“There is
still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for
change.” This quote from Saint Basil the Great was the theme for the
2021 Clergy-Laity Assembly for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San
Francisco. Held virtually on April 16 – 17, clergy and lay leaders from
parishes in all seven states that comprise the Metropolis of San
Francisco participated in enriching presentations.
It was a special blessing and honor for the Metropolis of San Francisco
Clergy-Laity Assembly to convene with the Archpastoral blessing of His
Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. In his opening remarks to
the Assembly, Archbishop Elpidophoros remarked, “I congratulate you for
your persistence in these still extraordinary times of the pandemic
which have been such a challenge to our churches and to our society.”
When reflecting on the theme for the Assembly, Archbishop Elpidophoros
remarked, “What a hopeful message for all of us is this in this time
when the pandemic is still affecting our daily lives. In this time of
Lent and the journey to Holy Pascha, we are encouraged by the great
Basil. What I take away from this saying of Saint Basil is the optimism
that even when we feel that we have run out of endurance, and that we
have run out of patience, there is yet a reserve of both endurance and
patience, a reserve that God has stored up for us. Just when we think
that healing will not come, and there will be no change in our dire
circumstances, the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness
never overcomes it. Truly, the light of the Resurrection that we will
pass to one another on Holy Pascha triumphs in the end. As we move into a
future that will still be clouded with doubts, Saint Basil reminds that
there is still time. There is still time for us. There is time to
renew. There is time to be made whole. There is time to be loved. And
there is time to love.”
The featured presentation for Friday afternoon was Rev. Father Barnabas
Powell, from Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in
Cumming, GA, who spoke on the relevant topic, Moving Beyond the
Pandemic and Returning to Worship. He spoke about how the pandemic and
societal chaos has uncovered some deep wounds in our country. It has
also caused us to broaden our horizons through the use of technology, as
a means of outreach and an opportunity to grow our faith. Father
Barnabas emphasized that now is the time for our people to re-engage in
worship as a congregation, not as an audience. “We need to be that icon
of the new community to a society gripped by chaos and division and
tribalism and individualistic pride. We need to be that icon in our
local cities where we are for the people who live across the street from
our parishes to know so they can know that they can also become
Orthodox,” stated Father Barnabas. In closing his thought-provoking
presentation, Father Barnabas presented the delegates with this
challenge, “Our children and their children stand at the end of history,
looking at us to see how we choose!”
Metropolis Missions and Evangelism Ministry director Thomaida Hudanish
presented the results of an annual parish 12-question survey which
included questions such as: the number of households supporting a
parish, average number of Sunday livestream views, total parish income,
parish outreach ministries, and the number of adults received into the
parish through baptism or chrismation, among others all reflecting data
for 2020.
In his Keynote Address to the Clergy-Laity Assembly on Saturday, His
Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos referenced the theme of the Assembly by
offering, “As we go forward, we must find time for healing, to mourn
those who have fallen asleep, to begin to recover emotionally and
spiritually from the stress and disruptions of the pandemic, and to work
to assist those who have lost so much over the past year.” He continued
on to reflect, “The pandemic forced us to change. Like anything, these
changes have created opportunities and challenges. However, we have
learned a great deal and we should take time to discuss as a Metropolis,
indeed as an Archdiocese, about what we have learned so that we can
move forward into a post-pandemic church, facing this new reality, but
working in concert with one another across our Archdiocese and
Metropolis to respond as one Church.”
A new video highlighting the ministries of the Metropolis was presented
to the delegates, which provided a comprehensive and engaging
opportunity to learn more about the vast array of ministries offered
that provide spiritual, emotional, educational and cultural enrichment
for our faithful.
Metropolis Council Vice President Fanis Economidis presented a report
which included comments on the budget which was being presented to the
Assembly later, where he stated, “We take our fiduciary responsibilities
very seriously, and we do not arrive at either the income or expense
numbers arbitrarily. Rather, we look at past trends, explore
opportunities for growth, areas for reduction, and other circumstances
that we must take into consideration for every line item in the budget.”
He continued on to offer that the Metropolis Council is “doing our very
best to support you, and we will continue to provide opportunities for
dialogue, as well as resources, programs and ministries that will help
grow your parishes and continue to engage people in the Greek Orthodox
Church.”
Finance Committee Chair George Psefteas presented the 2020 Year End
financial reports. George stated that the Metropolis Finance Committee
has been working very hard over this past year to convert the statements
to a not-for-profit format. The Metropolis has also engaged the
services of an independent CPA who are presently performing a Review
Engagement on our financial statements, as required by the Archdiocese.
The financial position of the Metropolis at the end of 2020 was strong,
due in large part to the fulfillment of the Archdiocese Total Commitment
by our parishes, as well as a strong fundraising effort through our
Metropolis Faith Forward stewardship program.
Total Commitment and Benefits Committee Chairman Philippos Athanasiades
conveyed his gratitude to the parishes for collectively achieving 102%
of our Metropolis goal. Especially given the challenges of this past
year, this was an exceptional achievement.
The 2021 proposed budget was presented by George Psefteas to the
Clergy-Laity Assembly, which includes significant ongoing funding
support for the ministries of the Metropolis, as well as covering
payroll and associated expenses, property and liability insurance, and
general operational expenses. The total 2021 budget for the Metropolis,
approved by the Assembly, is nearly $2.5 million, of which approximately
$1.1 million is for pass-through ministries that are self-funded or
funded by targeted donations.
In accordance with the Uniform Metropolis Regulations, two members of
the Assembly were elected to serve on the Metropolis Audit Committee,
which is presently chaired by Rev. Father Thomas Zaferes (Ascension
Cathedral – Oakland, CA). Elected to these positions were: Chris
Kalabokes (Nativity of Christ – Novato, CA), and John Karas (Saint John
the Baptist – Las Vegas, NV).
Reports from the Metropolis Ministries and Committees are posted online.
You can also watch the presentations from His Eminence Archbishop
Elpidophoros of America, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, and Rev.
Father Barnabas Powell on YouTube.
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