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On Saturday, July 12, 2008 St Vladimir’s Seminary hosted a Town Hall meeting on its campus, as part of an effort to participate actively in the preparation for the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a body of clergy and laity slated to convene in Pittsburgh, PA in November 2008.
The Town Hall was the sixth held thus far, in various geographical locations throughout the United States and Canada, as recommended by the Preconciliar Commission and approved the Holy Synod of Bishops in April 2008. The forums are meant to allow OCA administrators and hierarchy to hear the voices of laity and clergy regarding the administrative and financial urgencies brought to light during the past three years, and to foster a working atmosphere at the upcoming Council.
Seminary Chancellor, The Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, welcomed the gathering of approximately 60 people, including many seminary students, faculty, administration, and staff, by saying that St Vladimir’s was honored to host the Town Hall, and to be “a vital part of the meeting, as a significant step directing the church body toward recovery and renewal.”
His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese, a representative of the OCA Synod of Bishops at the Town Hall and Chair of the Preconciliar Commission, noted, “We are all part of the body of Christ, and we all need healing. You are here because we are looking for resolution and restitution.”
The campus meeting was facilitated by The Very Rev. Alexander Garklavs, OCA Chancellor, who thanked the seminary for hosting the event and then set three ground rules for the forum: 1) There would be no attribution of or posting of comments from the Town Hall 2) Participants would treat each other with the respect becoming of Christians as they communicated their ideas 3) Participants would endeavor to keep an open mind while speaking and hearing others speak. Also in attendance from the OCA Chancery were The Rev. Michael Tassos, Treasurer, The Very Rev. Eric Tosi, Secretary, and The Very Rev. Andrew Jarmus, Director of Ministries and Communications.
In the context of a format designed to elicit the thoughts and feelings of concerned church members, the speakers who participated in the Town Hall focused on three key questions posed by the church administration: 1) How has the crisis in the OCA affected you personally? 2) What specific recommendations would you make regarding the agenda of the All-American Council, and what would you like to see come out of the Council? 3) What is your future vision of the OCA, that is, what would you like the OCA to become?
Participants used the full three hours allotted to express their grief, anxiety, and continued concern regarding the revelations about the previous administrative, moral, and financial failings in the OCA that have been exposed during the past three years, and they continued to urge the OCA administration toward fuller disclosure, repentance, and integrity. Additionally, they offered several concrete suggestions they wished to see incorporated into the agenda of the upcoming Council.
His Grace Bishop Nikon ended the session by thanking the participants for “coming to build up the Church, which we still know to be the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that possesses the Truth.”
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