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Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Regular Session of Diocesan Council

On Monday, February 10, a regular meeting of the Eastern American Diocesan Council was held in Howell, NJ, presided over by the Diocese’s ruling bishop, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

Taking part in the meeting were:

- Bishop George of Mayfield
- Archpriest Victor Potapov
- Archpriest Serge Lukianov – diocesan secretary
- Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell)
- Archpriest Mark Mancuso
- Priest Alexandre Antchoutine
- Deacon George Temidis
- Deacon Michael Wengrin – diocesan treasurer
- Reader Peter Lukianov – director of the diocesan media office
- Reader Gregory Levitsky – recording secretary
- Mr. Serge R. Lopoukhine

The meeting began at 10:55 AM. In light of the important matters to be discussed, a moleben before Every Good Work was served before the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, followed by the intoning of "Memory Eternal" for the newly reposed servant of God Nicholas Lopoukhine, longtime warden of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY and uncle of Council member Serge Lopoukhine.

The minutes of the November 5, 2013 meeting were reviewed and, after some corrections, were unanimously approved. Council members then discussed several issues of importance to the life and administration of the Diocese:

 

1) A new Spanish-language mission in Miami, FL is in the process of being brought into the Diocese. The Apostolic Mission of Christ Church has been functioning in Miami for several decades as part of an uncanonical jurisdiction and has reached out to Metropolitan Hilarion to be regularized and received into the Eastern American Diocese. Archpriest Peter Jackson will be transferred from Sts. Theodore Church in Buffalo, NY to serve the Spanish-speaking community in Miami, which will also afford him greater access to diocesan missions in the Caribbean. The parish council of the Apostolic Mission of Christ has also organized a full-time Orthodox school in Coconut Creek, FL, where a parish was organized in honor of St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon in March 2013. Priest Demetrio Romeo has been assigned as rector of the parish and chaplain to Paideia Classical Academy. Fr. Serge delivered a report on his recent visit to Miami, where he met with representatives of the Apostolic Mission of Christ and Paideia Classical Academy.

 

Fr. Serge also reported on his meeting with Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), rector of St. Matrona Church in Miami. With the blessing of the Metropolitan, St. Matrona’s will be transferring into the Diocese from stavropegial status. Members also approved the formation of a seventh deanery, which will be separated from the Deanery of the South and will include parishes in the state of Florida and in Haiti.

 

2) With the upcoming All-Diocesan Youth Conference being held in San Francisco, CA, and feeling it important to encourage active participation by the youth in the life of the Church, the Diocesan Council approved an essay contest, whose six (6) winners will have the registration costs ($390) covered by the Eastern American Diocese.

 

3) Members discussed the final closing of St. Nicholas Church in Millville, NJ. The property is now owned by a Spanish-language Protestant mission, who will be paying a mortgage to the Diocese.

 

4) Council members reviewed an auditing report by Diocesan Auditing Committee Chairman Joseph Kollar. The audit was successful and several recommendations from the Auditing Committee were discussed and implemented into the general financial practices of the Diocese.

 

5) Diocesan treasurer Deacon Michael Wengrin delivered a report on the Diocese’s end-of-year finances for 2013. Perhaps the most significant development for diocesan savings was the movement of most of diocesan savings into a Certificate of Deposit (CD), which has offered greater interest returns on diocesan funds than the earlier bank savings account. Council members approved releasing a yearly "State of the Diocese" address, including financials, which will be distributed at the 2014 Lenten Clergy Retreats.

 

6) Priest Alexandre Antchoutine recommended taking a more hands-on approach to diocesan youth, in addition to appointing a Youth Outreach Coordinator. Council members discussed several potential candidates, before ultimately deciding to put a classified advertisement on the diocesan website. Youth representatives across the Diocese are encouraged to participate in the Youth Committee in an effort to coordinate and consolidate youth activity in the Diocese.

 

7) The Council met in closed session to hear a report from the diocesan Spiritual Court by Archpriest George Zelenin and Priest Serge Ledkovsky concerning the ongoing investigation into the Church of the Inexhaustible Chalice in Brooklyn, NY. Deacons and lay members of the Council were not privy to the report.

 

8) The main point of discussion at the Council meeting was the new Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. (At the November 5, 2013 session of the Diocesan Council, Metropolitan Hilarion approved a unanimous resolution by the Council to organize a new administrative center for the Diocese at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.) Diocesan Secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov presented a comprehensive administrative plan, which was prepared over the course of three months by members of the diocesan administration. The report outlined several challenges associated with the organization of the new Center, among which were:

 

a. the drafting of new parish by-laws, which are unique to the Diocesan Center and by which the parish will be governed;

b. restructuring the diocesan administration to be more effective and efficient in operating the Diocese and its new Center;

c. funding the daily operations of the new Diocesan Center, including the hiring of new staff;

d. assuring a smooth transition for the St. Alexander Nevsky Parish from a normal parish into the Diocesan Center; and

e. the construction of new offices administrative offices for the hierarchs and diocesan staff.

 

Council members reviewed all of the proposals in the administrative plan and a discussion was held on how best to implement them. Metropolitan Hilarion informed the Council that St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral would become the official see (cathedra) of the ruling bishop of the Eastern American Diocese, with the bishop serving as rector and supreme executive and spiritual authority in all matters relating to the operation of the parish and Diocesan Center. His Eminence also informed the Council that Archpriest Serge Lukianov would be assigned dean of the parish to assist him with the daily operations of the Diocesan Center.

Council members also discussed the need to appoint a transition team that will be responsible for researching the logistics associated with the creation of a new Diocesan Center. Metropolitan Hilarion assigned Fr. Serge Lukianov to lead the transition team, which will present all of its findings and proposals to the Diocesan Council. Further information will be published on the diocesan website as it becomes available.

9) 2014 marks the 80th anniversary of the official establishment of the Eastern American Diocese by Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko). Council members discussed the need to celebrate this monumental anniversary with a diocesan celebration at the new Diocesan Center. With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, the celebration will be take place on November 14-15, 2014 in St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. All clerics and faithful of the Eastern American Diocese are invited to participate in this joyous occasion, which will also mark the 30th anniversary of Metropolitan Hilarion’s episcopal consecration. His Eminence will issue a special appeal to the Diocese on the occasion of the 80th anniversary. Fr. Serge is assigned to oversee the organization of the celebration together with members of the transition team at the new Diocesan Center. Further information will be published on the diocesan website.

The Metropolitan called the meeting to a close at 5:30 PM. Rather than holding one meeting in several months, Council members will hold a series of smaller administrative meetings over the coming weeks and months to review and direct progress at the new diocesan center.

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Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Regular Session of Diocesan Council - 02/10/14

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