Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Regular Session of Diocesan Council

February 10, 2014
Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Regular Session of Diocesan Council

On Monday, February 10, a regular meeting of the Eastern American Diocesan Council was held in Howell, NJ, presided over by the Diocese’s ruling bishop, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

Taking part in the meeting were:

- Bishop George of Mayfield
- Archpriest Victor Potapov
- Archpriest Serge Lukianov – diocesan secretary
- Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell)
- Archpriest Mark Mancuso
- Priest Alexandre Antchoutine
- Deacon George Temidis
- Deacon Michael Wengrin – diocesan treasurer
- Reader Peter Lukianov – director of the diocesan media office
- Reader Gregory Levitsky – recording secretary
- Mr. Serge R. Lopoukhine

The meeting began at 10:55 AM. In light of the important matters to be discussed, a moleben before Every Good Work was served before the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, followed by the intoning of "Memory Eternal" for the newly reposed servant of God Nicholas Lopoukhine, longtime warden of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY and uncle of Council member Serge Lopoukhine.

The minutes of the November 5, 2013 meeting were reviewed and, after some corrections, were unanimously approved. Council members then discussed several issues of importance to the life and administration of the Diocese:

1) A new Spanish-language mission in Miami, FL is in the process of being brought into the Diocese. The Apostolic Mission of Christ Church has been functioning in Miami for several decades as part of an uncanonical jurisdiction and has reached out to Metropolitan Hilarion to be regularized and received into the Eastern American Diocese. Archpriest Peter Jackson will be transferred from Sts. Theodore Church in Buffalo, NY to serve the Spanish-speaking community in Miami, which will also afford him greater access to diocesan missions in the Caribbean. The parish council of the Apostolic Mission of Christ has also organized a full-time Orthodox school in Coconut Creek, FL, where a parish was organized in honor of St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon in March 2013. Priest Demetrio Romeo has been assigned as rector of the parish and chaplain to Paideia Classical Academy. Fr. Serge delivered a report on his recent visit to Miami, where he met with representatives of the Apostolic Mission of Christ and Paideia Classical Academy.

Fr. Serge also reported on his meeting with Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), rector of St. Matrona Church in Miami. With the blessing of the Metropolitan, St. Matrona’s will be transferring into the Diocese from stavropegial status. Members also approved the formation of a seventh deanery, which will be separated from the Deanery of the South and will include parishes in the state of Florida and in Haiti.

2) With the upcoming All-Diocesan Youth Conference being held in San Francisco, CA, and feeling it important to encourage active participation by the youth in the life of the Church, the Diocesan Council approved an essay contest, whose six (6) winners will have the registration costs ($390) covered by the Eastern American Diocese.

3) Members discussed the final closing of St. Nicholas Church in Millville, NJ. The property is now owned by a Spanish-language Protestant mission, who will be paying a mortgage to the Diocese.

4) Council members reviewed an auditing report by Diocesan Auditing Committee Chairman Joseph Kollar. The audit was successful and several recommendations from the Auditing Committee were discussed and implemented into the general financial practices of the Diocese.

5) Diocesan treasurer Deacon Michael Wengrin delivered a report on the Diocese’s end-of-year finances for 2013. Perhaps the most significant development for diocesan savings was the movement of most of diocesan savings into a Certificate of Deposit (CD), which has offered greater interest returns on diocesan funds than the earlier bank savings account. Council members approved releasing a yearly "State of the Diocese" address, including financials, which will be distributed at the 2014 Lenten Clergy Retreats.

6) Priest Alexandre Antchoutine recommended taking a more hands-on approach to diocesan youth, in addition to appointing a Youth Outreach Coordinator. Council members discussed several potential candidates, before ultimately deciding to put a classified advertisement on the diocesan website. Youth representatives across the Diocese are encouraged to participate in the Youth Committee in an effort to coordinate and consolidate youth activity in the Diocese.

7) The Council met in closed session to hear a report from the diocesan Spiritual Court by Archpriest George Zelenin and Priest Serge Ledkovsky concerning the ongoing investigation into the Church of the Inexhaustible Chalice in Brooklyn, NY. Deacons and lay members of the Council were not privy to the report.

8) The main point of discussion at the Council meeting was the new Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. (At the November 5, 2013 session of the Diocesan Council, Metropolitan Hilarion approved a unanimous resolution by the Council to organize a new administrative center for the Diocese at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.) Diocesan Secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov presented a comprehensive administrative plan, which was prepared over the course of three months by members of the diocesan administration. The report outlined several challenges associated with the organization of the new Center, among which were:

a. the drafting of new parish by-laws, which are unique to the Diocesan Center and by which the parish will be governed;

b. restructuring the diocesan administration to be more effective and efficient in operating the Diocese and its new Center;

c. funding the daily operations of the new Diocesan Center, including the hiring of new staff;

d. assuring a smooth transition for the St. Alexander Nevsky Parish from a normal parish into the Diocesan Center; and

e. the construction of new offices administrative offices for the hierarchs and diocesan staff.

Council members reviewed all of the proposals in the administrative plan and a discussion was held on how best to implement them. Metropolitan Hilarion informed the Council that St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral would become the official see (cathedra) of the ruling bishop of the Eastern American Diocese, with the bishop serving as rector and supreme executive and spiritual authority in all matters relating to the operation of the parish and Diocesan Center. His Eminence also informed the Council that Archpriest Serge Lukianov would be assigned dean of the parish to assist him with the daily operations of the Diocesan Center.

Since there are no set regulations by which a parish is converted into a diocesan center, the main point of discussion was the drafting of new parish by-laws, which would be unique to the St. Alexander Nevsky Parish, yet based on the Normal ROCOR Parish By-Laws. Metropolitan Hilarion stressed the importance of designing a system that would not hinder the current activities of the parish, but rather expand them in a way that would allow the parish to exist in harmony with the diocesan administration. Several proposals for parish by-laws were discussed, but no final decisions made. His Eminence instructed the Council members to pray and study each proposal in great detail before presenting their final recommendations at a teleconference meeting of the Council, which will be held in the near future. Once the final by-laws are ratified by the Metropolitan, they will be published on the diocesan website. Metropolitan Hilarion will also visit St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, accompanied by members of the Diocesan Council, in order to meet with parishioners and explain to them the changes that will be taking place once the Diocesan Center is officially organized.

Fr. Serge spoke in great detail about the need to restructure the diocesan administration in order to meet the challenges associated with successfully operating the largest Diocese in ROCOR, which would be based out of the new Center. Council members discussed the importance of organizing a center that would not be limited to the cathedral and its needs alone, but instead would be better equipped to address the needs of all of the parishes in the Diocese, regardless of size or location. The new Diocesan Center must exist in order to serve the needs of clergy and parishes, rather than vice-versa. In order to accomplish these goals, Council members approved the following proposals:

a. To expand the role of the Diocesan Treasury from collections to education. Some parishes are still not in full compliance with the diocesan policy for the payment of dues, but this is primarily the result of a lack of understanding of the proper order of diocesan-approved financial practices. It is crucial for the treasurer to be more than a collector of dues, but rather an educator for parishes that are facing difficult financial situations. The only way to ensure the financial stability of the Diocese is to constantly strengthen the parishes financially.

b. To create a new full-time position of Director of Communications, whose job is to facilitate better communication between the diocesan administration and the parishes. The job requirements for the Director of Communications include:

1. working closely and traveling with the diocesan secretary to represent the Diocese during parish visits and meetings and later assume responsibility for correspondence between the parish and diocesan administration, ensuring that the resolution is accomplished in a timely manner;
2. working with the Media Office to prepare and distribute relevant mailers for major events in the life of the Diocese;
3. preparing and distributing literature to the parishes informing them of overall life in the Diocese and encouraging the faithful to become more active participants in their parish and Diocese;
4. serving as the primary point of contact between the diocesan secretary and local committees/parishes during the organization of diocesan conferences and events;
5. sitting on both the local committee and related diocesan committees in preparation for diocesan conferences and events, ensuring that all resolutions and understandings by both parties are followed up on and accomplished; and
6. being the primary point of contact to Orthodox seminaries on behalf of the Diocese, meeting potential candidates for ordination in the Eastern American Diocese.

c. To create a new full-time position of administrative secretary to manage secretarial work in the Diocesan Center. The job requirements for the administrative secretary include:

1. working as a receptionist in the Diocesan Center, answering phone calls, returning e-mails, and greeting visitors;
2. working as a personal secretary to the Ruling Bishop and diocesan secretary, assisting them in maintaining digital and printed correspondence on behalf of the Diocese;
3. working as a translator for the Media Office and other diocesan staff;
4. being responsible for the organization and purchase of various office supplies in the Diocesan Center; and
5. working as a receptionist for the parish.

Several potential candidates to fill these positions were discussed, but final decisions will be made at the next meeting of the Diocesan Council.

Council members also discussed the need to appoint a transition team that will be responsible for researching the logistics associated with the creation of a new Diocesan Center. Metropolitan Hilarion assigned Fr. Serge Lukianov to lead the transition team, which will present all of its findings and proposals to the Diocesan Council. Further information will be published on the diocesan website as it becomes available.

9) 2014 marks the 80th anniversary of the official establishment of the Eastern American Diocese by Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko). Council members discussed the need to celebrate this monumental anniversary with a diocesan celebration at the new Diocesan Center. With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, the celebration will be take place on November 14-15, 2014 in St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. All clerics and faithful of the Eastern American Diocese are invited to participate in this joyous occasion, which will also mark the 30th anniversary of Metropolitan Hilarion’s episcopal consecration. His Eminence will issue a special appeal to the Diocese on the occasion of the 80th anniversary. Fr. Serge is assigned to oversee the organization of the celebration together with members of the transition team at the new Diocesan Center. Further information will be published on the diocesan website.

The Metropolitan called the meeting to a close at 5:30 PM. Rather than holding one meeting in several months, Council members will hold a series of smaller administrative meetings over the coming weeks and months to review and direct progress at the new diocesan center.

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