Prepared and provided by Velislava Garcheva / translated by editor
On July 27, 2024, a founding meeting was held to open the doors of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church “Sv. Ivan Rilski” in Chicago. Attendees included Father Yoan, Father Pavel, Mihail Zhilev, Zhivko Mitev, Stanislav Ivanov, and about fifty members of the Bulgarian community in Chicago. The meeting took place at the “St. Sophia” church building in Des Plaines. Virtually, Velislava Garcheva and around five other people from the Bulgarian community attended.
The meeting started at 5:40 PM with thanks to the host church and all private and legal entities that have contributed to the cause so far. Mihail Zhilev clarified the proposed management structure and membership opportunities for the new church. The church will have a church council, a priest, a board of directors, and an advisory board to ensure balance and hopefully avoid abuses. Mihail Zhilev urged the Bulgarian community to nominate additional prominent members who could join the board of directors with greater financial support.
The condition of the building was discussed, and an official document from an inspection was shown. The building urgently needs brick pointing and roof repairs. Mihail Zhilev requested that if any attendees or acquaintances know of Bulgarian businessmen involved in such work and general construction, they should contact the organizers of the cause to help first with determining the required amount for repairs and then potentially with the actual repair if an agreement is reached.
Three levels of membership and membership fees were presented: Level 1 – free with no voting rights; Level 2 – $100 for the first 200 people, and $150 per year for everyone else, with voting rights; and Level 3 – $1000 per year with the possibility for greater public recognition of the members’ names and activities. Later, attendees mentioned that $100 per year is a very small amount, and the organizers will take this into account.
Mihail Zhilev shared that the organizers have calculated that the annual amount needed for the church to function normally is around $140,000. Initially, this amount and the cost of repairing the building’s external condition after a professional inspection will be the primary financial goals. The church already has a registered non-governmental organization and its own bank account. There are also available donation boxes, which require two different keys to be opened. All this is done to gain the trust of the Bulgarian community and eliminate potential abuses.
Mihail mentioned that the building owner is still waiting to see seriousness from the Bulgarian community and a strong board of directors capable of supporting the cause, primarily from a financial perspective. Preliminary negotiations have led to the idea that the owner, Mihail Mihaylov, might offer the building for a period without monthly payments, starting repairs on the property, and signing a purchase agreement at the end of this period. Mr. Mihaylov attended the meeting virtually for a while, as he was out of the country.
Several questions arose from the attendees regarding the appointment of a priest. Father Yoan addressed the concerns and urged the community to be patient. He provided information about the shortage of clergy in the homeland and abroad and briefly explained that parishioners need to be more realistic in their expectations and be prepared for various options for weekly services, including potentially recorded broadcasts.
By the end of the meeting, several more community members spoke up. There was some uncertainty regarding finances and current needs of the cause. Mihail Zhilev was able to answer all questions and, at the end of the meeting, urged attendees to fill out the church membership form. Due to technical issues, membership fees could not be collected immediately, but attendees managed to donate various amounts to the cause.
The founding meeting concluded at 9:28 PM
Donations in place
- Cash donations – $1000
- Digital donations (Zelle) – $300