Become a Member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

How to Qualify
Any person who has been baptized according to the Orthodox Faith, or has been received into the Orthodox Christian faith through the Holy Sacrament of Chrismation, and who lives according to the faith and canons of the Church, can be a member of this parish. The religious, moral and social duties of parishioners are to:

• apply the teachings of the Orthodox Faith to their daily lives;
• attend the Holy Liturgy and other worship services faithfully;
• keep the traditions of our faith;
• participate regularly in the sacramental life of the Church; and
• actively work to further the goals of the parish in the fulfillment of the Church's sacred mission.

Supporting Membership
All persons eighteen years of age or over who qualify for membership as described above, must also be supporting members of this parish. Supporting members are those who participate in the financial support of the Church by making and fulfilling an annual pledge to the Fair Share membership Program. The amount of that pledge is determined by each parishioner's concept of what his or her "fair share" should be. A pledge to the Fair Share membership Program is the supporting member's only required financial support of the Church.

All parishioners may participate in the sacraments and rites of the Church in this parish provided membership requirements have been fulfilled. Participation in the sacraments is an expression of the life and faith of an Orthodox Christian. Parishioners who request Baptisms, Weddings and other services in this parish, must, therefore, be active and consistent pledge members of this parish for a period of at least six months.

Parish Council Requirements
A candidate for election to the Parish Council must be an active, supporting member of this parish for at least one year and must fulfill the requirements of church membership as described above. They must also meet the spiritual and canonical requirements of the Church below:

Spiritual - Attend Divine Services every Sunday and receive the Sacraments regularly. To uphold the Teachings and Traditions of the Orthodox Church. To be active in the Church Fellowship, involved in Church Organizations and be contributing (time/talent) to the Parish. To attend all parish council meetings and annual General Assembly meetings. The power and strength of the elected council member should be used spiritually without any personal ambitions. All council members undertake a holy obligation and responsibility to an ecclesiastical institution and not to a "club". All intentions and actions of all council members should be for the right cause.

Canonical - If married, married in the Orthodox Church. If divorced, have received an ecclesiastical divorce before submitting one's name for candidacy. Must live with his/her line and activities in accordance with the faith and canons of the Church. Must be a baptized Orthodox Cristian.

A new member of the parish may vote in the elections and assemblies if he or she has been an active member for at least three months prior to elections or general assemblies.

Letters of Reference
Any Orthodox Christian who is a member of another Orthodox parish may participate in Baptisms, Weddings and other services in this parish by presenting a letter of reference from his parish priest. The priest of this parish will issue letters of reference to those parishioners who fulfill the membership requirements described above.