Metropolitan Council spring session opens
Members of the Metropolitan Council of the Orthodox Church in America will gather at the Chancery here for their spring session during the first full week of February 2014.
The opening session will be held on Tuesday, February 4. On the eve of the meeting, various committees met in preparation for plenary sessions.
“As part of a rotating cycle that aims to bring in departmental chairs to update Council members on their ministries, the Department of Christian Education’s Matushka Valerie Zahirsky and Archpriest Stephen Voytovich of the Department of Institutional Chaplaincies will report on accomplishments and future plans in their respective fields,” Father Eric added. “At the Council’s fall 2013 session, reports were received from the Departments of Evangelization and Christian Service and Humanitarian Aid.”
Council members will hear reports by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon; Archpriests John Jillions and Eric G. Tosi, OCA Chancellor and Secretary; Melanie Ringa, OCA Treasurer; and Cindy Davis of ORSMA/SMPAC. Reports also will be given by Priest John Vitko of the Strategic Plan Committee and Archpriest John Shimchick of the Organizational Task Force.
On Wednesday, February 5, the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Saint Theodosius will be celebrated at Saint Sergius Chapel, after which reports will be heard from the chairs of the Metropolitan Council committees on Charity, Ethics, Human Resources, Crisis Management, Financial Development, and Internal Governance. Reports from the external and internal auditors also will be presented.
Further discussion on a variety of matters associated with the 18th All-American Council, slated to convene in Atlanta, GA July 20-24, 2015, also will take place prior to adjournment on Thursday, February 6.
The Metropolitan Council, as defined in Article 5 of the Statute of Orthodox Church in America, “is the permanent executive body of the Church Administration which exists for the purpose of implementing the decisions of the All-American Council and continuing its work between sessions.” Chaired by the Metropolitan, the Council’s membership includes the Chancellor, Secretary, and Treasurer; one priest and one lay from each Diocese, elected by their diocesan assemblies; three priests and three lay elected at the All-American Council.