www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Church expenditures

All I can say is that the insurance bill came due today and that was $120,000 alone, not including the employees health insurance.
Then there is the $380,000 in wages. Then the $7000 a months light heating bill. And then there are all the little other incidentals.
So I would estimate it takes $20,000 a week to keep this place going. So around 1 million 4 hundred thousand dollars a year and then about 1 million for the School. Roughly 2 million 4 hundred thousand.
Stephanos I

Good sized Church I imagine.

CDL

Carson,

I find your Protestant background skews your whole thought. You made the right choice to go with the Byzantine Catholic Church and not to "Dox"...I agree totally that the Church is not simply a social club (I find that hard to believe coming from you since I see Protestant churches being more of a social club that offers programs to kids)...however, with Eastern Christian Churches being smaller than what you are apparently used to, I think, you, and others who grew up in the larger parishes, don't necessarily see reality as it is and rather as you want it to be...When Divine services are put on the backburner so there is no spirituality (since the priest is "too busy" and doesn't have time for that)the parishioners to remain together as a community need to get together to retain that community aspect...At HT we did it in the face of having a priest who was blatently trying to destroy it.

The Orthodox/Eastern way of "evangelzation" is "come and see" or "come and experience"...

For all your efforts with Fr. Loya for evangelization are frankly "nuts". Creating documents that everyone should receive chotki and learn the Jesus prayer for the great fast...that's not where you get people...We are called to live a holy life in the church...our daily actions show it...our daily actions should bring people in...the old "bring a friend"...not wasting thousands of dollars on it...I have given chotki to people, they say that's nice, maybe I'll try it...it dies...when someone notices it time after time and knows you and you life they may ask about it and then they understand how it effects a persons prayer life...they are then drawn into discussing it with the priest...the cycle begins of restoring eastern traditions...not "top down" or "we know what's best" that simply drives people away.

I know of a person who is a good friend who attended HT the last 3 or 4 years it was open...As much as he could see there must be some value he would not convert...less than 6 months after HT closed he is going to the same Orthodox Church I am attending...he told me matter of factly that he would have converted sooner but now sees the beauty of what we were talking about all these years and finally gets something out of it...he also specifically stated that he would not have spoken with Fr. George Malitz to even attempt it after seeing First Hand the contempt he had toward his people...There was a mother and her daughter...the mother has been married to a Greek Orthodox man for years...the mother was RC but attended HT for decades until the parish began declining with poor examples of priests in the 90's...the daughter is now old enough to choose where she wanted to go...she is (my present understanding is) going through convert classes with the Greek Orthodox and her mother is converting as well since she knows the East is where her heart is...Roger...RC who found HT...did not attend the last 10 years...within 6 months of HT closing converted to Orthodoxy...

I could go on and on regarding people who had the spirit of the east in them and returned to the Holy Orthodox Church...It was this skewed "new way of evangilization" that essentially closed HT and scandalized the faithful. It is clear...even with all obsticles that were thrown up...there was an eastern Christian Church there...the problem was, looking at it through a Western Lens couldn't see that...

Sorry for the tangent...but, at least to me, this whole effort clearly shows that the Roman Catholic Church is getting what it wanted through the Unia...Distruction of the Uniates...Personally, I say disolve the Uniate Churches and let those who are eastern return to their mother Holy Orthodox Church and let those who are "Roman Catholic" go to the RCC. This charade has gone on long enough...and is nothing more than a 400 year old scandal...

Thank you for sharing Job.

And your post shows what...?

CDL

Chris,

Is there some point you are making besides spewing your bile? The scab won't heal until you let it alone.

CDL

???

Sorry if the point wasn't clear...

You can not create a vision for the BCC if you don't understand it and only view it through a western lens.

You've also made it clear that you are still in pain over HTs closing and are taking it out on someone who is enthusiastic about the BC vision. Maybe Jesus was just a dreamer but I'm going to trust Him until proven differently.

CDL

Actually Carson...

I find the closing of HT to be a blessing in disguise...I knew for 20 years I belonged in the Orthodox Church...this was the imputus to make it happen...So I really don't find any wound that needs healing...

That being said...

I know that I am a rarity in the case of the approximately 20 closures of His Grace Andrew...This type of discussion disgusts me since the discussion never focuses on those who have given their blood, sweat and tears for decades than discards them like yesterdays news...I'm only in my 30's...As much as I gave and my family gave over the generations I guess it was easier to move on since my grandparents and mother are no longer alive and did not have to witness this immoral behavior...and most of my family (father and older brother) feel the same way I do and have for a long time...the BCC doesn't care about it's people...they only care about self perpetuation...Until that realization of being the core at the evangilization movement comes about...you're efforts are in vain...

That sounds heritical to me...how could GOD be "just a dreamer"

It only goes to show what a long way you need to go to learn about eastern christianity...before you can jump on the bandwagon about how to potentially expand the BCC...

It is a reflection upon your statements. I trust Him. I don't know about you. Nevertheless, I'm always open to learn even from a smart aleck but I'm not likely to take kindly to insult or to an attack upon Jesus Christ's prayer in St. John's Gospel chapter 17. Your attitude towards converts is a strange one since you have become one yourself.

CDL

Carson...I don't have an attitude towards converts...as you rightly point out I am one myself...

My issue with converts who leave where they are from and try to mold their new environment to that which they left...I understand, as a convert myself, the impulse to do that...the true mind of a Christian prevents us from taking those sorts of actions...

"the true mind of a Christian prevents us from taking those sorts of actions..."

Fascinating...

Please read your pm.

CDL

Carson I have read your PM...I hope you read my reply...

I think you are the one who needs to refrain from personal attacks...at least get creative