St. George the Great Martyr Orthodox Church
A parish of the Orthodox Church in America
Parish Council Members and Parish Administrator

Our parish administrator is Melissa Renner.

Our current Parish Council members are:

Warden: Rdr. Michael Mezmar

Treasurer: Evangelia Kotsikorou

Treasurer: Jonathan Hall

Secretary: Andra Castellanos

Council Member: Ovidiu Dulgheru

Council Member: Matthew Renner

Council Member: Frank Dean

The parish council in 2023:

Warden: Michael Mezmar

Treasurer: Evangelia Kotsikorou

Treasurer: Jonathan Hall

Secretary: Thomas Fuschetto

Council Member:  Melissa Renner

Council Member: Sarah Guajardo

Council Member: Ovidiu Dulgheru

For future meetings of the parish council, please see the calendar

Parish Council By-Laws
St. George the Great Martyr Orthodox Church Parish Council By-Laws

Section 1 Composition

The Parish Council is comprised of five (5), seven (7), or nine (9) persons, according to the needs of the Parish, elected at the Annual Parish Meetings.  Only one member of a household may serve on the Parish Council during a given year.

Section 2 Officers

At the first meeting of the Parish Council following the Parish Meeting at which they are elected, the members of the council elect the parish officers from among their number.  The officers are: warden (or senior warden), treasurer (assistant treasurer), recording secretary (and corresponding secretary).  There may also be a junior warden, if there are enough council members and the needs of the Parish warrant an additional officer.  The remaining members are designated councilmen. 

Section 3 Term of Office

The term of office for members of the Parish Council, officers and councilmen, is one year

Section 4 Eligibility

A voting member of the Parish who has been a member for one year is eligible for election to the Parish Council.  The Parish Council will elect as its three principal officers, that it, warden, treasurer, and recording secretary, from among those members who have been members of the Parish for at least two years.

In addition to the technical qualification of a one-year membership in the Parish, the Parish Meeting must elect to the Parish Council only those members of the Parish who are zealous for the Orthodox Faith, who are regular communicants at the Eucharist, who are active in the Parish, who are willing to work for the improvement, both spiritual and temporal, of the Parish, who are not contentious and rebellious against the authority of the Church, and who are not motivated to seek office out of pride, but only out of a strong desire to work for the Lord and the building of His Church.  Specifically, no one who fulfills only the minimum requirement of receiving the sacraments, who is known to be rebellious against the Church, the Diocese, the bishop, the rector or the priest-in-charge, who promotes divisions and factions among the membership, and who is not regular in his attendance at the church's services, may be elected to a position of leadership in the Parish.  

Wives of clergymen assigned or attached to the Parish, widows excepted, are not eligible for membership in the Parish Council.

Section 5 Installation

Each year the newly-elected members of the Parish Council must be duly installed in the church following the Diving Liturgy in the presence of the assembly of the faithful by the rector or priest-in-charge.  They must prepare themselves spiritually for their duties through the Holy Mysteries of Confession and Communion before their installation.  The installation cannot be administered until their election has been confirmed by the diocesan bishop.  The new council shall assume its duties immediately upon being installed.

Section 6 Competence of the Parish Council

See Article XII, Section 8, of the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America

Section 7 Duties of Officers

Although local circumstances may require a redistributing of the duties of the officers of the Parish Council, in general, the scheme given below is to be followed:

  1. The warden presides at meetings of the council in the absence of the rector or of the priest-in-charge or at any time by mutual agreement.  He shall aid the priest in preparing the agenda for the council meetings.  He is to be the ex-officio chairman of such committees as the priest and/or the council may appoint
  2. The recording secretary is to keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the council, to prepare and distribute copies of the minutes to the priest and the other members of the council within one (1) week following the meeting.
  3. The treasurer is to maintain an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed, as well as pending accounts, to disburse monies as approved by the Parish Meeting and the Parish Council, to be in charge of filing the proper tax forms and financial reports as required, to deposit all monies in the approved bank(s) weekly, to prepare monthly financial reports to the Parish Council, and to prepare the annual financial report for presentation to the annual Parish Meeting.

Section 8 Removal from the Parish Council

  1. All Parish Council members must continue to fulfill the qualifications for membership in the Parish Council during their entire tenure of office.  Failure to retain membership as described in Article III, Section 1, will bring automatic dismissal from the council.
  2. All Parish Council members are expected to attend all council meetings during their tenure of office.  The absence of any council member for three (3) consecutive meetings will render him subject to dismissal.
  3. Any council member who, during his tenure of office, engages in divisive or rebellious activities, who endeavors to create factions, or brings disharmony to or disturbs the peace of the Parish, is subject to dismissal.
  4. Although the rector of the priest-in-charge initiates all dismissal procedures, the diocesan bishop, through the district dean, may intervene in cases in which the council member becomes subject to dismissal for the causes stated in a, b, or c, of this section of Article VI. 

Section 9 Vacancies

  1. All vacancies which occur shall be filled by appointment of the rector or priest-in-charge with confirmation by the Parish Council.
  2. Such appointees shall hold their office until the next Parish Meeting
  3. Persons appointed to fill vacancies must have all the qualifications of elected members of the Parish Council.

Section 10 Parish Council Meetings

  1. The Parish Council shall establish a regular time for its meetings once a month; for example, the second Monday at 7:30 p.m.  All meetings shall be held on Parish premises.
  2. The presiding officer of the council meeting is the rector or the priest-in-charge, but another member of the council, usually the warden, may chair sections of a given meeting.
  3. The quorum for discussing and acting upon matters within the competence of the Parish Council is a simple majority of the members, the Parish Council may consider only matters that are within the competence of the council.
  4. At its meetings, the Parish Council may consider only matters that are within the competence of the council.
  5. A majority vote of those members in attendance at a meeting of the Parish Council shall decide all issues brought before it.
  6. In the absence of the rector or the priest-in-charge, all decisions of the council must be submitted to him for confirmation before becoming effective.
  7. The minutes of the Parish Council meetings shall be signed by the rector or the priest-in-charge and the secretary (or warden).  Original copies of the minutes are the property of the Parish and shall be filed by the rector or the priest-in-charge in the Parish archives.
  8. Parish Council meetings are open to all voting members of the Parish.  Only members of the council may vote, but any voting member of the Parish may speak on any issue, if he is recognized by the chairman.  At its discretion, the Parish Council may hold a closed meeting, that is, one restricted to council members.

Mailing Address
St. George the Great Martyr Orthodox Church
PO Box 667
Pharr, TX 78577
Location
704 W Sam Houston
Pharr, TX 78577
Email and Phone