THE "CURE OF SOULS"
And the Absence of Stewardship
And the Absence of Stewardship
Pastoral or Parochial Theology in our Orthodox World rarely uses the term “Cure of Souls” to define the stewardship and responsibility that a priest is given when they assume the role of pastor/priest. This presbyter has already assumed a responsibility to God and now he must also be responsible to every individual soul in his parish. How can this cure of souls not include stewardship that includes money?
The idea of a “Cure of Souls” demands of us that we adjust our way of thinking about how we care for Christ’s Church and our brothers and sisters in Christ who share our faith and who seek to embrace the fullness of Orthodoxy. In simple terms, our Creator God is the Father of all who sent His son into the world to die for the sins of all, surely expects a teaching and preaching of the fullness of the Gospel for all, that includes stewardship as part of working out our salvation in our parishes and in our individual lives.
The idea of a “Cure of Souls” demands of us that we adjust our way of thinking about how we care for Christ’s Church and our brothers and sisters in Christ who share our faith and who seek to embrace the fullness of Orthodoxy. In simple terms, our Creator God is the Father of all who sent His son into the world to die for the sins of all, surely expects a teaching and preaching of the fullness of the Gospel for all, that includes stewardship as part of working out our salvation in our parishes and in our individual lives.
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The V. Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield is the president of St. Vladimir's Seminary. Father Chad came to SVOTS from St. Herman Seminary in Alaska, where he was serving as dean. His experience in various pastoral, teaching, and administrative roles, spread over more than forty years of ordained ministry, is now blended into his ministry of seminarian formation at SVOTS.
His wife, Matushka Thekla, is an integral part of seminary life where she is the Coordinator for the St. Juliana Society. Father Chad was ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood by His Grace Bishop Basil of Wichita. |