Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute
30 Apr 11: Pastoral Conference 2011
On the 29 and 30 March 2011 a seminar was held at the Diocesan Offices for parish wardens (starostas) and treasurers. At the Diocesan Assembly last December, a number of serious problems were identified in the administration and finances of parishes and needing redress. The Diocesan Council, having studied the situation decided to introduce a series of seminar to address the problems and prepare parish officials for their duties.
Contemporary life dictates new approaches to parish life and governments have also set regulations which affect the lives of public organisations. Consequently, parishes have to be well ordered and their officials need to be properly prepared for their responsibilities.
The aim of these seminars is to raise the standard of professionalism of parish committees and it is planned that during the year further seminars will address the needs of parish Sisterhoods and schools.
The seminars took place in the hall next to the Diocesan Offices in Croydon, NSW.
On the first day, a presentation was made to explain the place of the parish within the larger picture of the diocese and the Church. Elected officials need to recognise that they serve not only the parish but also the diocese, which in turn supports the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. Hence, officials should be aware that their decisions and actions may have repercussions not only in the parish, but further afield.
The following topics were also covered:
- What are the Normal Parish By-Laws and how they should be understood?
- How to correctly run parish finances according to diocesan instructions and the regulations of the Australian Taxation Office.
- How to judge the acceptable level of risk in parish affairs and especially in the purchase of insurance.
Participants of the seminar showed a lively interest in the topics presented and many questions were resolved. By the end of the day, an agreed position was reached on all questions and parishes now had a recognisable standard which needed to be reached in their administration.
At the conclusion of the seminar a meal was provided by the Sisterhood of the Church of All the Saints of Russia, Croydon, for which participants gratefully showed their appreciation.
That evening a Lenten Matins service was celebrated and the clergy were able to make their confessions.
The next day, Wednesday 30 March, the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Host was celebrated by Mitred Archpriest Michael Protopopov and twenty eight concelebrants at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in Strathfield. During the service, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, came from his hospital bed to take communion in the company of his clergy. This was a great joy to all present in the church.
After the service, luncheon was provided by the Sisterhood of the cathedral. During lunch, His Eminence spoke of his joy to see so many people attending the seminars and then retired to his hospital for further convalescence.
After luncheon, the seminar continued dealing with the problems of bullying, harassment and grievances in the parish situation. The discussion was led by Dr Nadia Crittenden, a psychologist from Wollongong University. A formal policy will now be prepared for use in the diocese after ratification by His Eminence.
Day 2 concluded with a closed session for clergy only, where a number of pastoral problems were discussed.
The Diocesan Council is grateful to all participants for their contributions and especially grateful to the presenters: Archpriests Michael Protopopov and Nicholas Karipoff, Mrs Vera Wheat, Messers Nicholas Nedachin and Paul Radionov and Dr Nadejda Crittenden. Special thanks are extended to the sisterhoods of the Church of All the Saints of Russia and the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul for their culinary Lenten delights.
