8/22/2019 Metropolitan Isaiah responds to questions from KUER
reporter Dan Bammes
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Your Eminence
Thank you for your willingness to respond to our inquiry about
the situation at the Greek Orthodox parish here in Salt
Lake City. These are the questions I feel are most important in
this case:
1. There has been tension between some members of the parish and
the church hierarchy for some time over
questions such as dividing the parish and the valuation and
ownership of church property, even leading to a
lawsuit. What has been done to resolve these issues and to
recognize the concerns of parishioners?
The Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese specifically
state that all parish property and funds belong to the
parish membership, (Article 16, Section 2), while each current
parish council is the custodian of them. Unfortunately in
1974 the parish was reincorporated as being under the State of
Utah instead of the Greek Orthodox Archdioceses of
America. According to democratic procedures, it is expected that
the members of the parish will officially declare that
the parish is one of over five hundred parishes of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese and not an autocephalous Greek
cultural and social society.
2. The parish has been facing a serious financial deficit for
years. Some of the lay leadership felt they could not
sustain the salaries of three priests and proposed a pay cut.
Why is that unacceptable? What other options are
available to help resolve the financial issues?
The parish has been financially solvent until 2010 when
dissentions arose and the parishioners held back their
stewardship to the present days because of the increasing
disunity. Some of the lay leadership are current members of
Leadership 100 of the Archdiocese by contributing one hundred
thousand dollars to it. Do they wish to pay the
mortgages of the homes of the clergy and other vital financial
obligations? Do you know what a 40% salary reduction is
for each of the three clergy?
3. Could or should the hierarchy have spent more time trying to
resolve parishioners concerns at the recent general
meeting in Salt Lake City?
Many of the parishioners were grateful for the hierarchical
visit July 20 and 21 especially in being enlightened with
things they had incorrect knowledge or no knowledge of at
all.
4. Do you anticipate an end to the suspension of priestly
services in the parish soon?
The services of the two churches have not been totally
suspended. I expect on the morning of August 15, The
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, that the two churches will be
filled to capacity. Services will be allowed to indicate that
the clergy who were ordained by the Holy Spirit and assigned by
the hierarch are not employees of any parish council,
but under the spiritual direction of their presiding hierarch.
The presiding hierarch will determine what services and
sacraments will take place until the clergy of the parish will
again receive their full compensation in harmony with the
Archdiocese Regulations (Article 17, Section 8-B).
While I appreciate the sensitivity of some of these questions,
interest in this story has grown beyond the Greek
Orthodox community. Our listeners include many in your
congregations and many others who share a concern aboutthe strength
and the future of the parish here in Salt Lake.
Thanks again,
Dan Bammes
Morning Edition Host/Reporter
101 S. Wasatch Drive
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
[email protected]
