I wonder if what we have here is a presumption that the leader of the synod also be the one to make all manner of administrative and personnel decisions, and generally order and boss around and trade loyalty for protection to everyone else ‘below’.

Why not have the synod meet often and make the administrative calls while having a chancellor give the decisions effect but not be able to make decisions with effect beyond the next synod meeting himself?

Then the Archbishop / Metropolitan can be a visionary inspirational type going around making speeches and missionizing, fundraising and so forth. Speak to the moral issues of the day and generally lead the synod in the manner of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and not the President of the USA?

I think that might be what people expected when they voted for him, anyway. The old guard just has expectations of what the man in the big hat is supposed to do, and he’s not that guy.

Harry, I’ve been asking those who attacked +Jonah for their reasons since the whole thing began. The response to such direct questions has been deafening silence.

The real reasons seem to be jealousy, envy, lust of power and fear. Those are the motivations that generally fuel such all out scape-goating.

My bishop, Bp. Basil, is fine because he has the respect and the support of his diocese and (mostly) his Metropolitan.

Bp Basil has the support of his diocese because of his love and care of us. He has the (grudging) support of his Metropolitan because no fault can be found in him.

Met. Jonah’s support is more diffuse and has shorter, younger roots. There is simply no authority in the OCA to grant him support otherwise….something to ponder.

Categories that involve doing are the ones that matter. Anything else is somewhere between a Rorschach ‘what does this ink blot look most like’ test and a wrestling match. Talking about the latter has more to do with to which parties one gets invited, and on the other hand who it is on the phone when yours doesn’t ring.

Michael, so what is it then +Jonah specifically did that earned him two bishop escorts to the Vatican’s mental/sexual/substance health facility, where the escorts get a copy of the report? Do all the bishops share medical records with one another? Why him only?

Did he harm someone? Did he knowingly overlook to protect someone he should have protected? Did he toss the creed in the trash?

All we are given to see is non-doctrinal policy disagreements (moving the HQ, etc) and personality incompatibilities. For that it’s apropos to force him into the Vatican’s facility for evaluation? Really?

I became Orthodox due to reading the Christian Activist and owe a great debt to Frank. However, he clearly no longer holds to the tenets of the Orthodox Church. It is confusing, to say the least, to many who have looked to him as a de facto Orthodox leader. If he has any integrity left at all, he should at least admit that he no longer believes what is the clear teaching in the Orthodox church or leave the Orthodox Church and become Episcopalian.

You would think that his priest or bishop would discipline him but this may be too much to ask since he said in the “Wild Goose” talk that a lesbian is on his parish council and because his priest is “a good man”, he permits this. So maybe Frank’s liberalism is simply a symptom of heresy permitted in some parishes and dioceses.

I wish I was wrong. I’ll admit that some days I would like to punch Frank right in the mouth as St. Nicholas did to Arius– yes I realize that is not a healthy Orthodox response but how Frank went from being a conservative if not firery mouthpiece for the Orthodox Church to the Michael Moore of Orthodoxy baffles me beyond belief. Can anyone say reaction formation?

Andrew: I personally know two. Given that no man can be perfect at it, there are more perhaps…..and Harry, my bishop signed the Manhattan Declaration and is still doing just fine.

Andrew, objectively it appears the only thing a bishop can’t do and retain his rank/position is sign the Manhattan Declaration. We have one who another said sexually exploited his brother. That bishop is still to be called ‘Your Grace’ according to the ‘Ecumenical Patriarch’ , and you are to kiss his hand still upon meeting him. Sure. That’s likely.

Please, give generously. And, bring the kids!!

George, great job blogging the AAC on your website. The thing that horrified me the most in reading the many stories and comments on your blog was the comment that certain folks twisted the OCA statue to believe that the AAC is subservient to the MC. This is insanity and its like saying that the voters are the servants of congress. I hope you will follow-up in your reflecitons in the days ahead and publish something that addresses this on your blog. Its a total breakdown in basic Orthodox Church governance. We now have an OCA that is governed by parliamentary tricks and the will to power. The entire servant model of leadership has been obliterated, its now everyone for themselves to get the last piece of Church ‘s monies.

Meanwhile all all types of people and experts running around telling us that Orthodoxy is a moral and theological free for all. In the absence of pastoral authority this chaos will continue and continue unabated.

I have been Orthodox all my life and always held on during my youth and tough times with the hope that time will make things better. Things have to improve. Now I find myself wondering if our leadship can correct itself and fulfill even the most basic apostolic responsibilities.

According to St. Augustine, a bishop’s job is as follows:

“To rebuke those who stir up strife, to comfort those of little courage, to take the part of the weak, to refute opponents, to be on guard against traps, to teach the ignorant, to shake the indolent awake, to discourage those who want to buy and sell, to put the presumptuous in their place, to modify the quarrelsome, to help the poor, to liberate the oppressed, to encourage the good, to suffer the evil and to love all men.”

Now how many Orthodox Bishops in America do this or at least try to do this?

One can only hope so. The present governance model of the OCA, with the MC being superior to the episcopate needs to be broken down completely.

Harry, I agree with you completely. I think we are in the midst of a breakdown in the structures of Orthodox governance.

Andrew, you speak of discipline and boundaries. Look at how the Orthodox and Roman churches that emphasize that retain as clergy those who not only cross lines themselves, but involve others in so doing (sexual misconduct takes two). You speak of clever theological tactics but what we are given to see in leadership is coarse, blunt and often the other person is more a victim than an accomplice. The only way to not see it is to not want to see it.

Sometimes I think we want to focus on these technical theological discussions because there’s something civilized about them. But what we’re seeing in high places– it doesn’t involve a single ‘iota’ and is then invisible?

Kevin, that being said this issue is much larger than the personality of Frank Schaeffer. Its about the ability of the Church live its faith to the fullest. Mr. Schaeffer is a symptom of a much larger problem and that is: Can the conciliar structures of Orthodox governance as they presently exist enforce real boundaries and discipline in the Church? Can the Church be the loving parent it is called to be?

Frank has learned the trick of defining Orthodoxy down. There are also many folks who are working their way through advanced theology degrees who have learned this tactic as well and as a result all types of theological and moral craziness is viewed as normal. The present state of Orthodox leadership and governance is a problem that threatens to unravel the gift of Orthodox Christianity. Unless the damage is repaired the ability of the Church to communicate the faith will be compromised and people will be hurt.

Cynthia,

Yes this is true…but I thought that’s what we have an Orthodox biblical Tradition for…to help us sort these things out. I did not hear Frank refer to any Church Fathers or canonical dogma. What I heard was a man who has become — or so it seems to me — his own divider of truth (the job of the Bishop). Sounds to me like he’s back to…”Dancing Alone”.