Church and Society

Description

The Committee for Church and Society develops processes to determine both the propriety and the priority of advocacy by the Assembly of issues concerning Church, government and society that are relevant to the lives of the faithful in the Region (e.g., same-sex marriage, abortion, war, etc.).

Membership

Met. Nathanael (GOA) - Chairman
Bp. Anthony (GOA)

Committee Liaison

Spyridoula Fotinis, Facilitator

Consultants

To Be Determined

Terms of Reference

What is to be accomplished

  • Develop an initial list of issues (moral, social, cultural, ecological and political) that are of pressing importance for American society, about which it is incumbent for the Orthodox to present their soteriological view, for the sake both of educating the faithful and contributing to national policy debate
  • Organize the list of issues, prioritizing them according to order of importance for a creative encounter between the Church and society.
  • Draft a statement on each particular issue, for the review, emendation and acceptance by the Assembly, according to their relative priority
  • Develop a process whereby new issues can be added and addressed in turn by the Assembly
  • Facilitating the incarnation of the Mystery of Christ as the Fathers of the Church saw and explained it in the new forms and experiences of postmodern people, within the framework of their own culture.
  • Create a protocol whereby a published response can be prepared at short notice in the case of crises, for the approval of the Assembly or its designated agents

How it is to be accomplished

  • Solicit suggested issues from the members and the consultants of the committee
  • Make a list of issues and determine their priority
  • With the help of the consultants, who will be experts in their fields, draft a statement addressing each issue
  • Circulate the draft to the member bishops for their study and solicit their feedback
  • Present the draft to the Assembly at a plenary session for its approval
  • Publish approved statements
  • Make a list of consultants based on areas of expertise, who can help the Assembly address issues and draft statements at short notice and outside regular committee meetings

With whom it is to be accomplished

  • The consultants appointed by the chair, who are well-versed in their respective fields (ethics, law, public policy, etc.)
  • The consultants to the Office of Communications of the Secretariat, who can help determine to whom and how best a message is disseminated
  • The member Bishops of the Assembly