Priest having a lay profession.... Hmmm

[Philothei]

YouTube - Orthodox priest enlightens financial sector

I just saw that .. and wanted to ask you all. What do you think of this one? A priest having a secular profession? Since the economy is sooo bad.. I think we might see more and more priests who are called to serve in this capacity. What are your thoughts?

 

[E.C.]

If it can work why not?

Three of our five priests have other jobs. One is a pharmacist at a hospital, one is an elementary school teacher and I'm not sure what the third one does.
I've also heard that many priests in Alaska also hold other jobs. The fact that Bishop Nicholai forbade it is one of the reasons that got him tarred and feathered since the priests lived in poor areas and either had to have another job or live on the streets.

My two cents is that if they can hold another job and still fulfill the needs of their parish community than, why not? Obviously it would be more feasible if there is more than priest at a parish.

 

[LinuxLurker01]

I dunno, I thought it was common...

 

[Damaris]

YouTube - Orthodox priest enlightens financial sector

I just saw that .. and wanted to ask you all. What do you think of this one? A priest having a secular profession? Since the economy is sooo bad.. I think we might see more and more priests who are called to serve in this capacity. What are your thoughts?

It's pretty common in the West. A priest who holds a 9 to 5 job is not as available for important things like feast days and funerals, but for a priest in a small parish or mission, it helps him to support his family above poverty level. Also, the little parish can use more of their money for a building or other needed expenses, since they don't have to provide a living wage or benefits for their priest.

Usually, a working priest is not the only priest in his town, so when someone needs a priest during a weekday, they will be able to find a different one to help. However, it can be kind of a drag not to have services for major feasts, or the morning services of Holy Week.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

My priest works 9-5. All of the priests at the OCA cathedral I used to attend worked another job outside of their specific priestly duties. Most were in secular employment except for the rector who worked part-time as a university chaplain. The priests that work full time, including my current priest, use their vacation and personal leave time to do weekday services.

I have noticed that jobs in computer programming seem to be popular among the priests I know.

M.

 

[Khaleas]

I think the Greek church are the only ones with mainly full time priests. I don't know too many priests in the US that are full time, esp with smaller parishes. All the priests I've had as parish priests have either been retired from their civilian job or working full time. Most work as a full time priest even with a full time job. One is a college professor and gets 500 dollars a year plus milage, another one makes 12000 a year, no other benefits, and is retired, and I think the third one makes about 18k, plus milage to required events, no other benefits and works as a grant writer for the govt. Not something you live on in major cities exactly.
The ones who work use personal leave or flex time for services.

 

[Antony in Tx]

Our GOC priest has a medical degree and works as a marketing/sales manager full time for a pharaceutical company. He took a leave of absence from his job to go to seminary, and was welcomed back with open arms. Everyone in our parish has his cell number, and he is available any time to talk. He balances his two sets of responsibilities quite well, all things considered.

 

[Philothei]

That is true most do have lay professions but we will see more and more of this trend in the coming years Presently the GOA priests mostly are supported by their parishes ... I know the OCA priersts are the lowest paid ones.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I know of an awesome Boston priest, Fr Michael Kon, who is a school guidance counselor. if you can sanctify the work place as well as the Temple, as a priest, why not? St Luke the Blessed Surgeon was still in medicine as a bishop.

 

[Dorothea]

Uh, both the OCA priest up in Calhan, and our own priest work second jobs. Fr. Laurence teaches some type of science in high school, and Fr. Dennis, my priest, works with his son on a bit of construction work part time (he was a construction worker before becoming a priest). Before that, he was working at Jake & Telly's Greek Cuisine restaurant part time. This has been in the past 3 years since I've been here and still continues on.

P.S.: Our parish is about 60-70 families, so it's kinda small. So that is why Fr. D. works part time also. He's got 4 sons who are 18 and up, but two of them still live with them.

 

[katherine2001]

A lot of priests have to work a secular job to make ends meet, especially priests of small missions. The retired bishop of the Diocese of the West (OCA) was very up front about telling priests who took those positions in missions were probably going to have to have another job to make ends meet. The priest of the mission about 2 hours away from where I am works a full time secular job testing computer software for one of the major software companies. His undergraduate degree is in computer science and he worked for them before going to seminary. He worked for them all during the time he was in seminary and has continued to work for them from home. He has three young children (the oldest just turned 10), and he wouldn't be able to support his family without that job. Thank God for priests who are willing to do this so that they can make a mission successful. Fr. does usually celebrate liturgy on the major feast days--they just have liturgy at 7:00am.

Damaris, in Montana, there is only one priest in town. We only have a few in the entire state, and they have to cover a wide area (they are Greek, OCA, and Serbian). In fact until the Greek parish in Missoula finally got a priest a few months ago, the Serbian priest in Butte was serving his parish, an OCA mission in Helena, and the Greek parish in Missoula. The poor man was doing a lot of traveling, as he was basically covering the entire western half of Montana. That was possible because all the bishops of the West meet together 4 times a year, and the bishops worked it out so that the Serbian priest could help serve those missions or parishes.

By the way, Dorothea, Fr. Laurence is from Billings and was a member of our parish. Tell him that we say hi!

 

[Gwendolyn]

The priest who serves the little Antiochian parish in the country nearby has a secular job because his parish is so small that they need extra financial help.

 

[Knee V]

I've heard of it happening. I didn't know that anyone had a problem with it.

 

[Michael G]

A friend of mine was ordained a priest last spring and the bishop has yet to assign him to a parish. Therefor he helps out at various parishes and has kept his secular job. This priest is a model Christian and I often go to him instead of my actual parish priest for guidance on matters.

 

[Damaris]

Damaris, in Montana, there is only one priest in town. We only have a few in the entire state, and they have to cover a wide area (they are Greek, OCA, and Serbian). In fact until the Greek parish in Missoula finally got a priest a few months ago, the Serbian priest in Butte was serving his parish, an OCA mission in Helena, and the Greek parish in Missoula. The poor man was doing a lot of traveling, as he was basically covering the entire western half of Montana. That was possible because all the bishops of the West meet together 4 times a year, and the bishops worked it out so that the Serbian priest could help serve those missions or parishes.

Yes, I know, that's why I said it's usually the case that a priest with secular employment isn't the only one in his town. They're also usually the last ones picked to be circuit riders. Sometimes that's not the case, as you've pointed out.

Others have mentioned that some priests are able to use vacation or flex time for feast days, but some of the priests I know aren't able to do that, and for their parishes it's either a Vesperal Liturgy or nothing.

 

[rusmeister]

I think politics a special problem, and one that is rearing its head over here now. The identification of goals of the next world and this world tend to get blurred, and how non-Orthodox will see such a thing is also of serious concern.

 

[ByzantineDixie]

While there can be a time of exception in starting a new mission such that the priest takes secular employment, I don't think we should get too comfortable with the idea. I would think the ultimate goal is to get our priests fully supported by the parishes with a decent wage. As God's people it is our responsibility! Missions are the exception, of course.

My priest is part-time and he is an iconographer so the combination works for our little parish but from what I see the priest actually works full time on a part time wage. I think sometimes we abuse the situation and that is one of the dangers of a parish having a part-time priest.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

Hi Dixie! Great to see you!

Our priest used to have a job with the Diocese, so it wasn't exactly a "secular" job but we weren't able to support him financially until about 2 1/2 years ago, when he was able to drop his diocesan job and be our full-time priest (as if he wasn't already full-time!).

Mary

 

[Monica child of God 1]

While there can be a time of exception in starting a new mission such that the priest takes secular employment, I don't think we should get too comfortable with the idea. I would think the ultimate goal is to get our priests fully supported by the parishes with a decent wage. As God's people it is our responsibility! Missions are the exception, of course.

My priest is part-time and he is an iconographer so the combination works for our little parish but from what I see the priest actually works full time on a part time wage. I think sometimes we abuse the situation and that is one of the dangers of a parish having a part-time priest.

I agree. It really surprised me that at the OCA cathedral there was not one priest who was completely full time. Especially coming from a Protestant church where the pastor seemed to do far less (in terms of services and visits) and yet was supported fully.

M.

 

[Philothei]

Coming from Greece the phenomenon of working priest is somewhat new to me as the priests are full time civil servants ...
I am sure that maybe thing will change over there too...as finances will get difficult.
Thank you all for your responses