BOSTON, MA – Geron Archbishop of America Demetrios shared an initial assessment of the 43rd Clergy-Laity Congress (July 3-8) in Nashville, TN with The National Herald, elaborating particularly on the $30 million budget for 2017 and 2018, how it was created and how the funds will be raised by the parishes.
“There was an open and highly interesting debate on the budget in detail and references were made on individual issues,” he said, and that “it is not thirty million, it is slightly above twenty.”
When TNH presented its own records about the amount, Demetrios said “that has been proposed, but not yet determined.”
Demetrios explained that “there is a 5% increase per year and another 5% after that, and they said that it is not much, but there were opinions that said that it is too much, it means many things for the small parishes.” He explained that “we have an increase first of all in the financial contribution to the Patriarchate, which will go from one million that it is now to one and a half and then to two million.”
As for the Theological School, Demetrios said “the School must understand it needs to raise funds for itself; the presidents of all colleges and universities in America run all over the place to find their budget.”
What about the parishes? How can they make ends meet? Demetrios said there is a finance committee, “they do not meet every two years, they are the committee within the Archdiocese that meets most often; they convene in a very nice manner.”
Demetrios explained that the committee members are appointed by their local metropolitan.
Regarding the budget, they committee provides “the numbers and miscellaneous information. The budget is drawn up in cooperation with them but is based on the data they provide. What you see in the budget has been sought by these people.” Demetrios said he does not participate personally, because of logistical limitations – as these committees meet in locations throughout the United States.
When asked if the Eparchial Synod participates, if the bishops are aware of the financial details, Demetrios said, “they are aware of them considerably, and because they want to know details, at the last Synod we created a committee of two head priests, those of Detroit and of Pittsburgh, and two laity members from the executive committee, George Matthews and Catherine Bouffides-Walsh, and they have access to all of the Archdiocese finances to ensure that there is sufficient participation and correct data. These are not arbitrary numbers” made up by Archdiocese officials.
As to all the divisions and departments within the organization, Demetrios said “we need many more,” but qualified: “whether or not they are effective is another story.”