Hello SVS,

We cannot attend today’s town hall meeting (Fr. Paul Schellbach SVS ‘96 and his wife Patty SVS ‘90).

However, can you pass on to the meeting the following idea:

Have each diocese hire a full time certified CPA to manage the finances.

We only know the credentials of Fr. Michael Tassos who is a CPA.

The credentials of each treasurer of each diocese should be published on the OCA website.

There should be a concerted effort to make sure these treasurers have valid credentials are are at least CPAs and become full time employees and are of unquestionable character. These positions should not be volunteer or without benefits.

Each CPA of each diocese, in conjunction with the OCA treasurer, Fr. Michael Tassos, should work up a financial plan for that diocese for each and every financial aspect that could cause question:

For instance, policies should be in place if priests sign checks or not (at our previous parish the priest was permitted to sign checks and the signers didn’t know they were signing blank checks; such was his deceit; and he spent that money as he wished).

Other things need to be discussed in conjunction with Fr. Michael Tassos, such as policies on regular audits for each church should be established.

These full time CPA treasurers for each dioceses should be having meetings at the same time, both separate as CPAs, and joint with the Synod of Bishops, to share ideas and to make sure financial practices are becoming one in mind and spirit.
Thanks for passing this on for discussion for today’s Town Hall meeting. If it can’t be discussed could you make sure that someone at the Town Hall can pass this on to the OCA administration.

In Christ,
Patty and Fr. Paul Schellbach

More importantly, however, Fr Chad is pointing to the fact that others in the Orthodox world are expecting us to ACT LIKE AN AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH! One could easily guess that Bishop Hilarion’s support of the OCA comes in response to the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s recent actions in inviting members of its Estonian eparchy, whose canonicity is extremely dubious, and the EP’s general behaviour that resembles more a papacy than a first-among equals.

I myself asked the question: what is the relevance of the OCA in the Orthodox world? Although there are more serious issues I could have mentioned, I pointed out that, as glorious and as joyful an event as it was and is, the reconciliation between the MP and ROCOR was effected in a way that did not take into account the fact that ROCOR is headquartered in the canonical territory of a local church to which Moscow itself granted autocephaly. What does that say about how seriously Moscow takes that autocephaly? If Moscow were to revoke our autocephaly (which is highly doubtful I am advised), what standing would we have? None! However, the real question, in the end, is what are we going to do ourselves to make the OCA a REAL partner, voice, presence, in the Orthodox world? That, it seems to me, is the question on the minds of both Russians and Antiochians.

During the Town Hall meeting there was a portion dedicated to reflections on what we can do at this AAC to “move on” so to speak so we can leave Pittsburgh with a sense of renewal and commitment to be what the OCA was born to be – The Orthodox Church in America.

I made two simple suggestions that were not included in this official report. The first was that we invite His Grace, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria to speak to the assembly or even to give the keynote address. Those of us who admire this energetic bishop know that he has become the global voice that is constantly reminding others that we exist and should be included in all pan-Orthodox events as the American Church. He understand our past and he knows the need for us to be strong and vigorous in the future. He can paint the vision that, I believe, we must once again find if we are to survive.

The second suggestion was a reminder that there was only one bishop at the Toronto AAC who brought us all to our feet and he came to us on a large screen. The bishop was His Grace, Basil of Wichita. He gave us a plan of action in Toronto. I suggest that we hear him again and then take, this time, act as the OCA is expected to respond – pro-actively and not passive.

Archpriest Chad Hatfield

Father Alexander, you spoke of the tolerance of the OCA in its being willing to hold these Town Hall meetings to listen its peoples’ expressions of feelings, thoughts, and hopes. I thank you, the other members of the Preconciliar Commission, and Your Grace Bishop Nikon for your tolerance, and ask that you extend that tolerance to my words. Many would think that it is presumptuous of me to be here at all, and certainly for me to speak. I received the sacrament of chrismation only this year, on Lazarus Saturday, after years of exploring the Orthodox faith. I have come to the vineyard only at the ninth hour, or perhaps even the eleventh hour. But the Owner of the vineyard has called me.

My vision for the OCA, ten years from now, is that it will be a Church which has equipped itself to be an effective fisher of men.

Today, the OCA is able to draw into its fisher’s net people who, like me, have been in churches all of our lives, and who are quite hardened to the sinfulness that is rampant in church life. I envision a church, however, which has purified itself, not just in words, but in repentance, in metanoia, in turning around. I envision an OCA which has moved into the rich truth of the call to holiness offered by our Orthodox faith. I envision an OCA which has grown closer to being the pure bride of Christ, pointing the world to our holy God.

Today, the OCA is able to draw into its fisher’s net people who, like me, look for a Church that is liturgically correct, and for a Church that is historically correct, and even for a church that is Biblically correct. I envision an OCA which can also draw into its net the fish who do not yet know our Lord and God. Little fish like me have been scooped with a teeny tiny net out of one aquarium and put into a much richer, deeper, truer pool. I thank God for this; I really do. But I envision a Church which is equipped to launch out into the deep to cast a big net, a church whose net will enclose a great multitude of fishes. I envision an OCA which is prepared to draw into its net those who are not yet Christians. My own experience in sharing the Gospel with secular friends is a very common one: their shallow soil considers the good news; the message is appealing; but their deeper soil has been hardened by the sins committed in the name of religion, by what they call the Church’s hypocrisy. I envision an OCA whose actions give no such offense.

In my own limited experience of its parish life, today the OCA is able to draw into its net many immigrants, some faithful cradle Orthodox, and some who, like me, are so strongly drawn to Orthodoxy that the ethnic divisions pale in significance. But I envision an OCA which has returned to one of its founding goals: to embrace the good gifts brought by people of various backgrounds while striving to overcome ethnic parochialism, to become a Church home to Americans, whatever our particular backgrounds. Most of us Americans are not delusional enough to think that God’s holy Church is a democracy. This being said, integrity, disclosure, and accountability are things that we Americans value very highly even in our corporate and government spheres. We will not tolerate less than this in the Church. I envision an OCA which embraces as a norm regular external audits of all Church accounts, as well as full reporting to the larger public which has granted us the privilege of tax exempt status. I envision an OCA which lives out a great gift once embraced by the Orthodox Church: conciliar governance. May we go forward in love, in respect, and in concord.

May the Lord have mercy on us all, and may the Lord equip us to be faithful to His call.