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Greek Orthodox Stewards of America - May 31, 1999

     NEWS

In Metropolitan Methodios' Letter to Parish Priests and Faithful
of Diocese of Boston Regarding June 5, 1999 Clergy Laity Conference,
Metropolitan Methodios Says Withholding of Funds
Would Violate Uniform Parish Regulations
and Would "Only Hurt the Very Church We Love and Serve."

GREEK ORTHODOX DIOCESE OF BOSTON

May 11, 1999

To the Parish Priests and faithful of the Diocese of Boston

Reverend brothers and friends,

As we approach the Clergy-Laity Conference on June 5, I am happy to bring to your attention that His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon has graciously accepted our invitation to attend and participate. Because the Greek Afternoon School graduation exercises of the Diocese will be held in the same auditorium of the Cathedral Center, the Conference must end by 3:00 p.m. It is, therefore, imperative that the Conference begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and that questions to the presenters of the various reports concisely articulate your thought.

The program for the day will follow the format of a General Assembly. Items on the agenda of special interest will be: Hellenic College-Holy Cross, the Internet Ministries of the Church, a detailed report of the Archdiocese Finances, and a progress report on the Diocese of Boston Camp and Conference Center.

We are all aware of the ongoing issues confronting our Archdiocese. Stories, letters, proclamations and paid advertisements have appeared in various newspapers and on the Internet. Several communities have convened General Assemblies where parishioners expressed their concerns and opinions in the form of Resolutions. Parishioners have attended various unofficial meetings and forums where particular viewpoints were promoted. At these gatherings decisions were taken that are clearly in violation of the Charter and Uniform Parish Regulations of our Archdiocese and would only hurt the very Church we love and serve in various capacities.

Our Clergy-Laity Conference on June 5 will give community representatives the opportunity to listen attentively to the reports which will be presented, to ask questions and to engage in an honest, respectful and open dialogue with Archbishop Spyridon. The issues of our Church must be discussed in a Christian atmosphere of openness, not secrecy, collegiality, not autocracy; charity, mercy, forgiveness and love not vindictiveness, retaliation, rancor or divisiveness. It is my hope that this Conference will be an historic milestone, so that we may begin investing our time and energies on focusing on the future of our Church and the opportunities presented to Orthodoxy by the new millennium.

Looking forward to seeing you on June 5, I remain,

With love in the Risen Lord,

† METHODIOS

Metropolitan of Aneon
Presiding Hierarch
Diocese of Boston

[ Greek Orthodox Stewards of America
  www.gostewards.org/news/n99053101.htm
  May 31, 1999 ]