Question: You call yourself "Orthodox", does that mean you are Jewish?
Answer: No! We are "Orthodox Christians," not "Orthodox Jews," a part of the Jewish
religion.
Question: Oh, then, you're Orthodox Presbyterians?
Answer: No. We're neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic!
Question: Oh, you mean like "Eastern Orthodox?"
Answer: Yes, except that we as Americans are very much in and of "the West."
Ironically it is from the West that the "Eastern Orthodox Church" came to these shores some
200 years ago through Alaska and California by missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Since that time Orthodox Christianity has continued to grow until today when an estimated
five million people from many ethnic and racial backgrounds are members of the Orthodox
Christian Church living in America.
Question: Is that like "Greek Orthodox" and "Russian Orthodox?"
Answer: Yes, but...that really doesn't tell the whole story any more! Our
ancestors may have been Russian, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian, Carpatho-Russian, Ukrainian, etc.,
but today we are all Americans first, proud of our history, but struggling to find salvation
in the truth of Christ's Holy Church in the American setting! Orthodox Christians today are
U.S. senators, judges, doctors, lawyers, educators, computer programmers, business executives,
media experts, steel workers, coal miners .... this list goes on and on, showing that Orthodox
Christians are truly part of the American mainstream, not isolated immigrants! Not only that,
we have many, many converts from ancestors who didn't come from a traditionally Orthodox
country! These are people who have come to believe the Orthodox Faith is the Church that
"saves!" You see, it doesn't matter where you come from! What matters is where you are going,
i.e. - to God's Kingdom through Christ's One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church! The Church
is One Church. Currently, however, the Church organization in North America is regrettably
divided incorrectly among several different Orthodox ecclesiastical "jurisdictions," or
governing bodies of varying national origin with the One Church. This is not correct according
to the ancient teachings of the Orthodox Church and, with God's help, will be corrected in
North America!
Question: Do the various Orthodox "jurisdictions" differ in Church doctrine?
What's the difference between being, let's say, "Greek Orthodox" or "Russian Orthodox?"
Answer: The doctrine and worship services of each jurisdiction and parish are
basically the same, though in some, languages other than English continue to be used in the
services. This is even true within the Orthodox Church in America in some parishes since there
has been an influx of immigrants during the past few Years due to the fall of communism in
Russia and the other countries of the former "Eastern Block." It is true that you may see
variations in liturgical practices when visiting various jurisdictional parishes. This is
because the Orthodox Church is a "family" of self-governing (autocephalous) Churches,
each being allowed to develop its own unique local manifestation of the Universal Church.
(Staying within the parameters of historic Church doctrine, of course!) The Orthodox church
has no single "power figure" such as the Roman Catholic pope who unilaterally imposes
conformity within the Church. (Even the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is considered
the "first among equals" among Orthodox hierarchs, having no direct administrative or
liturgical control over the other fourteen autocephalous Churches throughout the world.)
The Orthodox Christian missionaries always strove to have the newly founded local churches
worship in the local county's language, never imposing a foreign "universal Church language"
on them for perpetuity. This is why Church Slavonic is used in Russia, even though it was
Greek missionaries who originally evangelized the area of 'Rus. This also explains why the
majority of parishes in the Orthodox Church in America now use English either exclusively or
nearly exclusively in their worship .... English is the language that our people can worship
in with complete understanding! We as Orthodox always strive to emulate St. Paul's advice to
worship "with understanding," not just "emotion!"
Question: I thought there are just two kinds of Christians, Protestant and
Catholic?
Answer: From the Orthodox Christian viewpoint, Roman Catholicism is a medieval
change of the original Orthodoxy of the Church in Western Europe, and Protestantism is a
reform movement attempting to eradicate some of the Roman Church's innovations. We respectfully
differ with Roman Catholicism on a number of critical issues which effect the life of God's
people. Some of these issues include: (1) papal authority, including papal
infallibility;
(2) the nature of the church;
(3) the immaculate conception of
the Virgin Mary (Theotokos); and (4) the form (or species) of the Holy Gifts (Eucharist).
Although there are other issues, these would probably be considered the most critical.
Historically, the Orthodox Church is both "pre-Protestant" and "pre-Roman Catholic" in
the sense that many modern Roman Catholic teachings were developed much later in Christian
history. The word "catholic" is a Greek word meaning "having to do with wholeness." We do
consider ourselves "Catholic" in the sense of the word - as proclaiming and practicing "the
Whole Faith." In fact, the full title of our Church is "The Orthodox Catholic Church."
A critical part of The Creed, which is our basic statement of beliefs which is chanted at
every Divine Liturgy says this: "...in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, I
acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sin..." So, the Orthodox Church IS "catholic"
in the sense of wholeness of completeness concerning the Apostolic Deposit of Faith
received from Christ and the Apostles and maintained without change through the ages by
the Holy Tradition (both written and oral) of the Orthodox Christian Church.
Question: How would Western Christians relate the Orthodox Faith to
their faith experience?
Answer: Members of the "reformed" churches of Western Christendom easily
relate to Orthodoxy's emphasis on personal faith and the Scriptures. Orthodox Christians
believe that we cannot save ourselves by our own good works. Salvation is "faith working
through love." It is a process that is ongoing throughout our lives. It requires our active
participation through personal faith in our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We cooperate with God, we work together with Him, that we may know Him, becoming by grace
what He is by nature. Orthodox Christians believe the Bible is the divinely inspired Word
of God, and is a crucial part of God's self-revelation to the human race. The Scriptures
are at the very heart of Orthodox worship and devotion.
Roman Catholics easily identify with Orthodoxy's beautiful and ancient liturgical
worship and sacramental life. Roman Catholic guests often comment in our churches that,
"in lots of ways your Liturgy reminds me of our old High Mass." Like the Roman Church's
Mass, the Orthodox Liturgy is central to our Church's spiritual life. "Liturgy" is a
term used to describe the shape or form of our corporate worship of God. The word "liturgy"
comes from a Greek word which means "the common work." The Liturgy is replete with biblical
references from beginning to end! The central focus of the Liturgy is, of course, the
opportunity for the gathered believers of the Orthodox Church to receive healing and
sanctification from Christ in the "Holy Eucharist." The Eucharist, or Holy Communion as
it is also termed, is celebrated each and every Sunday in our spiritual communities.
Because Jesus said of the bread and wine at the Last Supper, "This is my body,"
"This...is...my blood," and "Do this in remembrance of Me (Luke. 22.19.20)," His followers
believe - and do - nothing less! In the Eucharist, we partake mystically of Christ's
Body and Blood, which impart His life and strength to us. Early Christians, both in the
East and the West, called the Eucharist "the medicine of immortality" because they
recognized the great grace of God that was received in it.
Many of the "dichotomies" between Protestants and the Roman Catholics have never
arisen in the Orthodox Church (i.e., "Word versus Sacrament" or "Faith versus Works).
We believe Orthodox theology offers the "western" denominations a way in which apparently
opposite differences can be synthesized as originally practiced in the ancient Christian Church.
Question: Why is he word "Orthodox" used in describing your Church?
Answer: This word was initially used by the ancient Church. "Orthodox" is
a combination of two Greek words - "orthos" and "doxa." "Orthos" means "correct;" "doxa"
means "worship" or "doctrine." So the word "orthodox" signifies both "proper worship" and
"correct doctrine." The Orthodox Christian Church today is identical to the undivided Church
which was founded by Christ and built upon the preaching of the Apostles and their
appointed successors, the bishops of the Church of Christ throughout the world. Besides
their love for Christ, there is at least one important characteristic common to the first
Christians - they all grew to know God and serve Him in the Church - there
was no option!
This stands in stark contrast to much of what is taught today under the guise of Christianity!
We need the Church to find the fullness of Christ! By the mercy of God, the Orthodox Church
has never diminished Christ's message even in the face of indescribable persecutions. The
Orthodox Church is Christ at work today! We proudly proclaim, "In One, Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic Church, I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to
come. Amen!" We are a kind of "spiritual safety zone" that opens the gates of Christ's
saving actions wide for those who accept it!
Question: Which do you believe in, the Bible or Tradition?
Answer: A good short answer to this question is,
"Yes!" The question implies precisely
a kind of dichotomy (i.e., "Bible" versus "Tradition") which is not found in the Orthodox
Christian outlook. "Tradition" comes from the Greek word, "paradosis," which is used often in
the New Testament both as a verb and a noun. You might want to review I Corinthians
11,23, where literally translating the original Greek, St. Paul says, "...for
I received from the Lord that which I also traditioned to you..." Additional Bible
references would include I Corinthians 11:2, and II Thessalonians 2:15; 3;6.
"Tradition" means "that which is handed over." The New Testament carefully distinguishes
between "traditions of men" and "HOLY TRADITION," which is the Faith handed over to us by
Christ in the Holy Spirit. That same Faith was believed and practiced several decades before
the New Testament Scriptures were set down in writing and given canonical (i.e., official)
status. We experience the Tradition as timeless and ever relevant; ancient yet ever current.
We distinguish between "The Tradition" (with a capital "T") which is the Faith/Practice
of the Undivided Church, and "traditions" (with a little "t") which are local or national
customs. An example of a "Tradition" of Faith would be the identification of God as
Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a universal belief of the Orthodox
Church throughout the world. An example of a "tradition" of the Church would be the blessing
of certain foods in baskets at the Holy Pascha. This is a local tradition that varies, or
sometimes not even practiced, in various local Orthodox churches throughout the world.
Question: Where does "Holy Tradition" come from?
Answer: The New Testament Scriptures are the primary written witness to the
Tradition. Orthodox Christians therefore believe the Bible, as the inspired written Word of
God, is the heart of the Tradition. In the New Testament, all basic Orthodox doctrine and
sacramental practice is either specifically set forth, or alluded to as already a practice
of the Church in the first century A.D. The Tradition is witnessed to also by the decisions
of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, the Nicene Creed, the writings of the Fathers of the
Church, by the liturgical worship and iconography of the Church, and in the lives of the
Saints. In other words - - - - "Tradition" is the Holy Spirit at work, manifesting Himself in
Christ's Apostolic Spiritual Body, the Orthodox Church!
Question: Are you saying that without the Church, there is no Bible?
Answer: Precisely! It was the Church that gave us the Bible, not the other
way around! The Bible was written in the Church and for the Church.
The early Christians
would have been shocked to hear the term, "sola scriptura" (only the Bible)! Salvation history
is clear: God sent His Son, together they sent the Holy Spirit, then came the Church, and
finally the Church gave us the New Testament. For the Bible to make sense then, it must be
interpreted according to the Tradition of the Church, not by the personal whims of each
sinful reader! So, the Bible is the central part of the Church's Holy Tradition, but not
the only part! Many people today would be surprised to know that the first complete listing
of New Testament books as we have them today did not appear until over
300 years after the
death and resurrection of Christ! As the eyewitnesses of Christ's life and teachings began to
die, the Apostles wrote as they were guided by the Holy Spirit, in order to preserve and
solidify the scattered written and oral Tradition. It was the Church that met and decided
in the fourth century our New Testament books.
Question: Why do the Orthodox say that their worship is based on
the Bible?
Answer: The Christian Church learned to worship in the Jewish Temple and in
the Synagogues. The New Testament repeatedly says that Christ, Paul, and the other worshipped
regularly in Jewish houses of worship. [See: Luke 4:16; Acts 3:1; Acts
17:1-2] We know from
archaeology, and from modern Jewish practice, that Synagogue worship was and is highly
liturgical. That means the worship is communal, organized, ceremonial, and done decently
and in order, as St. Paul admonishes us in I Corinthians 14:40.
The worship in the Orthodox Church takes place both on earth and in heaven simultaneously.
St. Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews that the earthly tabernacle of the Old Testament
was patterned after the tabernacle in heaven [See: Hebrews 9.23,24]. Our earthly worship is
really also taking place before the heavenly altar, where Christ Himself, the Great High
Priest, is officiating. This simultaneous reality is clearly, theologically demonstrated
in the Orthodox House of Worship by having our buildings filled with icons of the Saints,
often being covered from floor to ceiling! This is why we venerate icons upon the
Church - we are greeting the members of our Church family as we would greet the members
of our earthly family upon entering a house. Our worship is, indeed, a "family affair,"
uniting the "Church Militant" here on earth with the "Church Triumphant" in Heaven. One
final quote from our Lord: (for) He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living
(Mark 12:27). The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ has changed everything - including
the barrier of death. Our Orthodox worship, especially the Holy Liturgy,
expresses the
mystery of this victory constantly.
Question: Does this mean the Orthodox Church is rigidly bound by
Holy Tradition?
Answer: Holy Tradition as a set of basic principles outlining the fundamentals
of faith is unchangeable. What Holy Tradition is demanding in reality is a constant change
in us, effected with the aid of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to grow spiritually and to
respond ever more fully to the call of God in Jesus Christ. The "core beliefs" of the Holy
Church are not "up for sale" to make us "popular" or to help the
Church "fit in" better in
modern society! The Church is here to prophetically speak the unchangeable truths taught
by Jesus Christ, His Apostles, and their apostolic successors.
Question: Do you have the Virgin Mary, Saints, prayer for the dead, and
confession "like the Roman Catholic Church?"
Answer: There are points of mutuality between Orthodox and Roman Catholic
belief on these issues. However, there are also significant theological
differences, too!
Each of these points would be a topic for a complete series in and of itself! In regards to
the Virgin Mary ("Theotokos" - "Bearer of God," in Greek) - we honor her because she is the
woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who is the Word of God, the Second Person of the
Holy Trinity. We call her "blessed" and think of her as the greatest of saints and the
greatest of missionaries, for her unique mission was to deliver the Word of God to the world
through the Incarnation ("taking on flesh").
[See: Luke 1:43,48 / John 1: 1,14 / Galatians 4:4] We likewise honor the other
"heroes of the Christian Faith" who committed their lives so completely to the Lord,
that they are venerated as models of what it means to be fully and deeply Christian.
The word "saint" comes from the Latin word meaning "holy." These people teach us to also be
imitators of Christ in our personal lives.
Having said all this, however, it must be clearly understood that our
salvation comes in
and through Jesus Christ, coupled with our personal faith in Him which is nourished by the
Community of Faith in Her Holy Mysteries. The Virgin Mary and the Saints
are not worshipped
as we worship Christ! They are venerated, or honored, as holy intercessors - part of our
Family, the Church of Christ.
Question: Why do the Orthodox believers go to a priest for confession?
Answer: In Holy Confession, the Holy Mystery of repentance, we come to Christ
and receive His divine forgiveness. We are allowed once more to enter into communion with
Him in the Church, especially through the Holy Eucharist (Communion). We are reinstated
into that life which we received in Holy Baptism and are renewed with that power which we
were given in Chrismation. In fact, many of the ancient Christian writers called Confession
"a second Baptism." As members of the Church, we have responsibilities to one another, not
only to God. When we sin, our relationship to God and to others is distorted.
Holy Confession (Penance) is the Holy Mystery (Sacrament) through which our sins are forgiven,
and our relationship to God and to others is restored to what it should be. According to Orthodox
teaching, the penitent confesses to God and is forgiven by God; the priest is the witness who
represents both Christ and His people. The priest is viewed not as a judge, but as a spiritual
physician and guide.
Question: Isn't it kind of "scary" to do this in front of the priest?
Answer: Well, I guess that kind of depends on your outlook! Many worthwhile
things in life are scary the first few times you do them, but it's worth it in the long-run!
Fear of Holy Confession sometimes indicates a lack of faith in God's love and willingness
to forgive us, or may indicate a lack of humility. Never forget that the ordained priest
is bound by a strict code of confidentiality concerning anything revealed in Holy Confession.
Any priest who knowingly violates this trust faces severe repercussions from his diocesan
hierarch! That's how important Holy Confession has been since the days of the ancient Church!
One final comment - the Church has historically always had this Holy Mystery. However,
"Private Confession" came relatively later in the Church's history. Confession in the
early Church was done openly, in front of the entire Church community.
Question: Aren't these kinds oŁ things "man-made rules?" Where in the
Bible is this taught?
Answer: Here are just two Biblical examples. James 5:16 says:
"Confess your
trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." I John 1:8,9 says:
"If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in
us." Clearly,
the Bible teaches that we as Christians are responsible for our sins not only to God, but
to each other as well! That is because we not only sin against God, but against each other,
too. Holy Confession is a beautiful, God-given, historically accurate way to receive
assurance of forgiveness and to receive personal spiritual guidance from a minister of
the Gospel of Christ.
Question: Does this mean the Orthodox Church doesn't practice
"Open Communion?"
Answer: In a way, we do practice "Open Communion" since all repentant
believers are expected to receive the Holy Eucharist regularly, "for the healing of soul
and body!" That means we are glad to accept new members! We do not separate the idea of
"Holy Communion" from "Being in Communion," "Full Communion," "Inter-Communion," and total
"Communion in the Faith." This separates Holy Orthodoxy from many of the "Western"
denominations. To receive the Eucharist (or any other Holy Mystery) in the Orthodox Church,
you must be willing to make a complete, wholehearted commitment to the Orthodox Faith.
While we warmly welcome visitors to our services, it is understood that only those members
of the Orthodox Church who have prepared by Confession and fasting will dare to approach
the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments). This does not mean, necessary, that we are somehow judging
all others and insinuating they are automatically going to be condemned by God to "eternal
damnation!" We leave the judgment to God, focusing instead on our own sinfulness!
Question: Why do you use all those pictures in your church?
Answer: Icons are not pictures in the sense of realistic representations.
They are symbolic expressions of divinized humanity. All the icons, the vestments, the
candies, the singing . . . everything taken together in harmony and unity serve to disclose
just one thing: mankind is made for God and finds its identity, fulfillment, and perfection
in Him. Through Christ, the Kingdom of God is opened to those who accept Him as their Savior.
The Church is the "Spiritual Body of Christ," charged by Christ with continuing His saving
mission to all of mankind. Everything we do in our Church is designed to make that realization
an ever-present experience. The icon, therefore, becomes a "window to heaven," and helps us
direct our attention to divine things which go beyond the merely physical world surrounding us.
Question: Isn't this idolatry?
Answer: If the icon were just a picture, it might be the case. It might also
be the case when misinformed people actually treat icons as if in themselves they were some
sort of divinity or idol. This would not be the authentic Orthodox Christian teaching! The
icon is precisely not a form of representational art. The official teaching of the Fathers
of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 AD) rejects the idea that honoring an icon is
idolatrous by pointing out that the icon shares in the incarnational reality of Jesus.
It uses material means as a way to point to the divine. The Orthodox Church teaches that
the honor given "passes over to the prototype." In other words, when we reverence an icon of
Christ, it is Christ whom we honor, not the material icon.
Question: Are there Biblical passages to justify all this?
Answer: Yes! Here are just a few: 2 Peter 1:4 states: "...you may be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." l John 3:2 says: "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not been revealed
what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is." Icons for the Orthodox are sacramental signs of God's Cloud of Witnesses
as described in Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." To deny the use of the icon
is really to deny the reality of Christ's Incarnation and Death!
Question: Does this mean the Orthodox Church uses statues as in the
Catholic Church?
Answer: No, the Orthodox Church prohibits the use of statuary in our Houses
of Worship, following the teachings of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. The icon is flat and
does not seek to embody the full physical characteristics of the portrayed person. The
Byzantine iconographic style is designed to show an inner reality beyond the external
physical dimension. The statue is the opposite of all just described and is therefore
prohibited in our churches.
Question: Isn't all this just a little bit "old-fashioned" for modem society?
Answer: Not at all! In fact, it is precisely what's missing in society!
Many people today talk often of "meaningfulness" in their lives. They embark on often
long and expensive "spiritual journeys" looking for that "something" missing to fulfill
their emptiness. This, despite having a plethora of materialistic things around them.
We, the members of the Apostolic Faith of Christ, believe we know what people are hungry
for today - an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ! We believe the Lord Jesus literally
rose from the dead in a real though transfigured physical body. We believe that life apart
from God is hollow and meaningless. We believe that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, provides
us with that connection to God, the Father. It is through our ancient Liturgy and the ancient
Christian doctrines that the tree meaning of human life is found. God is the Source of all
meaning, we Orthodox are thankful that we have learned to know God through this special place
on earth - the Orthodox Church!
Question: I have heard that the Roman Catholic Church believes in the concept
of the "IMMACULATE CONCEPTION." What does this mean? Does the Orthodox Church also preach this?
Answer: This is a Roman Catholic dogma not taught in the Orthodox Church. The
Immaculate Conception holds that from the moment of her conception, the Virgin Mary was kept
from all original sin. It was declared a dogma rather late in Christian history under Pious IX
through a proclamation in 1854. There are several objectionable concepts from the Orthodox
point of view. The first involves the divergent views of Orthodoxy and Catholicism concerning
original sin. The Roman Catholic view emphasizes guilt as the major component of original sin,
while the Orthodox view emphasizes the condition of separateness between all persons and God.
The Roman Catholics are therefore saying that the Virgin Mary was guilty of no sin. Eastern
tradition tends to also hold that the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) committed no voluntary sin,
but this is different from saying that she was bom without sin. Also, if it be held that the
Immaculate Conception were needed so that Jesus was born without original sin, then this also
would require that Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, were also without original sin. Logic
would require this sinlessness to be traced back to Adam and Eve - obviously, an erroneous
belief.!
Question: This brings up another question, then - what does the Orthodox
Church think about the Pope of Rome?
Answer: The Eastern Orthodox Church has a very different outlook towards the
Pope! We do not give him anywhere near the same importance as the Roman Catholics give him.
The Orthodox find it exceedingly difficult to believe in the universal jurisdictional primacy
of the Pope. We do not believe that the Pope has more "power" than any other bishop. We
believe that in a theoretically unified Christian Church he would be "first among equals." We
see the Pope as a bishop, not as a higher leader that dictates church policy to the other
bishops. The Orthodox Church also strenuously rejects the teaching called "The Infallibility
of the Pope." This Roman Catholic teaching, also declared late in Christian history, declares
that when speaking "ex cathedra," i.e. "from the throne," the Pope cannot err. The Orthodox
Church firmly rejects this teaching, believing that no human being is exempt from err. It is
only by the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking through the divinely inspired Church Councils
of all the bishops, that the Church can discern the truth. Quite frankly, the position of the
Pope in the governance of the Holy Church is a major stumbling block to complete reconciliation
between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches and will be very difficult to overcome
without extensive revision of current positions.
Question: Well, if you don't believe in the "universal jurisdiction" of the
Pope, how is the Orthodox Church organized?
Answer: The approximately 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide are
organized according to the method of the early Church - into a family of self-governing,
i.e. autocephalous, Churches. "Autocephalous" means "self-governing." The tangible sign
of this self-governance is the right to elect their chief ruling hierarch, usually given
the varying titles of Patriarch, Metropolitan, or Archbishop, without the previous approval
or act of ratification from another Orthodox Church. The autocephalous Orthodox Churches
include: The Church of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey), The Church of Alexandria (Egypt),
The Church of Antioch (Syria), The Church of Jerusalem, The Church of Russia, The Church of
Georgia, the Church of Serbia, the Church of Romania, the Church of Bulgaria, The Church of
Cyprus, the Church of Greece, The Church of Albania, the Church of Poland, the Church of the
Czech and Slovak Republics, and finally, the Orthodox Church in America (the Autocephalous
Orthodox Church to which our Ambridge parish belongs).
- There are some 250 million Orthodox Christians in the world.
- Most Orthodox Christians are living in Russia, Serbia, the Ukraine,
Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
- Approximately five (5)-million Americans are Orthodox Christians.
- The greatest concentration of Orthodox in America are in Alaska,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Ohio.
- Organized Orthodox Church life first came to America in 1794 with
missionaries from the Russian Orthodox Church's Valaam Monastery.
- Centuries of vigorous Orthodox missionary activities across 12 time
zones in northern Europe and Asia was halted by the Communists after the
Soviet Revolution in 1917.
- Orthodox missions are active in Central Africa, Japan, Korea, Guatemala
and many other parts of the world - including many parts of the United
States not previously considered "Orthodox areas." (We are
growing!)
- Orthodoxy welcomes and encourages converts from all
nationalities to come to the truth of Jesus Christ!
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"Education is power! Ignorance is powerlessness!" As an Orthodox priest, pastor, and educator,
I believe those Words are absolutely true! Every Orthodox Christian must come to realize that
we live in a complicated,
pluralistic society with a virtual cornucopia of religious beliefs. Many of these beliefs are
openly contrary to the teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith - the Orthodox
Church. Others may sound similar to our teachings, but in reality are quite different, with
the potential to lead us away from the timeless teachings of Christ's one, true Church upheld
since the days of the Apostles and the Holy Fathers of the ancient Christian Church.