The Ball Is in Leadership 100’s Court

One of my correspondents just informed me that Leadership 100, the money-men of the GOA are meeting this moment at the Ritz in Miami, Fla.

According to him, the letter which Yours Truly recited yesterday (right after Church and in the process of changing my clothes, forgive me) has caused quite a stir among several of the attendees.

The keynote speaker is Adm James Stavrides (Ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander-Europe (SACEUR). A fine man by all indications, Adm Stavrides unfortunately is a part of the Establishment and subscribes to the neoconservative Russophobic worldview. (His name was trotted out as a possible running-mate for Hillary Clinton.) This however is not the point, which seems to be that the L100/Archon class would rather “seek greetings in the marketplace” rather than consider how the GOA lost its way in the first place.

In any event, the L100 gentlemen are sitting on a $100 million endowment fund. The metropolitans of the GOA are actually “working the room” trying to get their hands on this money to bail out St Nicholas Shrine as well as the Archdiocese. Word on the street is they would like $60 million but will settle for anything at this point. Can they pull off “one last con”? We’ll see. Regardless, it’s disconcerting to see “monks” who are hobnobbing with the elite at the Ritz while the GOA burns.

Meanwhile, in the story below you will read about an Orthodox bishop who baptized over 500 Congolese in one day.

http://orthochristian.com/109967.html

You be the judge, certainly the Lord will be. As for the Leadership 100 folks, they can make their decision accordingly.

Comments

  1. Greatly Saddened says

    What a total lack of leadership from the GOA, but then again, what else is new. We must admit, at least they are consistent at being disfunctional. Their answer to correcting the on going problems at the Archdiocese was to reduce the workforce, or better yet, to terminate employees. Loyalty to their employees means nothing. They continue to mismanage and their employees have taken the hit. Once more, deflect from what the real problems are.

    It is hard to believe a religious institution with an annual budget of over 30 million dollars can be run like a mom and pop operation. I would venture to guess even a mom and pop operation can’t be run this bad. One must really try hard to fail this much and this often. The GOA is a complete and total disgrace.

    Whenever they need money they seem to tap either top donors or look to Leadership 100 to save the day. Perhaps they should finally take responsibility and clean up their act, once and for all. Stop with all the excuses.

    The Archdiocese is a perfect example of what not to do. Excellence is nowhere to be found. Lack of management, lack of leadership and lack of professionalism. Not to mention lack of accountability and lack of transparency. It is totally inept!

  2. Want to become humble? Obey God.

  3. Greatly Saddened says

    Below please find an article from last Wednesday on the Greek Reporter website.

    Former NATO Chief James Stavridis to Address Leadership 100 Annual Conference
    By Tasos Kokkinidis
    Jan 24, 2018

    http://usa.greekreporter.com/2018/01/24/former-nato-chief-james-stavridis-to-address-leadership-100-annual-conference/

  4. Greatly Saddened says

    To think just how many more Archdiocesan employees may have been able to be kept if volunteer, Mr. George Vourvoulias, a member of the Archdiocesan Council and an Archon of the Order of Saint Andrew of the Ecumenical Patriarchate would have rightfully returned the more than $900,000.00, he allegedly was paid over a ten year period for travel expenses.

    To think after all that has been reported, he would have had the common sense and decency to resign from his position on the Archdiocesan Council. Unfortunately people like this seem to have either very little or no shame at all. Humility seems to be non existent in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons why it finds itself in this mess once again!

    • Virginia Dean says

      So, do some math. If this part-time volunteer joker spent nearly $1m in ten years. What do you think the Emperor and his Princes spent in the same period? 7-8 of them spent the same amount each during that same period. Add to that the fact that the GOA picked up the tab for the patriarchate’s team travel to and fro. Thus, it’s easy to deduce that $10m or more was p***** away. Stop and grasp that number. Our money was their personal checkbook. GOA is a sucker’s play. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

      • George Michalopulos says

        For what it’s worth, GOA metropolitans (who are technically monks) get a nice six-figure salary even after they retire. That can add up pretty quickly as well.

    • Real Fact:

      George Vourvoulias was REIMBURSED! Let me repeat that, he was REIMBURSED for expenses he paid out of pocket for the benefit of the Archdiocese!

      He is not the one who AUTHORIZED the REIMBURSEMENT!!!

      Before you judge, learn the context. I pray you take time during Lent this year to stop judging others.

  5. M0ney talks. authent!c Chr!ST!AN!TY WALKS seems a useless way to obta!n to the k!ngdom of heaven. Just got the o back, only eye ! s mss!ng

  6. Billy Jack Sunday says

    Are all members of Leadership 100 also Archons? Are there Archons that aren’t a part of Leadership 100?

    In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, “Who are-ur theeese people??”

    • George Michalopulos says

      Well, the first problem is the word archon (which means “leader”). If that’s not a direct contradiction to what our Lord taught His disciples, then nothing is.

      • Billy Jack Sunday says

        You’ve heard of the golden rule, haven’t you? Whoever has the gold, makes the rules . . . Wheeeze!!

        Jaffar from Aladdin

  7. Greatly Saddened says

    Below please find an article from today’s The National Herald.

    Argyris Vassiliou New Chairman of Leadership 100
    By TNH Staff February 9, 2018

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/190108/argyris-vassiliou-new-chairman-leadership-100/

  8. Billy Jack Sunday says

    Is there any update on this? Is the GOARCH and the shrine getting a bailout?