The Shepherd's Guild is a service organization for Orthodox laypersons
with the purpose to provide outreach to people through service (Diakonia) as "commanded by the Gospel
(Matthew 25, 31-46: James 1, 27) and promulgated by Saint Basil the Great of Caesarea and Saint
John the Almsgiver of Alexandria."
The Guild was chartered on September 30, 1999, as a
nonprofit organization under the laws of the State of South Carolina with the purpose: to raise
funds to build an Eastern Orthodox Church (Chapel) in the Anderson area, to foster
fellowship among its members, to promote pan-Orthodox activities, and to engage in humanitarian
efforts. On August 17, 2001, the Office of the Secretary of State of South Carolina re-classified
The Shepherd's Guild as a religious organization. The Shepherd's Guild is registered as a tax
exempt 501(c)(3) charity with the Internal Revenue Service.
The
Building Fund of the Paracletos Monastery was established by the Guild to assist in the building
of the Chapel of Panagia Soumela at the Monastery. The main fundraiser of the Building Fund was
The Anderson Greek Festival. The Fund also assisted with the building of the
monastery's dining room. In March 2011, the Monastery ended its connection with the Anderson
Greek Festival. The 2021 Mini Greek-Mediterranean Festival will be our 16th annual event.
1 Peter 5:2-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not by compulsion but willingly,[a] not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
Mark 8: 34-38 (NKJV)
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
34
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the
Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
photo: An Orthodox Christian boy holds a crucifix during an Epiphany rite at the Jordan
River, near the West Bank city of Jericho, January 19, 2007.(Reuters/Yonathan
Weitzman)
