COO2

Message of the Chief Operating Officer, Cont’d

Tithing is rooted in the bible and by getting back to our roots, we remove yet another layer of the veneer which hides the beautiful wood that is the foundation of the Church.

As an Accountable and Transparent Church, we are committed to making sure that in the temporal administration of the Church, everything we do is done and known by all. Pastoral, canonical, ecclesiastical, spiritual and liturgical matters fall within the competence of the Archbishop and the clergy but, even in these areas, they are supported and assisted by the various councils and committees of the Church so that in all things a spirit of conciliarity and good order prevails among us. Because we are Church, we must hold ourselves accountable to higher standards of ethics and morality. We must not only be accountable to each other, we must also be accountable for each other.

While the Church is, without question, hierarchical, it is also conciliar. While each of us has specific roles and responsibilities to carry out in the Church, we nevertheless work together to achieve what is good and pleasing to God. Our desire, as we seek to rebuild the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church, is to create a community that operates not only from the top down, but from the bottom up. It starts with the bishop who, as the shepherd of the flock, guides and directs us, watches over us and keeps us safe. He is also our father, who maintains good order in the household and who delegates to his children specific tasks, duties and responsibilities which help him maintain an efficient, productive and honorable household and a loving, caring and united family. As a loving and caring father, he teaches us and gives us the tools and skills we need to stand on our own two feet; he encourages us to put the gifts we have been given to good use for the Church and for others; and he corrects us in love and charity when we go astray. The bishop must be an example to us all of service and humility, of love and patience, of kindness and compassion, of conviction and strength, of piety and faith, and of sound ethical and moral behavior. By being a good example to us of all these virtues, we too will learn and acquire them in our own lives and be able to pass them on from one generation to the next.

This website is intended to convey these beliefs and affirm them publicly to all who visit here online and may not have the opportunity to engage us personally. As you continue your visit with us, you will notice that while there is a wealth of information contained herein, there are, as well, many pages which are still “under construction.” Additionally, you will notice that many of the positions listed in the various Vicariates, departments and offices of the Archdiocese are unfilled. We have done this purposely and with good reason. As part of being a stewardship and tithing church, we would like to see each member of the Church step up to the plate and volunteer to take on one or more of the ministries and functions described herein, giving of their time and individual gifts to the work of the Church and the building up of the Body.

While it seems like there are many “positions”, creating a very “personnel” heavy “administration”, such is not the case. These “positions” are works of ministry and service that each member of the Church can participate in by giving of their time and talent. This is good stewardship as well as a element of tithing. When we tithe, we give not only of our financial and material resources, but of our time and talent as well. The positions described will not be located in some central office building. On the contrary, the incumbents for each “position” will perform their assigned duties from their own parish, mission or fellowship or even from their own homes.

We all share in the priesthood of Christ thus we are all empowered to undertake the work of the Lord, each according to his or her own unique gifts and talents. By setting forth all the various ministries, programs and services in this website and the human and financial resources needed to implement and sustain them, it is our hope to attract, motivate and empower the saints to make real and tangible the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ in every community in which we have a parish, mission or fellowship.

The principal role and function of the “Central Church Administration” is to empower, develop, motivate, and guide the faithful in the use of their individual gifts and talents on behalf of and for the Church and the betterment of society. The Chancery Office and the Vicariates, departments and offices of the Church exist for the support and coordination of our common efforts to evangelize, preach, educate, sanctify and serve all God’s people. But, those efforts find fruitful results at the parish, mission and fellowship levels. Our parishes, missions and fellowships are where the seeds of faith are planted, nurtured and grow. The Central Church Administration provides the tools and assistance necessary to ensure that such efforts are successful and fruitful. As the Archbishop has always insisted, we are co-workers with you in the Lord’s vineyard and are equally responsible and accountable to God for what belongs to Him.

There is no place in the Church for egos, despots, personal agendas, ambition, political correctness or politics. All of these, as the Archbishop says, are incompatible with the life of a Christian. If one or more of them is present in the Church, then Christ is not in our midst and we are no longer the Church.

In the work of rebuilding the Italo-Greek Orthodox Church, you will come to learn quickly that we are serious about being Church and about being Orthodox Christian. Our intent is to be faithful, honorable and devoted disciples of Christ, living our faith in a vibrant, loving and supportive faith community serving God, His Church, each other and the world with love, compassion and joy in our hearts.

Please come back and visit us often and, if the Holy Sprit so moves you, come and join us in our journey of faith as we continue to discover God’s presence among us and experience His indescribable love as we serve others in the name of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace,

Phillip G. Barker, Jr.

Chief Operating Officer