What's the Committee and Who's Qualified?
An appointment to serve on the Church Committee should be viewed as a ministry to the brethren.

The committee consists of the pastor and (for now) appointed representatives. The pastor is the presiding officer and the only permanent member. As the parish continues to grow, the process of nomination and election of members to a Parish Council will be implemented.

In the meantime, whether a Council or a Committee, it is important to recognize the nature and purpose of the ministry. We shouldn't misconstrue that these are the people responsible for the "material operation" of the church while leaving the "spiritual ministry" to the priest. 

These tasks aren't separate from spiritual ministry as they contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ. It follows that the Church Committee isn't simply a business committee, a governing body, or a seat of power. The bar, our standard, is much higher than that.

Serving on the committee is a minstry to the brethren, for the sake of Christ. Therefore, the committee members are a group of like-minded, spiritually-rooted men and women who assist the priest in the building up and strengthening of the parish.

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all (Mark 10:43, 44).

We lead by example. Candidates must have proven themselves to be well-grounded in the practice of the Orthodox faith. Therefore, one is spiritually minded, humble, a servant, liturgically active, and exemplary in giving of their time, talent, and treasure to the parish.

Otherwise, a candidate has nothing of spiritual benefit to offer and nowhere to lead the the people. A successful career in the business world, while admirable and praiseworthy, simply isn't enough. The standard for leadership in the church is much higher.

To qualify as a potential committee member, one must:

  • have been a full member of the church for at least one year;
  • be working toward the goal of a biblical tithe of one’s income to the church;
  • be in church on Sundays 90% of the time, attend the feasts of Nativity and Pascha (both are required), attend the celebration of other major feasts, and, preferably, attend Great Vespers on Saturday;
  • be in union with the teaching of the holy Orthodox Faith, which means frequent Confession as established by the priest (and/or confessor), and frequent reception of Holy Communion;
  • be actively pursuing spiritual development and growth through a personal prayer life, reading of Scriptures, the Church Fathers, and other spiritual books related to the Orthodox Faith. 

Generally, the virtues of the spiritual life set forth by St. Paul (1 Timothy 3:1-13) for the clergy apply to anyone desiring to serve the parish in a position of leadership.

Anyone who doesn't meet the above criteria has disqualified himself and, therefore, will not be considered as a candidate.