Top Greek Orthodox leader nixes split of Salt Lake parish

By Kristen Moulton

The Salt Lake Tribune

The top leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America has put a stop — for now — to the breakup of the Salt Lake City area Greek Orthodox community into two parishes.

But in a letter to the bishop for the Salt Lake City church dated Thursday, Demetrios, archbishop of America, said leadership nonetheless “believes that there are long-term spiritual and other benefits with the separation of Holy Trinity and Prophet Elias in the future.”

As president of the Holy Eparchial Synod, Demetrios’ letter resolves an imbroglio that has pitted hundreds of parishioners against their bishop and the pastor of Prophet Elias in Holladay, the Rev. Michael Kouremetis.

The parishioners appealed to the synod to stop the division of the community into two parishes, ordered last fall by the bishop, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. Metropolitan Isaiah is the Greek Orthodox leader for a 12-state region, including Utah.

More than 600 people signed a petition opposing the split of the community, which began with Holy Trinity in downtown Salt Lake City more than 100 years ago. The parish expanded when it built Prophet Elias in the 1960s.

Kouremetis did not return phone calls seeking comment Friday.

John Saltas, a member of the community, called the synod’s decision “great news.”

“Every member I’ve spoken to today is joyful,” said Saltas. “We can now have honest and open general assemblies ... to move the community forward.”

In his letter ordering the parish be split last October, Metropolitan Isaiah said the churches had been “de facto” separate parishes for several years, and he wanted to end the “anger and animosity between these parishes” by formalizing the split.

Archbishop Demetrios, in his letter Thursday, ordered that the Prophet Elias corporation and the ecclesiastical charter — which he signed last spring at the request of Metropolitan Isaiah — be dissolved.

“The Salt Lake community will remain one united parish until such time as the appropriate conditions are in place for the separation into two communities,” he wrote.

The archbishop, based in New York, also encouraged the parish to develop, under the guidance of an elected parish council, long-term strategy and planning committees.

And he sought to put to rest accusations that $1.2 million left over from the Holy Trinity cathedral renovation had been “stolen” and directed that the money be moved from a “frozen” investment account into an account controlled by the parish council.

The Salt Lake Greek Orthodox community also needs to immediately identify stewards, parishioners willing to pledge “time, talent and treasure” and be eligible to vote in a general assembly to elect a new parish council, the archbishop wrote.

kmoulton@sltrib.com

Showing 6 comments

• themeista 9 hours ago

  Okay, here's what the story doesn't tell you:
  1. Splitting the parishes and splitting the community are two seperate things. Orthodox churches are supposed to stand alone... not to have two buildings with one council. Again, the community is not looking to split, but just to seperate the two churches as is dictated by Orthodox "law".
  2. The vote by members to not split was a sham, behind closed doors, by invitation only and was not sanctioned by the community but by rich and powerful people trying to sway opinion. Also, while 600 sounds like a large number, that is only a small fraction of the numbers in the Greek Orthodox community in Salt Lake.
  3. Saltas is a misguided fool if he thinks "honest and open general assemblies" will occur. The same rich and powerful families that have always controlled the community will do so again.
  4. To James Georgas I say this, while you may be frustrated by the so-called "theocrats", the Orthodox church is not a democracy. The people do not decide how it is run... as with any church. The beauty of the Orthodox church is that it has not changed from when it was originally conceived 2000 years ago. Furthermore, the people did raise funds in the 1960s for a seperate church. Unfortunately, the council at the time did not vote to split, which was a mistake.

• zhto 3 hours ago in reply to themeista

  Not quite themeista:
  
  1. Please cite the Orthodox "law" you refer to. You won't find it because it doesn't exist. Good luck in your search.
  
  2. Did you forget the survey that the "splitsiotes" put together where 87% of respondents voted to remain united? This had nothing to do with the meeting you reference whose 600 attendees far exceed the number of those in favor of splitting.
  
  3. You certainly aren't implying that what has occurred since the arrival of Kouremetis has been honest and open are you? If that's the case then you are the misguided fool.
  
  4. While the Orthodox church is not a democracy, the people have always had a voice in its governance. The church would not exist without the people. As for the building of a second church in the 60's, a quick look at history would enlighten you as to who decided not to split then. It wasn't the council but the late Archbishop Iakovos.

  4 people liked this.

• utahan 1 day ago

  I don't understand how the Greek community could split. The Greek community had an aura of unity and brotherhood and such a rich cultural heritage as attested to the enormously successful Greek Festival that is an event that is heavily enjoyed by thousands of diverse persons in Utah. Has it finally been enough passage of time from the first Greek immigrants to arrive in Utah that the glue and kinship that bound those immigrants and their children is breaking apart?

  10 people liked this.

• themeista 8 hours ago in reply to utahan

  Splitting the parishes and splitting the community are two seperate things. Orthodox churches are supposed to stand alone... not to have two buildings with one council. Again, the community is not looking to split, but just to seperate the two churches as is dictated by Orthodox "law".
  

• James Georgas 1 day ago

  I just hope now they let the people vote for their parish council instead of letting the theocrats run the Church as if we were in the 12th century. I have always stated, if certain people in Salt Lake want their own parish: go raise the funds and create one. I no longer live in Utah but I grew up here and Prophet Elias and Holy Trinity are one and always will be

  16 people liked this.

• themeista 8 hours ago in reply to James Georgas

  While you may be frustrated by the so-called "theocrats", the Orthodox church is not a democracy. The people do not decide how it is run... as with any church. The beauty of the Orthodox church is that it has not changed from when it was originally conceived 2000 years ago. Furthermore, the people did raise funds in the 1960s for a seperate church. Unfortunately, the council at the time did not vote to split, which was a mistake.