The Shepherd's Guild

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 2020 Mini Greek-Mediterranean Festival will be our 15th annual event. 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; 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 gospels 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 ...Read More