I would like to lend my voice of support for change in the leadership of the OCA. The Metropolitan continues to be in denial and the OCA continues to sustain damage as a result. This will not go away but only gets worse as things drag on. How long must we wait for the truth to be disclosed? Millions of dollars have disappeared and the organization is in disarray. There is little credibility left. Leadership means that you assume accountability for things that happen on your watch. We need to come together and urge our Metropolitan to move on.

I totally agree that each diocese should be stronger than the central administration. Let the Midwest handle Charity, Evangelism, Church Growth , and Mission and on a local level.

In fact, under Archbishop’ Job’s wise leadership, perhaps future Diocesan Councils should focus more on these topics, than on finances and other worldly matters.

At this time, in love, we the faithful of the Midwest Diocese should sign a petition asking His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman to take full responsibility for his actions (and in-actions) during this crisis, by making a full confession to the faithful of the OCA, and then resigning.

I Believe that His Eminence Archbishop Job would agree with me on this next point. The Archdiocese of the Midwest is simply too large for one man to oversee.

Therefore, I suggest that the Faithful in Ohio should petition His Eminence to request that the Holy Synod create a Diocese of Cleveland (or Columbus) and Ohio to better serve their spiritual and administrative needs.

Also, The Faithful in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Wisconsin should petition His Eminence to request that the Holy Synod create a Diocese of Minneapolis and the Central States, to serve their spiritual and administrative needs.

Doing this would thus replace the Archdiocese of the Midwest with the Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois and the Midwest, which would comprise only Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Perhaps, if this happens, His eminence would consider withdrawing his request for retirement, since his new diocese would be much smaller.

And naturally. as the new diocese are formed, requirements should be set for those who serve as Chancellor, Secretary, and Treasurer, so that there is no chance of Syosset-like mismanagement of funds to occur within their administrations.

That’s all I have to say for now.

And may God continue to bless our Archbishop job with health and long life. Many Years O Master!

How have the events (i.e., the scandal) affected you personally?

I have wasted endless, frustrating hours trying to understand it. This is a great shame for anyone in any fiduciary role. I consider the administration, the Synod, and the Metropolitan Council to be fiduciaries. If I had spent those hours building the church…

The scandal has affected me by doubting organized religion’s necessity in salvation, by realizing the authority of a Bishop must not be without checks and balances, and understanding that Bishops are well equipped for failure. I’m disappointed in the fruits delivered by the leaders of the church.

What solutions would you offer to make things right?

The Metropolitan Council and the laity need real power. In a small church, a parish council can call on the Bishop to remove the priest. Why was Fr. Kondratick not asked to be removed by our current Council? The Metropolitan Council must be structured to have real power.

I am in disbelief that members of the Metropolitan Council seated before the 2005 AAC have not been recalled, resigned, or been asked to leave by their Bishops or the laity. All of them should have well understood the terrible financial condition of the church. I am basing this on a citation from the retired Bishop Tikhon who cited the 2002 compilation report, citing the misuse of restricted funds dating well back into 2001. This pattern clearly continued until the Wheeler letter.

What would you like to happen at the All-American Council?

A full report must be given well in advance. The report must include all previous compilation reports, and the distribution rosters. The members of the MC elected before July 2005 must all resign at the beginning of the session or be removed by the Synod. How many parish councils would have survived a 6 or 7 year run on misusing funds?

The entire Synod must take a vote of confidence in the Metropolitan early.

The third thing that must happen is the delegates must give a vote of confidence on the entire Synod.

How would I envision the OCA in the future?

In the future, the OCA must recognize financial resources as gifts from God. Misspent monies could have built churches. How sad it must be for all our Bishops to realize this under their watch. Turning this around requires a plan.

I would like the OCA to develop a 20 year growth plan to add 100 parishes without losing any in total. The annual budget should have a capital component where the national church spends on new capital projects in each diocese. Every 5-10 OCA parishes should be required to develop a foster parish plan to support the growth of another full parish even, extra-Diocese. It is not a Diocesan role to expand Orthodoxy. It is the central churches role to expand Orthodoxy through real efforts. Bear fruit and not debts.