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The Game Plan to Take Over Your Parish

This article will give you, the reader, an idea of what to anticipate when the Hierarchs of the Metropolis of Chicago assign a new Ephraimite Priest to your parish. The editorial board of this website has, through lengthy observations and analysis have articulated the “Game Plan” which has been skillfully developed to convert your beloved parish community into an Ephraimite Parish. The ten step process has been identified as follows:

1. First Impressions

After being named Proistamenos of his new community, the Ephraimite priest will go out of his way to make an excellent first impression....The first impression is vital as it is aimed at the goal of convincing his new parishioners that he is the perfect successor of the previous parish priest.

2. Introduction of Ephraimite Theology

Perhaps the most obvious indicator of this theology is an inordinate focus on Satan and evil in general. While subtle initially, this rhetoric grows in quantity and becomes overbearing. ... This results in the transcendence of the Proistamenos from a mere priest to a spiritual guru in the eyes of his followers.

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7. Domination of the Parish Council

The Proistamenos will use his influence over his followers to subjugate and marginalize the roles of non-Ephraimite Parish Council members. The Proistamenos will have his supporters chair every committee and hold all offices. If matters of concern are brought to the Proistamenos, he will not address them, but will use legalistic and semantic arguments to avoid the issue. To curtail any dissent, the Proistamenos will ignore parish bylaws and regulations to fill the Parish Council with supporters. These supporters, acting as no more than “yes men,” will effectively drown out any opinions expressed by non-Ephraimite Parish Council Members. Once non-Ephraimite Parish Council members come to the conclusion their opinions will no longer be considered, they resign. This leaves the Parish Council as no more than a false parliament. Finally, the parish is left as a despotic dictatorship.

8. Micromanagement

Now that the Proistamenos has exerted control over all ministries and committees, they become an extension of his will... His aforementioned establishment as a spiritual guru allows him the ability to micromanage in this fashion without inquiry.

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Now that an Ephraimite priest controls the parish, who is left:

1. The Old

While many of the older parishioners do understand the changes that have occurred, the majority clearly do not. They have grown accustomed to the “bricks & mortar” and cannot find the will to leave or are often unable to leave. They have spent a lifetime in the parish. They chose to stay even though they are conflicted.

2. The Ignorant

The members of this group are those that either never understand the faith or lack the will to read anything that will shed light on the Ephraimite cult. They continue to attend their parish unaware of any change.

3. The “I Just Don’t See It” Parishioners

These people include those that are highly intelligent. This group either really likes the new Ephraimite Priest or his family or have married the idea that “there is nothing wrong with the Priest”. Remember that the priest has already taken action to remove those parishioners he anticipates will fight the movement. Their personal feelings for the priest or his family do not allow them to remain objective. These parishioners are like the character “Sergeant Schultz” on the Hogan’s Heroes television show. They will not agree with anyone else’s observations about the Ephraimite priest. They put themselves in a state of mind which allows nothing to penetrate their misguided image of the priest. No matter what you tell them, they will never change their position.

4. The Egocentric

This is an interesting group. These were the people at the parish who were never universally respected. They had some limited responsibility or position before the arrival of the Ephraimite priest. They may have been Parish Council members or even held offices of different organizations. Some of these people even had some support among the Parishioners. However, they begin defending the actions of the priest at any cost. They become his most ardent defenders and will damage any relationship in order to keep him in power and thereby preserve and increase their own power. The Ephraimite priest also understands the psyche of the Egocentric Supporter. This group is like putty in his hands. Soon he convinces this group to take over leadership roles within the parish. These people work for the parish as the priest’s minions. They work like slaves never publicly or privately questioning the priest. Instead, they carry out his plans with the zeal of henchmen. These people should be approached with caution for they are on a blind mission. Their massive egos never allow them to self reflect or question their new “spiritual father”.

5. The “I only go there and light my candle” Parishioners

This mindset is true in those parishioners who go to church but do not actively participate in the administrative duties of a church.... Now these parishioners find it inconvenient to their life or lifestyle to vest emotionally in their parish. They chose not to care what is going on because they believe they do not have the time or energy to help. However, if you donate money to any parish that harbors, promotes or protects an Ephraimite priest, you are aiding in the destruction of the institution of our faith as it has existed in North America since the latter part of the 1800’s.

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His(Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago) decision was approved by the vast majority of the faithful of the Metropolis, with the exception of a small group, the so called “Ephraimites”, who are known to place allegiance to the late Geron Ephraim of Arizona and a local monastery in Illinois. Some of them are pushing for a petition to Archbishop Epidophoros and Metropolitan Nathanael, to allow Church Services during the Holy Week.

“The decision to suspend services throughout the Metropolis on Sunday, March 15th was the most difficult decision I’ve made as Metropolitan”, he told the Greek News in an exclusive interview.

Until then, the directive about the maximum number of people allowed to join a gathering was 250. But Nathanael seeking the advice of the experts, he was convinced that the regulation was based on highly inaccurate information.

“If I permitted services to continue as planned, the lives of thousands of people in Church that Sunday, as well as others who would come in contact with them following Church services, would be placed at risk. I requested additional advice; I reviewed the information; I asked questions, prayed, and then took action.”

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Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago:

"I know that there are some people in Chicago that push for a petition to you and the Archbishop, asking for services to take place during the Holy Week and Holy Communion to be offered. What do you tell them?

"Unfortunately, there is a network of individuals that operate beneath the surface of the Church. They believe they have a right to the Eucharist. They believe that the Church is theirs and that no one has the right to keep them from it. Under normal conditions, they appear to be pious, humble and obedient members of the Church. They attend services regularly, participate in the sacraments frequently, and know prayers by heart, and so, they believe themselves to be advancing spiritually.

"These last two years, and most especially during the COVID-19 crisis, I have come to learn that these people are the modern-day Scribes and the Pharisees of antiquity. I have seen and experienced their true nature.
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They are selfish and their ego and pride is at the core of their actions. They advocate for blind obedience to select “spiritual fathers,” regardless of whether the guidance they receive is consistent with the teachings of the Church or not.

"They defend severe penances, even excommunication, handed down by their gerontes for moral lapses, but they refuse to accept when the Church calls for the temporary withholding of the Eucharist.

"To get their way, they will search for loopholes in directives and teachings of the Church.

They will operate quietly so that those outside of their camp do not take notice of what they’re up to.

"Most recently, a physician from within this group sent a message to numerous individuals, including my clergy, informing them that somehow the coronavirus was no longer transmittable through the air. This person then concluded that our Churches should once again be open.

"A clergyman in this group then solicited the support of other physicians in a pressure campaign against me with the goal of bullying me to reopen Churches contrary to public health guidance, the advice of doctors in our Metropolis, and the decisions of the Holy Synod. I am truly saddened by this kind of behavior."

I am disappointed that during this worldwide crisis – at a time where we are called to unite, take care of one another, and let our best come out, this group, including the clergy within this camp, decide to sow dissent in a manner that puts lives at risk.
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Link to a Youtube discussion

Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis and Its Implications on Our Metropolis

Metropolitan Nathanael moderates a discussion with health care, public health and law enforcement professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[www.youtube.com]

Some comments following this article

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April 13, 2020 at 5:23 pm

Metropolitan Nathanael (HEMN) is showing remarkable leadership! He has done nothing to divide the Faithful, that happened when the accepted Theology of our Faith was polluted by followers of Elder Ephraim of Blessed Memory. Those followers and the heresies they promote are the ones dividing the Faith and it’s Faithful. Over time other hierarchs have called out the Ephraimite issue. But of late they have gone silent as their personal cowardness has taken over. Let’s not pretend we, as a religion don’t have a problem.

There was a report submitted on January 12, 1999 by a majority of United States based Metropolitans to the Patriarch. Here is what the report stated on this issue:

“Fanatical Adherents and Super-Orthodox (Fundamentalists)
Contributing factors to the division of our Christians are certain excesses which are not necessarily the creation of the Archbishop or the Monastic Ephraim, but are related to them because some of the clergy and laity, for their own selfish purpose, invoke the authority of both. Conservatism is one thing, fanaticism is one thing. Traditionalism is one thing, “super-Orthodoxy” and “fundamentalism” other things.”

Attacking HEMN is just an out and out perversion of the truth. If anything HEMN and the Greek News as well as the author of this article, Apostolos Zoupaniotis should be congratulated and applauded.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2020 09:55AM by corboy.