Minutes
Prepared and provided by Velislava Gurcheva
On July 27, 2024, a founding meeting was held to open the doors of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church “St. Ivan Rilski” in Chicago. The meeting was attended by Father Yoan, Father Pavel, Mihail Zhilev, Zhivko Mitev, Stanislav Ivanov, and about fifty other members of the Bulgarian community in Chicago. The meeting took place in the building of the “St. Sophia” church in Des Plaines. Velislava Gurcheva and about five other people from the Bulgarian community attended virtually.
The meeting began 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 planned management structure and membership opportunities in the new church. The church will have a church council, a priest, a board of directors, and an advisory council to ensure balance and hope to avoid abuses. Mihail Zhilev called on the Bulgarian community to nominate a few more 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 exterior of the building urgently needs brick repointing and roof repair. Mihail Zhilev addressed the attendees, asking if there are any present or if anyone knows Bulgarian businessmen involved in such work and general construction, to contact the organizers of the cause to help first with determining the necessary repair amount and then with the potential repair upon reaching an agreement.
The three levels of membership and membership fees were presented: 1st level – free and without voting rights, 2nd level – $100 for the first 200 people, and $150 per year for everyone else with voting rights, and 3rd level – $1000 per year with the possibility of greater public visibility of the name and activities of these members. Later, attendees shared 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 necessary amount per year for the church to function normally is about $140,000. Initially, this amount and the amount for repairing the exterior condition of the building after a professional inspection will be the initial financial goal set. The church already has a registered non-profit organization and its own bank account. There are also donation boxes available, 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 shared that the owner of the building is still waiting to see seriousness from the Bulgarian community and a strong board of directors capable of supporting the cause, especially from a financial aspect. Preliminary negotiations have led to the idea that the owner, Mihail Mihaylov, will give the building for a period without monthly payments, starting with property repairs and signing a purchase agreement at the end of this period. Mr. Mihaylov attended the meeting virtually for a period, as he was not in the country.
Several questions arose from the attendees regarding the appointment of a priest. Father Yoan responded to the concerns and urged the community to be patient. He informed the attendees about the shortage of clergy in the homeland and abroad and briefly explained that the laity should be more realistic in their expectations and be ready for any options for conducting weekly services, including them being projected as recordings.
By the end of the meeting, several more members of the community spoke. Uncertainty was expressed regarding the finances and current needs of the cause. Mihail Zhilev managed 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 at the moment, but attendees managed to donate various amounts to the cause.
The founding meeting concluded at 9:28 PM.
Donations
- Cash donations – $1000
- Donations via Zelle – $300
