick” in this next Sunday’s sermon.

In closing, I hope that this situation can be resolved by including these fine people who have been “alleged” not indicted into the solution. It might also make sense to come here and manage the situation first-hand because I believe you are receiving one distorted side of the “facts”. Also, please employ consistency in your methods for handling error (if this is truly the case). I cannot understand why you appear to conveniently quote a Canon or these “secular” UPR’s when it seems to suit your agenda rather than using what the God has given to us through the Church: the Scriptures, the Church Fathers, and the Saints. You may find that it may lend some credibility to your agenda-even to an ignorant, uniformed, untrained, zealot like me.

May God have mercy on us!

Sincerely,

Joseph M Kalodimos

Mr Joseph M Kalodimos
8047 Willow Stream Drive
Sandy, UT 84093

cc: His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
His Grace Bishop Adonios

Matthew Hedberg Responds to Metropolitan Isaiah

Dear members of the Greek Orthodox Community,

It has been sometime since I last wrote. It was my hope that the Hierarchical Clergy would work with the elder members of the community toward the restoration of the strained bond between our Parish and the Archdiocese. I feared that my voice, being admittedly young and naïve by comparison, could have been detrimental to the healing process; so I bit my tongue. After reading the latest words of Metropolitan Isaiah however, I cannot in good conscience, remain silent.

I find the latest correspondence from Denver to be the most revolting piece of literature I have ever seen directed towards this community. Never before have I been so disappointed by the actions of our current Metropolitan. I literally trembled with rage as I read what I perceived to be acidic, personal attacks, perpetrated against the characters of my fellow parishioners, my spiritual family members. As such, I struggle to compose a tempered response, and will ask forgiveness for the abrasiveness of my wording in this letter.

Interpreting the actions of the Skedros family, and donors who have contributed to the development of the gift they bestowed upon this community as robbery, is beyond any trace of reason or logic; as is the erroneous labeling of the Hellenic Community Foundation as “anti-Archdiocese.” Many of the men and women maligned in the Bishop’s letter are individuals with whom I have very close relationships. They have been friends and mentors throughout my life. They have been nurturing guides to me as I grew up in this community alongside many of their children. They are Sunday school teachers, choir members, Parish Council representatives, festival volunteers, respected stewards, and preeminently; GOOD PEOPLE. To terrorize these individuals and our community by holding above our collective head a theological guillotine comprised of rhetoric regarding The Day and Hour Unknown, and threats of excommunication, is, in my lay opinion, unequivocally ill-conceived and inappropriate. I believe this type of behavior can serve only a detrimental role in the ever evolving relationship between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Greek Orthodox Community of Salt Lake City.

I hope and pray that in the future all will renounce such aggressive and non-Christian tactics, look past the politics and balance sheets, and come together under the banner of forgiveness and love our Church was founded upon. So that open, honest dialogue can lay the foundation for reconciliation, and a renewal of the Church’s true purpose in serving the spiritual needs of the Parish.

Sincerely,

Matthew Hedberg

Concern Grows Within the Community

Moderator's Note: We have received permission from Mr. Deneris to publish his letter of concern for our community; it was originally e-mailed to Nick J. Colessides.

Dear Nick,

I’m not sure you know who I am, but I am a member of the community, and a lifelong friend of Chris Gamvroulas’ (and Pete’s family in general). Chris sent me this email chain and the attached letters. I don’t profess to know the details of this situation, nor the motivations of all the players that seem to be involved. I do know a pile of half-truths and lies when I see one though, and to question the integrity of Chris and the others named in this letter is precisely that. It seems clear to me that this is the latest tactic in the power struggle with the Archdiocese over the HCF, and one more attempt to eliminate it. Unfortunately, the Metropolitan has resorted to extreme language and tactics, and seemingly based on inaccurate assumptions and partial facts. Whatever the reasons and motivations, accusing the people named in the letter of “robbery” is over the top. We have truly gone astray when we attack our own this way, especially when everyone knows where the money is, it’s all accounted for, and legally, it’s where the trustees wanted it to be!

I don’t’ know what I can do to help, but I wanted to send you a note letting you know I am disgusted by the excommunication language, the accusations of theft, and the outright attack on the characters of some of the most dedicated and service oriented people in our community. If you see a way for me to help clear their names, let me know.

Sincerely,

Charles Deneris