A CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP

by Fr. John Dresko

In the three years since the last All-American Council, held in 1989 in St. Louis, the Orthodox Church in America has faced many challenges, many problems, many ordeals, and yes, many things for which we should rejoice. But one thing that constantly arises as our biggest problem, indeed, it may be termed a crisis, is the crisis of leadership.

There are huge problems in our Church which are crying for loving, pastoral leadershipa leadership which does not seem to be coming forth. Just note the following examples:

­ The largest diocese of the Orthodox Church in America, the Diocese of the Midwest, has been without a diocesan bishop for numerous years, indeed, since before the last All-American Council. Candidates' names have been bandied about, but the diocese has never been formally presented a candidate, and certain possible candidates have been dismissed by the Holy Synod for various reasons. This despite the fact that in our not so distant past we "imported" bishops because we were so concerned about vacancies.

­ A family in a diocese of the OCA (not New England) was "excommunicated" by a priest seven years ago for various reasons. In that seven years, the diocesan bishop has refused to even grant the family an audience to discuss their problems with the priest and to attempt to restore them to communion within the Church. To whom do they appeal if their diocesan bishop will not even speak with them?

­ A parish in a diocese of the OCA (not New England) has become totally disenchanted with their priest for various reasons. The diocesan bishop has refused to speak with them to try to rectify the situation, and when some of the people threatened to leave, the response was "they are not really Orthodox anyway." To whom do they appeal if their diocesan bishop will not even speak with them?

­ A widowed priest in another Orthodox "jurisdiction" announces his intention to re-marry to a divorced woman whom he had been counselling. His bishop not only blesses the marriage, but allows the man to remain a priest, serving at the same altar to which he had been assigned, with the divorced husband of the woman he married still in the parish. When questioned by a young priest and deacon, the bishop suspends them for insubordination. To whom do these young clergymen appeal if their own bishop suspends them for standing for the Orthodox Faith and Truth? In addition, at the present time no other Orthodox Church in the world (including the OCA) has come forth to publicly denounce these actions as against the faith, nor has any of the brother clergy in that jurisdiction publicly spoken out against these actions, perhaps because of fear of retribution.

­ Our Church (the OCA) has gone from about 33,000 assessed members at the last All-American Council to a declared 29,000 for this year. Nonetheless, certain bishops speak of "pruning" the Church of these "rebellious" people who dare to question them on issues of basic truth and morality. At the same time, we have bishops who will defend to the death (and insist in their own dioceses upon) the use of the King's English for all services (despite the fact that the Holy Synod supposedly adopted a plan for all "new" publications and texts to be printed in modern English); we have bishops who declare everything, including honest, open discussion, as "uncanonical"; we have bishops who ordain deacons and priests without any formal theological training or approval by the Holy Synod, in direct opposition to the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, and then dump those clergymen on other dioceses when they fall into scandal or simple uselessness; we have bishops who forbid their clergy to do something as simple and edifying as read the Prayers of the Anaphora out loud; we have Church organizations and parishes who refuse to submit even a basic financial report to the central administration; we have bishops who remind us constantly that the affairs of their diocese is their business alone, as if we were not one Church; and we have resolutions coming to this All-American Council from priests and parishes firmly declaring that our pressing concerns should be the removal of pews from the churches and the re-institution of Saturday evening Vigil services.

Where is the leadership? Our crisis is a crisis today because of one simple sin: ego. In all the different issues facing the Church today, perhaps the greatest one is simply that no one, especially the chosen leaders of the Church, seems to be putting the interests of God and His Church above their own. Everyone has a personal agenda, and we have given them the autonomous authority to follow that agenda because they have come to believe that they answer to no one but themselves. This is true from the bishops, down through the deaneries and parishes who simply do what they want, to the priests who are auto-cephalous in their parishes, picking and choosing what they like in the life of the Church, to the laity, who have become congregational, simply electing to do what they feel is best.

What is the solution? If we may be so bold, we would like to offer the following as a beginning:

­ Everyone in the Church, lay and clergy alike (including bishops), must understand that they answer to someone. Indeed, each of us is responsible to answer to everyone! The laity having disputes with the priests and the bishops have a reasonable expectation that someone in the Church will listen to them. The bishops and priests have been put in their respective positions to lead the Body of Christ, and that includes being open to the fact that other people are right occasionally. At the same time, the priests and the bishops have a reasonable expectation that they have priestly authority, and each person in the Church cannot just demand things like a child being pacified. But a simple rule of thumb would be that each and every Christian in our Church can expect that their pastor and archpastor would be willing to hear them out!

­ Next, the Metropolitan must return to the traditional role of Primate. He must be the final avenue of appeal in our Church. If we are having problems with our priest, we should talk to the Dean (keeping in mind our previous comments about being "pacified"). If he can't or won't help us, we should talk to the Chancellor of the Diocese. If he can't or won't help us, we should talk to the Diocesan Bishop. If he can't or won't help us, we should appeal to the Metropolitan. The Metropolitan of All-America and Canada is just that. If anyone is betraying the good of the Church, the Metropolitan should be the final defender of the Church. If anyone is betraying the eternal Truth of the Church, the Metropolitan should be the final defender of the Truth. If anyone has simply reached the point where they refuse to even speak to each other, the Metropolitan should be the Mediator of all disputes which cannot be resolved on a diocesan level. Does the Church exist so the "diocese" can exist, or is it precisely the opposite? At the same time, the Metropolitan (and, indeed, the whole "central administration") cannot simply interfere in what are legitimate local issues. He must have the courage and humility to simply say "I'm sorry, that's a local matter for your bishop to handle," just as a priest or diocesan bishop should have the courage and humility to say "I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." There is not, and cannot, be an "autoceph-alous" diocese or parish which does not affect the life of the rest of our Church.

­ Everyone, from the Metropolitan right on down to the newly-baptized infant in the most newly-formed parish, must rededicate themselves to the Church. The good of the Church and God's Good News must be the foremost thing on the minds of the faithful, both ordained and not. Egos must be put aside, "offices" must be put aside, "authority" must be put aside, and faith, love and good common sense must preside over everything. If the good of the Church is not the absolute goal of every Christian, the mission of Christ will not prosper by our personal efforts and mission.

­ The "pruning" of the Church must cease. If anyone is to be pruned, let them be self-pruners. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Talk to them, assume they wish good for the Church. Do not look at the faithful or the simple parish clergy as the "enemy." We must look at every single person as a soul that God has given to me so that I might be part of his salvation.

­ Finally, to the hierarchs of the Church: please remember that you are consecrated to be the literal, incarnate icon of unity, not division. Also, please remember that you do answer to someone ­ you answer to me, and the person next to me in the Church, and your priests, and the babushki sitting in the pews of your parishes. Most importantly, you answer to God and His Truth. God has selected you and put you in your office, of that we have no doubt, but He has called you to a synergy with Him and His Word. We ask your blessings and seek your guidance, but if you are more concerned with your authority and power, your title and rank, your glorious crown and vestments, than you are with being a servant of Christ and His people, a servant of and to the Truth, then your blessings and guidance mean nothing, for they are your blessings and guidancenot Christ's. Your office and your staff must be handled with love and care, for if you do not love and care for your flock, you are simply a "hireling." (cf. John 10)