Mission Committee Minutes 20 May 2006

Minutes of a meeting of the Archdiocesan Mission Committee held on Saturday, 20 May 2006 at
St Constantine & Helen, Joubert Park

1 Welcome
Fr Athanasius welcomed everyone and said the Archbishop would be late, as he had to go to a wedding.

2 Present
Fr Athanasius, Fr Athinodoros Papaevripaides, Markos Manyike, Simon Shabangu, George, Marios Hadji-Joseph, Maria Dzerefos, Paula Flack-Davison, Maria Gerondoudis, Val Hayes, Cathy MacDonald, Deacon Stephen Hayes, Nico Michael.
His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim arrived later, with Fr Minas, Fr Nicodemos, and Fr Chrysostom

3 Apologies
Fr Johannes – transport difficulties. Fr Jacobus van der Riet.

4 Minutes
The minutes having been circulated, they were taken as read. Accepted as a true record, Proposed Fr Athanasius, Seconded Simon Shabangu.

5 Matters arising from minutes

Tembisa
As noted in Deacon Stephen’s report, much prayer is needed because the leaders who were there at the beginning have gone. There are rumours that Bertha Motshwane, the principal of the St Athanasius School who had originally asked us to start a church there, is in jail, but there has been no definite information.

6 Aids Centre –Yeoville
A house has been bought, but we are waiting for funds from the European Union to repair the buildings and get things going.

7 Youth Day
Fr Athinos proposed that a gathering be held at St Nektarius, Leeuwenkop, on Youth Day, 16th June. A bus will be going from Orange Grove. There will be a memorial service, and possibly a speaker like George Bizos, or possibly even a government minister.
It was suggested that there should be an open meeting, followed by a smaller one of selected youth leaders, who could stay overnight.

8 Reports

8.1 Nico Michael
Printed report handed in. He was reorganising the web site.

8.1.1 Comments
Cathy MacDonald said a wish list posted on the web site would be useful, where people could say what things were needed.

8.2 Deacon Stephen
Report has been circulated, and Tembisa had already been discussed., so he would concentrate on the report on training, which he presented on behalf of himself, Fr Athanasius and Fr Johannes, who had been asked by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim to draw up a report.

8.3 Report on Training
No suitable people in congregations who could attend a conference for selection of seminary student, but there is a need for short courses every 3-4 months for lay leaders in the congregations, such as Readers, Catechists and Evangelists, and if such courses were held regularly, some potential seminary students might emerge. We might need to set our sights lower, and train people who had not completed high school.
8.3.1 Comments
Fr Athinos suggested advertising courses to all sorts of people, but Deacon Stephen and others raised the objection that this would be proselytising, and His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim had stressed that we should not proselytise. But if the proposed youth conference followed the public gathering on Youth Day, this might possibly be a way for recruiting people for a selection conference. Because time was short, it was agreed that other reports be heard, and this matter be discussed at the end of the meeting.

8.4 Maria Gerondoudis
She had been teaching music at the Catechetical School, using Western notation. There were often problems with no paper and other material. Would like to know that students coming in would have a solid educational base.

8.5 Maria Dzerefos
She had visited several homes with clothing, books, shoes, toys etc – Alexandra, Kenilworth, Baragwanath, Diepsloot (especially after floods), Orange Farm, La Rochelle, and Freedom Park.
Supporting hijack victim Michael Robinson, who had operations
Also visited elderly people and took them on outings, and arranged dental care.
Blood Drives continued, and expanding to other centres, and looking for ways of recruiting new blood donors.
Interviewed Ukrainian Ambassador on Chernobyl disaster on Greek radio
Conference on bioethics
Midrand Community Radio interviewed about Blood Drive.

8.6 Fr Athanasius

8.6.1 Parish of St Raphael
Is continuing with Sunday Services

8.6.2Catechetical School
Graduation on 3 June, programme will start at 10:00. Will be working on how to get new students.

8.7 Marios Hadji-Joseph
Has been helping with sermons, and also meetings on the monastery.

8.8 Fr Jacobus van der Riet
His report has been circulated to members of the Mission Committee. He continues with his work of translating liturgical texts into Afrikaans, and is continuing to divide his time between Springs and Eldorado Park.

8.9 His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim
His Eminence apologised for arriving late, as the wedding had been delayed.

9.0 Soshanguve land – waiting for rezoning
While we had bought land in Soshanguve, we now had to apply for it to be rezoned.

10 We need to publish an edition of minutes and reports, so that people can see what we have been doing.

11 Minutes of mission committee should be sent to priests.

12 The Web site should cooperate with other dioceses such as Zambia, so that they can publicise their needs.

13 There will be another Blood Drive on 8 June

14 Every 2nd Saturday there will be a training seminar for Sunday School teachers, led by Fr Chrysostom.

15 on the 5 June Fr Athanasius will be speaking on the radio 7-8 pm, on mission.

16 Ending
The meeting ended with members of the Mission Committee joining in Vespers at the Church of St Constantine and Helen, which was celebrating its patronal festival.

Mission Committee Minutes 5 May 2006

Minutes of a meeting of the Archdiocesan Mission Committee held on Saturday, 20 May 2006 at
St Nektarius, Orange Grove

1 Attendance
Present: His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim in the chair, Fr Athanasius Akunda, Fr Johannes Rakumako, Deacon Stephen Hayes, Simon Shabangu

1.1 Apologies: Nico Michael, Val Hayes.

2 Welcome
His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim welcomed everyone to the meeting and said it was understandable that many people could not be present because of short notice and necause it was a working day.

3 Soshanguve
3.1 Land
His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim said that we now own a plot in Soshanguve, for which we had to pay R30000. It is zoned as residential, and once we have the title deeds we can apply to change the zoning. It is Block JJ 1150

3.1.1 Building committee:
There should be a building committee to deal with these matters, consisting of:

Achbishop Seraphim -- Chairman
Fr Johannes Rakumako -- Vice Chairman
Other members: Deacon Stylianos, Nico Michael, Mike Makris

3.2 Report from Fr JohannesRakumako
Nine people are being prepared for baptism,

They are starting a new place at Block XX, where Angelos will help. Angelos is not working at the moment.

They had some difficulties at Easter, in arranging all the serivces.

Some people donated zinc.

3.2.1 Priorities for ministry:

Need to be informed of meetings of Sunday school.

Need a computer and printer to write reports.

Fr Johannes would like to attend services in other parishes to gain experience.

4 Mamelodi and Tembisa
Deacon Stephen reported that the Mamelodi congregation was continuing to have the Hours and Readers service, and people had been taken to St Nicholas in Brixton for some of the Holy Week and Pascha services.

There are problems at Tembisa, where the original leaders of the congregation had been missing since the beginning of the year. There were rumours that Ms Bertha Motshwane, the principal of the St Athanasius School, was in jail for currency offences, but this has not been confirmed. Bothwell Gurure, the young man who had acted as a reader had gone to Zimbabwe at the end of last year and has not yet returned.

We have been grateful for the help of the Hieromonks Fr Pantelejmon and Fr Spyridon, from St Thomas’s Church in Sunninghill Park.

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim gave his blessing to Deacon Stephen’s request to take the Mphela family from Klipfontein View to St Thomas’s when no one else attended the service at Tembisa.

5 Eldorado Park
Things are going well, but Fr Jacobus is helping in Springs as well since the death Fr Spyridon

6 Training and the Catechetical School
His Eminence asked Fr Athanasius, Fr Johannes and Deacon Stephen to investigate the possibility of holding a course for potential seminary students in August, in order to select new students for the catechetical school. They are to submit a report with proposals before the next Mission Committee meeting.

The remaining two students, Simon Shabangu and Pascal Luse to graduate on 31 May.

Markos Manyike ‑‑ we don't know how serious he is, and he has not been back, and does not make contact.

7 St Nektarius monastery site
Services are being held at the site, and the Vespers of Love was celebrated there ate Pascha. We are still looking for monks and sisters, and there is a Romanian woman who may be interested.

8 Project for HIV/Aids
The Archdiocese has bought a house in Yeoville with funds from EU, to be used as an information and treatment centre for people suffering from HIV/Aids.

9 Next meeting
The next meeting of the Mission Committee will be held at the Church of St Constantine & St Helen in Joubert Park at 5:00 pm.

It will be followed by Vespers at 6:30

Previous Mission Committee Minutes

Prayers

His Eminence opened the meeting with prayer.

Present

Apologies

Fr Evangelos

Welcome

HE welcomed everyone to the meeting. Saheti published a book about the history of the church, which for the first time mentioned the mission work. Abp said a church without mission is not a church.

Eldorado Park

He said No longer a dream but a reality. When we try to do something positive we are instruments of God. Asked Fr Jacobus to report.

Fr Jacobus

An ikonostasis was built by Herman Wehrmeyr, Dionne McDonald painted the interior,m and there were donations by others. Ikon prints have been framed and pout on the walls and the ikonostasis.Church of SS Cosmas & Damian in Sophiatown had donated the altar. Fr Deacon Athos had helped.

Liturgical texts are being prepared, and translations are being continued. Mrs Georgia Jammine is making a demonstration tape of the Liturgy in Afrikaans. Thanks to parish of St Nicholas for giving birth to a daughter parish.

The chapel will be in the name of St Constantine and Helen.

Sunday School

Thomae Cavaleros reported that Fr Chrysostomos would coordinate meetings. There ill be a Fun Day at Germiston on 12 June. There will be games outside, and after lunch there will be a Sunday School display. HE will not be able to be there, as he will be an Aids workshop in Nairobi.

Catechesis

HE: We should prepare a list pf people who want to know more about the Orthodox Church, and newly-baptised Orthodox, so we can see who can teach them. We need to improve our catechesis. Suggestiuons should be sent to the diocesan office.

Seminary

Fr Athanasios reported: New Testment and Church Administration have not been taught, but Fr Evangelos has said he would teach it next year. One student left after being sick for two weeks. The attitude of students has improved, and the students have been leading Readers Services. There is a Liturgy on Wednesday.

There will be evaluation of students by teachers and teachers by students. The school will close for two months at the end the end of June.

Staff meeting identified 2 students who can be offered scholarishops, and adopted a uniform marking system.

There is new equipment which has helped: chalk boards, photocopier, computer and telephone.

There has been some problem with food supplies.

Seminary chapel

HE said seminary like is also connected with spiritual life, and they have been using the dining room for services. Services are held at 7:00 am and 5:00pm.

Fr Athanasius said that a garage is being converted into a chapel, and services have already been held there.

Deacon Athos said that some work still has to be done, but the painting has been done, and the altar is there.

HE said times of services could be published, so that people who wanted to pray could visit then.

Soshanguve

HE said that if the land took much longer we would try to get a house.

Fr Deacon Johannes

Everything is still running in order and teaching is continued.

There is a new committee, Mrs Mageza is Chairman, Mr Bapela Secretary, and Mr Shilubane Treasurer.

Fr Simon Thamaga has been sick, and is in hospital but nobody knows where he is.

HE asked about a former student at the school, Markos, who had stolen. He has sent a letter saying he had repented, and asking for forgiveness. So when people ask for forgiveness, our role is to show love and understanding. There are consequences, and so he is out of the school. We should all pray for him.

Mr Michael Makris

He had gone with Deacon Johannes to see Chris Dlamini, and he arranged a meeting with James Mokoena of the Mayor's office. Explained our difficulties to him. He promised to get back within a week, but have not yet heard anything from him.

Had also phoned Peter Visser, the town planner for Soshanguve, who had suggested going back to the legal department, and ask them to value the land. If that fails, we will ask for an appointment with the Mayor and the Manager, and then the Premier of Gauteng. It should be signed by the church committee.

Other reports

Dimitra Callinicos

Teaching English at the school, and has started a tape library, so they can play the tape and learn the hymns. Need to learn diction Also need Orthodox Bibles and Bible commentaries.

Marios Hadji-Joseph

Had been outside the country, so not much to report.

Cathy McDonald

Has submitted a report.

In addition, two boys to be baptised.

Public Works has donated more money to Twilight, and the building will be rebuilt, to be an IT centre.

There are girls who want to give up prostitution, and they need a place to stay. They can't stay at Twilight because there are boys there.

Medical Report

There was a blood drive on 25 March.

Visited Orange Farm.

Marios was awarded a medal. HE had been nominated to the Blood Services Committee.

Had been able to get cheaper medication for someone.

40 units at May Blood Drive.

The student from the Catechetical School were also at the Blood Drive.

Next Blood Drive on 29 July.

Invitations

HE said that the Archdiocese receives many invitations to events, and he has agttended some, and he tried to send members of the mission committee to represent the Archdiocxese at some of them.

· Sufferings of people in Kosovo. Three people had gone to represent us.

· Inauguration of the President, sat withWinnie Mandela.

· Inauguration of Gauteng Premier

· Freedom Park Project – need to remember people who contribute to the freedom of the country. Planted some trees.

· HIV Day, churches organised prayers in Orlando Park. HE was there, gave closing prayers and message. We need to work together, as more people are dying of Aids than are being killed in the war in Iraq.

· National Religious Leaders Forum. HE attended meeting.

· We need youth to attend workshops for religious broadcasting.

Visit of Fr Martin Ritsi

Director of OCMC in the USA.

Will spend 2 days with is when he visits Tanzania and Kenya. Will arrange baptisms in chapel in Yeoville and in Soshanguve. Friday 20 August at Yeoville, and Thursday 19 August in Soshanguve.

Web pages & mailing lists

Two mailing lists for sermons, one in English and one in Greek. Because of viruses, he has been using Linux and can no longer send in Greek, so needs someone to help with the sending of the sermon in Greek.

On the Web most people are going to the Greek radio pages, where they can listen to the broadcasts.

Has also found what searches people are making:

· Afrikaans – Oggend Gebede and Doop

Magazine

HE said that the magazine was well supported from overseas, but local support was poor, and that free copies were no longer being send.