Bulgarian Diocese holds conference

FENTON, MI (OCA-Bulgarian) - Clergy and lay representatives from parishes of the Orthodox Church in America’s Toledo-based Bulgarian Diocese held their 47th diocesan conference at Saint Mary Magdalene Church here June 17-19, 2010. The parish is served by its rector, Archpriest Paul Jannakos and by Deacon John Manutes.

His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, Locum tenens of the Bulgarian Diocese, led the attendees in a retreat on Friday morning, June 18. Business sessions followed in the afternoon at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center, Flint, MI.

Archpriest Don A. Freude, as Chancellor and senior priest and head of the the Diocesan Spiritual Council, chaired the business session. During his report, he stated that “since the repose of His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill, the Diocesan Constitution, Article IV, Section 3, has been in effect for the administration of our God-protected Diocese. The Constitution states: ‘In case of the death or when the Diocesan Prelate is seriously ill or incompetent, the administration of the Diocese shall devolve to the Spiritual Council under the leadership of the Protosyngel or the senior priest.’ As Chancellor and senior priest, I have been placed in this position of leadership. We are widowed as a Diocese; however, no Diocese can be left without a Bishop.” He then gave details on the history leading up to the appointment of the Diocese’s present locum tenens, Bishop Melchisedek.

The agenda for the meeting included oral and written reports from the Chancellor, Treasurer, Metropolitan Council representatives, and the parishes and monastery of the Diocese.

The meeting then proceeded to three significant agenda items.

First, the delegates reviewed a working draft of an amended Diocesan Constitution. The presentation was made by Attorney Damian Gosheff of Saint Nicholas Church, Fort Wayne, IN. The Diocesan Constitution can only be amended at a Diocesan Congress-Sobor, the Diocese’s highest legislative body. The discussion at this year’s Conference begins a dialogue within parishes of the Diocese, in order to receive input from the Diocesan membership at large. Based on this input, a final draft Constitution will be presented to the parishes before a Diocesan Congress-Sobor.

Secondly, there was an announcement that an episcopal search committee has been named that is charged with seeking out a candidate to be nominated as Diocesan Bishop. This committee consists of the Diocesan Spiritual Council -- Father Don; Archpriest James Jorgenson; Priest Matthew-Peter Butrie, Secretary (also a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees); and Priest Paul G. Monkowski -- and members of the Diocesan Board of Trustees George Popoff, Treasurer, and Stanley Pentsos. The final member of the committee is search coordinator Archpriest Andrew Jarmus of Saint Nicholas Church, Fort Wayne, IN. Father Andrew gave a PowerPoint presentation on the method, criteria, and timeline for the committee. He noted that the search process is based on the procedures used very successfully in recent years in the Dioceses of Western Pennsylvania and New York and New Jersey.

Thirdly, the Diocesan Spiritual Council announced that a Diocesan Congress-Sobor will be held at Saint George Cathedral, OH, November 12-13, 2010. The dual purpose of the Congress-Sobor will be the approval of an amended Diocesan Constitution and the nomination of a candidate for the office of Diocesan Bishop. This will be the first time that the Diocese will have nominated a candidate for Diocesan Bishop since the late Archbishop, then Archimandrite, Kyrill [Yonchev] was elected Administrator of the fledgling Diocese in 1963. This will be only the fourth Diocesan Congress-Sobor in the history of the Diocese.

Following this momentous meeting, Great Vespers was celebrated on Friday evening.

Bishop Melchisedek and the diocesan clergy concelebrated the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, June 19. The choir, under the direction of Popadia Michelle Jannakos, sang the liturgical responses with spirit and beauty. Bishop Melchisedek preached at the Divine Liturgy.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a Panakhida marking the three-year anniversary of the repose of Archbishop Kyrill was celebrated. In addition, the deceased Diocesan Clergy were remembered at this Panakhida.

A brunch followed in the parish hall, affording delegates an opportunity to renew acquaintances and look forward to the 48th diocesan conference, slated to be hosted by Saint Nicholas Church, Fort Wayne, IN July 7-9, 2011.

The Bulgarian Diocese includes 19 parishes and missions and one monastery in the US and Canada.