NOV. 2005 WORD FINAL - Iglesia Ortodoxa

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of this department. As a long-time former chairman of the Department of Liturgics and Translations, the editor/compiler of our Gospel Book and the Presanctified Liturgy books, Bishop Demetri has a strong background in the work of this department. Among the projects upon which he has worked, are the Euchologion in English, with complete rubrics for celebration of all the Sacraments and blessings; and a complete collection of services, rubrics, and instructions for an English language Archieratikon with everything needed for services with Bishops present or celebrating. Bishop Demetri’s experience with computers and web-site management will also be a great gift for our Department. We are very grateful to Benjamin Anderson and the Rev. Bernard Kinnick for their work on the Ordo, which is the Liturgical Guide for the Western Rite parishes and missions of our Archdiocese. Unlike the Liturgical Guide, the Ordo provides an outline for Matins, Liturgy, and Vespers for each and every day throughout the year. The Liturgical texts for the regional Parish Life Conferences were prepared bi-lingually and mailed to each host parish, as well as the texts for the Archdiocese Convention, Clergy Symposium, Antiochian House of Studies, and individual parish needs such as an Episcopal visit or joint Orthodox celebration. Please remember, however, that we need time to prepare these texts. They cannot be put together overnight. The second edition of the Holy Week services as compiled by the Very Rev. Joseph Rahal is either at the printers or about to go to the printers. The text is exactly the same with improvements in graphic layout and typesetting provided by Fr. John Winfrey. It will be about the same size as the red Service Book printed on off-white Bible paper in red and black, with one or two ribbons sewn into the binding. Our department wishes to serve the needs of the parishes in our Archdiocese. Comments and suggestions from the priests and people throughout the Archdiocese enable us to continue our ministry in a responsive and responsible fashion. Please feel free to contact us whenever we can be of service to you. We would like to thank all the Priests, Deacons, Choir directors, and other members of our Archdiocese who have helped us in our projects, provided their expertise and time, and have shared their comments and criticisms with us. We also thank our Metropolitan PHILIP for his leadership and guidance, as well as Bishop Antoun, Bishop Joseph, Bishop Basil, and Bishop Demetri for their on-going interest, help, and support for the work of this Department. We also look forward to working with Bishop Thomas, Bishop Mark, and Bishop Alexander. Without their active participation and cooperation we would have no ministry. Respectfully submitted, V. Rev. Edward Hughes Moved by FR. PATRICK KINDER of Madison, WI, seconded by FR. JOHN MORRIS of Vicksburg, MS, the report was received. 8/8. FR. MICHAEL ELLIAS presented the report of the Department of Clergy Insurance and Retirement. 14 The Word THE DEPARTMENT OF CLERGY INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGES The most recent edition of the Clergy Compensation Manual appeared in July 2003 and incorporated the policies endorsed by the Miami Convention. At its most recent meeting the department recommended the following changes for publication in the next edition of the manual: 1. Stipend Guidelines — We continue to operate in a low inflation environment; therefore, the department has recommended an increase of 6-7% over current levels. Parishes should keep in mind that these levels are “guidelines” and “minimums.” Parishes should continue making Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) increases as well as merit raises. Under the new diocesan structure, parishes must submit compensation proposals for incoming pastors to the diocesan bishop for his blessing. 2. Life Insurance — The previous life insurance carrier proposed premium rate increases of 26% for life insurance and 100% for disability coverage. The department shopped the policy around and retained Reliance Standard Insurance Company for this coverage. We will continue to receive the same rate with no change in benefit. Reliance guarantees these rates until November 1, 2006. Reliance carries an A+ rating by AM Best. In addition, Mr. Peter Dacales will contact our broker to investigate increasing coverage to keep pace with inflation. 3. Health Insurance — While the cost of health insurance premiums has increased as much as 16-18% per year throughout the industry for the last two years, the Orthodox Health Plan, administered through Aetna Insurance, had a very modest increase of approximately 5% in 2004 and 6.9% in <strong>2005</strong>. For the period May 1, <strong>2005</strong> through April 30, 2006 the new rates will be $720/month for an individual and $1,520/month for a family. LONG-TERM CARE The Department has begun to study offering enrollment in a group Long-Term Care plan. Enrollment would be at the discretion of the participant and at his/her own expense. We are seeking a plan that features group rates, a rate locked in at the applicant’s current age, and guaranteed coverage with no medical questions for active employees during open enrollment periods and for new employees. CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANCE PLAN (CAP) The CAP is a service available to clergy and full-time employees of the archdiocese and their family members to provide immediate, confidential assistance from trained counselors for any problem. Such problems include but are not limited to: marital, family and relationship issues; emotional, stress and work issues; grief counseling; mental illness; child and elder care; financial and legal problems; substance abuse; and domestic violence. Confidentiality is strictly maintained. Information or records kept by CAP will not become part of the participant’s personnel file. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (800) 531-0200.
Although we originally contracted with the oldest and best known CAP provider, the industry has grown considerably, and we are currently investigating other carriers who provide a wider range of services, including relocation services, at comparable rates. BISHOPS’ RETIREMENT STIPENDS The Department unanimously approved and recommended to the Archdiocese Board of Trustees a retirement stipend for the hierarchs of the archdiocese. The stipend (see addendum), approved by the Archdiocese Board in June, will include: the standard clergy housing allowance, calculated according to the date of ordination to the priesthood, plus one-half of the bishop’s annual salary at the effective date of his retirement (provided he has served as a bishop for at least ten years, or reduced in proportion to the number of years as a bishop), plus the full cost of life and medical insurance. RETIRED CLERGY ALLOWANCE The most significant initiatives are in the area of the Clergy Housing Allowance, a non-contributory and non-vested benefit. Mr. George Nassor arranged for his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Christine Shaffer Nassor, to perform a professional actuarial study of the “housing allowance.” While we had hoped that the study would empower us to increase the allowance, her analysis concluded that we were badly underfunded even to maintain the current formula. We are, therefore, especially grateful to NAB Antiochian Women for committing themselves to the clergy retirement project to raise $500,000 over the next five years and to the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch for increasing its annual contribution by $50,000 per year. These contributions will stabilize the fund but will not allow an immediate increase. In this light, then, the Department is seeking the endorsement of the General Assembly to investigate the establishment of a formalized pension program. We are in the very early stages of this investigation and still have more questions than answers at this point. We must, for example, determine whether or not the clergy might be able to afford contributing approximately 3% of their salaries to such a plan, and whether or not the parishes are willing to match those contributions. Such a plan might also require an additional commitment of administrative support at the archdiocese headquarters. The Department further recommends that parishes facilitate an ongoing contribution to the pastor’s 403(b) plan in order to provide for a comfortable and dignified retirement. These contributions are especially important for those clergy who reside in parish rectories and are not building equity for their retirement years. CLOSING REMARKS The Department extends its deepest gratitude to Metropolitan PHILIP for his paternal concern for the stability of the clergy and their families, to Bishop ANTOUN for his dedicated supervision of the department, and to the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch and the Antiochian Women for their faithful and generous support of the clergy and full-time employees of Archdiocese. Respectfully submitted, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Ellias, Chairman Moved by MR. EDWARD ASSILE of Cresskill, NJ, seconded by MR. DANIEL J. ABRAHAM of Grand Rapids, MI, the report was received. Fr. Elias Bitar moved that the General Assembly endorse the initiative of the Department of Clergy Insurance and Retirement to establish a voluntary “defined contribution pension plan” for the clergy and full-time employees of the archdiocese, whereby the priest/employee would voluntarily contribute 3% of their salaries to be matched by the parish/employer. Fr. Thomas Zain seconded the motion. After discussion the motion carried. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECESSED FOR LUNCH UNTIL 2:25 PM. 8/9. FR. PETER GILLQUIST, Chairman, presented the report of the Department of Missions and Evangelism. 1. New Missions. Since His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP established a full-time Department of Missions and Evangelism in 1988, the Archdiocese has founded 99 new Eastern Rite missions throughout the United States and Canada, of which 53 have grown to full parishes. Since the summer of 2003 the Archdiocese has received 14 new missions. At present we are developing 11 mission projects, and exploring the possibilities for mission starts in over a dozen additional cities and towns. Department mission priests Frs. Peter Gillquist, Michael Keiser, and John Finley have worked closely with local clergy and lay leaders to start new missions. Our staff priests have celebrated hundreds of Divine Liturgies and other services, provided careful liturgical training for Protestant clergy converting to Orthodoxy, and instructed countless laity in the Orthodox Christian Faith. In addition, Fr. Gordon Walker, who formally retired from the Department in June 2002, continues to volunteer his time to advise and serve some of the developing missions near his home in Nashville. He also has been working with numerous Protestant pastors who are en route to the Orthodox Church. Howard Lange and Carolyn Tanguay have supported these missionary efforts through their technical and administrative work at the Santa Barbara, California, office. 2. Parish Growth. Staff have visited several dozen established Orthodox parishes to conduct Orthodoxy Seminars, provide outreach training for clergy and lay people, and preach and teach on a variety of subjects relating to Church planting and evangelism. Many non- Orthodox clergy and laity attend these functions, so they serve as both training for Orthodox believers and outreach to inquirers. Department priests are frequently invited to speak at events of other jurisdictions, which we accommodate as scheduling permits. 3. Evangelism. Staff have spoken on Orthodox Christianity at a number of non-Orthodox venues, including Protestant colleges and seminaries, secular colleges and universities, and fraternity houses. We also address Protestant congregations where the pastor and laity are interested in Orthodoxy. The Department’s reputation among non-Orthodox clergy as a point of first contact with the Orthodox Church and general resource The Word 15
Page 1 and 2: Volume 49 No. 9 November 2005
Page 3 and 4: editor’s letter Praying, Fasting,
Page 5 and 6: STATISTICS REPORT 2005 2003 Baptism
Page 7 and 8: Clergy 8/2. In order to facilitate
Page 9 and 10: Robert Laham reports on the Antioch
Page 11 and 12: Policy request: Father Joseph has r
Page 13: troubled waters of the Roman and An
Page 17 and 18: Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 462-2951 St.
Page 19 and 20: Chanhassen, MN Shelby, NC Mt. Verno
Page 21 and 22: implemented in order to further the
Page 23 and 24: Other Accomplishments In addition t
Page 25 and 26: XI. Girls not seeing the value of a
Page 27 and 28: originate from the Archdiocese head
Page 29 and 30: papers on tithing and its implicati
Page 31 and 32: number of well trained Youth Minist
Page 33 and 34: across the country. Retreats are he
Page 35 and 36: Junior Division In light of the Con
Page 37 and 38: and SOPA coaches. For more informat
Page 39 and 40: and are in poor condition. We are a
Page 41 and 42: Moved by FR. MICHAEL NASSER of Ligo
Page 43 and 44: your lives with those less fortunat
Page 45 and 46: Metropolitan PHILIP inducts many to
Page 47 and 48: 3. FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE CONFERENCES
Page 49 and 50: K. Other Special Projects — Order
Page 51 and 52: posal to implement a policy that ea
Page 53 and 54: 9b. FR. TIMOTHY BACLIG of St. Micha
Page 55 and 56: husband would have received) for an
Page 57 and 58: Archdiocesan Office OCAMPR E-Journa
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NOV. 2005 WORD FINAL - Iglesia Ortodoxa

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