Let’s Point This in a Direction — Clergy!
So, the topic of change has been spoken of in numerous forms of theory, perhaps it’s time to point it toward an experience in the Church in America. Clergy. Holy Orders, one of the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church is a central necessity to the life, order and function of the Christian Church. “Major Orders” include the Episcopacy, the Priesthood, and the Diaconate. In order for the Church to holistically actualize the experience of the Church through Holy Orders, all major orders of clergy must be present and experienced.
Each major order of clergy has a distinct role, which has been defined through a continuity of Scripture, tradition, and historical need. In over-simplified terms; the Bishop is called to teach, and pastorally shepherd the gathering of communities under his trust, the Priest is called to pray the sacraments and tend to the spiritual needs of the local community, and the Deacon is called to a role of practical service, bringing the Mysteries of the Church to those homebound, in the hospitals, prisons, etc… These descriptions are in no way complete or definite, yet are offered to provide an initial insight to the holistic ministry offered through the Holy Orders of the Church when fully represented. Under such a model of holistic ministry through full representation of major orders, each faithful is addressed by the Church in specific and numbered ways.
In Orthodox jurisdictions, in the United States, the holistic experience of Holy Orders is seldom witnessed. In this initial glance, our aim is not to explore the reasons why, but rather a recognition of what is. With unbelievably large geographic regions under their trust, hierarchs in the United States are rarely able to visit individual communities with any regularity, let alone establish pastoral relationships as shepherd or teacher. This is an unfortunate reality when Metropolis or Diocese regions are of such geographic size; a reality that handcuffs the local hierarch from the pastoral application of his episcopacy, rather the local hierarch is given the opportunity to actualize his Episcopacy as an administrator.
The Diaconate; in Russian-based traditions, deacons are still commonly present in the life of the Church in America, yet many times with limited function, as often times these men are employed in secular professions during the week, only serving in their clerical role on Sundays, and major feasts. In the Greek tradition, deacons are rarely witnessed for more than a token week or month, before being ordained priests, due to the severe lack of priests serving the Church. With the absence of deacons in the full-time life of the Church in America, clerical roles of service outside the walls of the Church are limited.
The Priesthood; with regional sizes prohibiting traditional hierarchical experience, and a lack of deacons serving the outreach functions of the Church, the priest is often found as a ‘jack-of-all-trades.’ Attempting to fulfill the pastoral and practical roles of ministry at the local parish, without the practical compliment of hierarchical and diaconal support, the priest’s focus and effectiveness is often times diminished. This dynamic then prohibits the experience of the local priest to fully actualize his priestly ministry.
Institutional Change? What if… If Metropolis, or Diocese, geographical sizes were significantly shrunk (possibly even allocating hierarchs from varied jurisdictions to the new dioceses), initiating the opportunity for hierarchs to function as hierarchs, not merely administrators? Initiating change from the top of the institutional pyramid, the hierarchical experience would again be pastorally applied to the life of the Church. The priestly function would have the opportunity to be more focused on the traditional role of the priesthood. In turn, as the faithful are being served with greater attention to traditional experience of Holy Orders via the Episcopacy, and Priesthood, perhaps more men will be inspired to answer the calling to the priesthood — addressing the need of priests, and allowing opportunity for a greater experience of full-time ‘permanent deacons.’ With all three major orders of clergy functioning in traditional roles, the effectiveness of ministry would be significantly enhanced.
This initial observation, and plea, for institutional change in the Church; the decreasing of the size of Metropolis and Diocese regions, the potential for greater ministry actualized through the traditional experience of Holy Orders is recognized.
This is an initial line of thought in an introduction to how ministerial effect can be produced through institutional change in the Church.
What say you?
