State of Small Parishes in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

relates to the State of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

By George Matsoukas

Orthodox Christian Laity - December 21, 2004

It is interesting that the National Herald attempts to evaluate the condition of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese based on the condition of the smaller parishes in the United States and their inability to sustain their ministry and mission.  The problem is part of the bigger picture of the inability of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to come to grips with its ministry in the United States.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, its archbishop, its Patriarchal nuncio and its appointed leaders believe that it is established to be a lobby for the interests of foreign ethnic and national entities, specifically the country of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey.  The Archbishop sees himself as the lobbyist of these two entities.  Just check out his weekly schedule.  He sees more "foreign" visitors in his office than he sees faithful American parishioners or church leaders and religious leaders from the United States or the world. His travels abroad are extensive and his participation in parish life at home is minimal.

The leadership of the Archdiocese has presided over the dismemberment of the Archdiocese so that it has no members as it claims in the legal papers it filed in the courts of New York.  The Archdiocese has separated itself from the faithful.  As it attempts to increase its revenues from the parishes which are made up of people that the Archdiocese claims are not part of its organizational structure, those same faithful parishioners must ask how much of their money is spent by the Archdiocese on representing the special foreign interests that its archbishop is busy running around representing?  What is the percentage of our money used for lobbying?  Is the Archdiocese registered as an entity for foreign interests as well as a non-profit religious organization?

The dilemma of all parishes in the Archdiocese is due to the lack of genuine Christian leadership that is concerned with the souls of the People of God who live in North America.  How can churches, large or small, be in existence for almost one hundred years in a community and not have replaced its congregation by reaching out to the unchurched in the neighborhoods where these churches exist?  The answer lies in the fact that our churches are ethnic clubs.  We put more energy into ethnic festivals, preserving Greek cooking, language and dancing than in ministering to the lesser of God's children.    The clergy and laity do not understand that Christ commissioned them to preach to all people.  Our leadership thinks that you have to be Hellenized to be saved.  Therefore, our churches languish.  The Holy Spirit, which is present everywhere and fills all creation, finds fruit in other churches in our community.

This particular Archbishop knows better than anyone else what needed to be done when he was enthroned.  He sold the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese out to the foreign interest groups during his five-year reign, and he will have to answer to God for the sellout.  In the meantime, all parishes in America, large and small, are not fulfilling their mission as charged to them by Jesus Christ, and the Archdiocese is shrinking.  Only a unified Orthodox Christian Church in America, governed by a canonical synod composed of clergy and laity, can cause the renewal of the Church so that it grows and flourishes in North America.