Report of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon
Report of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon
Fall Session of the Metropolitan Council
September 22-24, 2015
Introduction
I welcome everyone to the Fall Session of the Metropolitan Council. Unfortunately, I was not able to join you yesterday for our annual retreat because I wanted to spend a few days with my parents to help my mother in the days following her surgery for breast cancer. I mention this, not as an excuse, but as an acknowledgement that all of us, including the Metropolitan, have families for which we care, and towards which we have certain obligations, not of necessity, but of love. So, I am grateful both for God’s mercy and for your understanding of my absence yesterday and encourage you to not neglect your family responsibilities in the midst of your work.
All of us gathered here are devoted to Christ and His Church and committed to the work that is set before us, and so we all have faced, or will face, those moments where we are torn between our devotion to the Church and our care for our families. Yet, in spite of this occasional tension, it seems that the Lord, by His grace, preserves both the Church and our own lives during such times. I thank you for your prayers on behalf of my mother, Elizabeth, who is recovering well.
Metropolitan Council Retreat
I was particularly saddened to miss the presentations by two of our faculty members from Saint Tikhon’s and Saint Vladimir’s Seminaries because, just as I have been placing in emphasis on the health of our clergy, I believe that we must encourage the spiritual, emotional and physical health of all our faithful, and especially those who are in positions of leadership, such as the members of this Metropolitan Council. In our modern age, it seems that human beings have been overtaken by the busy-ness of life, and those of us in leadership positions often become further overwhelmed, or entangled, by the business that is before us. It is therefore important, and healthy, to take time to lay aside those cares and to allow ourselves to receive something beneficial for our souls, whether it be through prayer, a quiet walk in the woods or listening to a lecture on anthropology or the interpretation of Holy Scripture.
I am pleased that Father John Behr was able to present his thoughts on “Becoming Human” and Dr. Mary Ford was able to share some practical and spiritual insights on the proper Orthodox interpretation of the Book of Revelation. It is important for all of us to continually acknowledge the good work that is taking place in all three of our OCA seminaries and to honor the sacrificial contribution of our faculty, who have the sacred task of teaching and forming our seminarians and who also have much to contribute to the broader life of the Church. I hope that what you received yesterday will both inform you in your leadership positions and refresh you in your personal journey in Christ.
Welcome
We are pleased to have with us, as is customary, the members of the Lesser Synod, soon to be referred to as the Standing Synod, per the language of the revised Statute of the Orthodox Church in America—His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey, the Secretary of the Holy Synod, and His Eminence, Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, both of whom were elevated to the rank of Archbishop this year, and His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. For those who are new to the Metropolitan Council, it has become the established practice for the members of the Lesser Synod to participate in the meetings of the Metropolitan Council so as to provide a better interface between the members of this body and the Holy Synod.
In addition, I would like to offer a warm welcome to the new members of the Metropolitan Council, both those who were elected at our recent All-American Council and those who are joining us as representatives of their dioceses:
- Diocese of the West: Wesley Smith.
- Diocese of the South: Angela Parks and Father Joseph Lucas.
- Diocese of the Midwest: Robert Graban.
- Bulgarian Diocese: Fr. Martin Watt and Esteban Vasquez.
- At Large: Father Antonio Perdomo (Diocese of the South), Matushka Katherine Vitko (Washington), Father Thomas Moore (Diocese of the South), and Larry Skvir (Eastern Pennsylvania).
The new members will be participating in an orientation session this evening, but I think it would be helpful if each of you would introduce yourselves and speak very briefly about your expectations or hopes for your time on the Metropolitan Council.
I would also like to point out that I have appointed our lay delegate from the South, Angela Parks, as the new Chair of the Metropolitan Council Legal Committee, to succeed our outgoing Chair, Judge E. R. (Ray) Lanier, who remains with us as Emeritus Consultant to the Legal Committee. Both have had extensive experience working with our Holy Synod and the Metropolitan Council over the past several years, and we look forward to their continued valuable contributions to our discussions, together with the other members of the Legal Committee, including our new lay delegate from the Diocese of the West, Wesley Smith.
The All-American Council
Since we have so recently concluded a major meeting of the Church through our gathering in Atlanta for the 18th All- American Council, I will keep my opening remarks brief this morning so that we might have some time to consider a more extensive presentation, which I would like to make as a follow-up to the Council and as a possible road-map for the future of the Orthodox Church in America. But first, I would like to offer some brief words on the All-American Council itself.
The Eighteenth All-American Council was, by many accounts, a very successful event for our Church. That success is the result of the work of many people over the past two years and I would like to thank the following.
- His Eminence, Archbishop Mark, the Chairman of the Pre-Conciliar Commission, and all the hard-working members of the PCC, including the terrific group on the Local Committee, for their tireless and professional work in preparation for the Council and in navigating us smoothly through the week.
- It is remarkable to me that our Church was able to organize and bring to a conclusion such a complex event with such a limited staff. For this we can thank our Secretary, Father Eric Tosi, and all those who worked with him, especially Father Myron Manzuk and Peter Ilchuk. Peter, in particular, must be singled out as a master of organization and planning, with his ability to anticipate the needs of the various components of the Council and to “get things done” in sometimes near miraculous ways.
- Special thanks go to our Co-Chairs, Father Peter Baktis and Judge E. R. Lanier, for their masterful guidance through the sessions of the Council and to all who assisted on the ground through the many committees in Atlanta.
- We are also grateful for the assistance of a multitude of volunteers, particularly the seminarians from all three of our seminaries, who offered their time and talent for the effective operation of the Council, from driving the trucks (a truly monumental task) to setting up the plenary sessions and innumerable tasks without which the Council would not have gone so smoothly.
The All-American Council: Assessment
I am personally pleased with the accomplishments of the Council and, if I can rely on the many comments I have received during and after the Council, from clergy and laity, it seems that this was one of the most positive and fruitful Councils in recent memory. Whether it will stand as a true turning point in the life of the Orthodox Church in America will depend on the work that we are willing to undertake as a follow-up to Atlanta. This has been a criticism of previous councils, at which ambitious programs were proposed but inadequately implemented throughout the subsequent triennium.
I believe that one difference with this Council is that the specific actions that were taken were monumental in themselves and pave the way for significant development in the Orthodox Church, not only over the next triennium, but beyond. The overwhelming adoption by the delegates of the Statute Revision and the Resolution on Church Funding were watershed moments and stand in testimony to the excellent and sometimes agonizing preparatory work of His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel and the members of the Statute Revision Task Force, and Melanie Ringa and all those who worked with her, especially the diocesan Chancellors and Treasurers and the members of the Metropolitan Council Finance Committee.
Other important decisions were taken at the All-American Council, and these will also require implementation. But the primary result upon which I would like us to reflect is the wonderful spirit of unity that prevailed during our week together in Atlanta. I believe that this is a sign from God, not that all our difficulties lie behind us, but rather, that we have attained a degree of stability that requires us to pursue, with increasing diligence and zeal, the Apostolic work to which every Christian is called and to which we, as the Orthodox Church in America, are challenged to undertake in North America.
Expanding the Mission
The theme of our Council was “How to Expand the Mission,” and we addressed this theme in our plenary sessions and in the many workshops that were offered in Atlanta. In my Address to the All-American Council, I briefly outlined four pillars that might form the framework for our expansion of the mission. I also presented my thoughts on who should be expanding the mission, when this should be done, and in what manner. I will not review all those points here, but would suggest that you might review my Address, which is available on the OCA web site. I would simply note that the four pillars I proposed were a slight expansion of the three areas I have been highlighting over the past year and a half, and which I presented to this Metropolitan Council at our Spring meeting earlier this year: 1) Missions and Evangelism, 2) Clergy Health and 3) the strength of our institutions, particularly our monasteries and seminaries.
During the coming days of our Metropolitan Council meeting, I will be presenting an expanded outline of the four pillars I mentioned in Atlanta: 1) The Spiritual Life, 2) Stewardship, 3) Missions and Evangelism and 4) External Relations. I look forward to receiving the input of this body on each of these four pillars and on the framework that I am proposing. This will need further review and input from the Holy Synod of Bishops, but I think it is important to incorporate the thoughts of the Metropolitan Council representatives gathered this week.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful for the work of every member of the Metropolitan Council, with each of you bringing a wealth of professional expertise as well as the input of your respective dioceses. I am thankful as well for the work of all the Officers and Staff at the Chancery, each of whom has a unique and important contribution to make to the work of the Church, which is truly multifaceted and complex. I have spoken previously of Melanie Ringa’s excellent contributions to the Chancery’s work, and we have seen the fruit of her agonizing labor, not only in the resolution adopted in Atlanta, but in her truly sacrificial love for the Orthodox Church in America, which is daily reflected in her valuable work. In addition to his labors for the organizing of the All-American Council, Father Eric Tosi continues to do an amazing job as OCA Secretary and is able to masterfully deal with a multitude of areas including, but not limited to, human resources, operations, insurance questions, estate management and communications. Father John Jillions continues to assist me in a multitude of ways as Chancellor. I am particularly pleased with the work of the Pastoral Life Department and hope that this will continue to be one of the many avenues by which we assist with the spiritual, emotional and physical health of our clergy. We should also recognize the good work of Cindy Heise and the ORSMA and SMPAC Consultants who work to ensure that our Church remains focused on the prevention of sexual misconduct and handles cases of allegation in a timely and professional manner. One new face that we have at the Chancery is Ray Boyd, who is assisting in a part time basis with the Stewards of the OCA. He will be making a presentation tomorrow and I am grateful for his zealous devotion to the work of reestablishing personal connections with our benefactors and bringing the work of the Chancery and the Orthodox Church in America to a wider audience.
I am also grateful for the selfless work of Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak, Barry Migyanko, Roman Ostash, and Svetlana Radunceva who are indispensible in the daily operation and support of the Chancery and the Officers, as well as personally available to assist me at all hours. We are also pleased to have the presence of Maureen Ahearn and Barbara Anderson, who work in the Pension Office and also contribute in many ways to the work of the Central Administration. Katherine Linke offers her time in the office and also helps to organize the liturgical life of Saint Sergius Chapel, together with Matushka Christina Tosi, who offers her talents as choir director.
Several key members of the Chancery work off-site but are not less integral to the daily work of the Chancery, particularly Father John Matusiak, who consistently and unfailingly provides his editorial, pastoral and writing skills for the enhancement of our communications. He is ably assisted by Ryan Platte and Jessica Fuhrman, who assure the consistent delivery of news and updates on our OCA website.
We will hear a report later in this week from Father Leonid Kishkovsky, the Director of our Department of External Affairs, who continues to provide his wisdom and guidance, even under difficult health conditions, in assisting me and the Holy Synod in navigating the sometimes choppy waters of inter-Church and inter-Orthodox relations.
I would like to end with a special expression of recognition for Alex Liberovsky, who not only serves as our Archivist, but was recognized last Saturday with a Primatial Gramota for his work on the Statute Revision Task Force and the Archives Advisory Board. Alex truly has a vast knowledge of the history and patrimony of the Orthodox Church in America and is constantly sharing his knowledge with the Holy Synod, with the Officers and with the broader Church, including many presentations at our seminaries and in our dioceses.
I look forward to a fruitful week of discussion.