Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA 1.5 Million Orthodox Christians The Assembly of Bishops ministers to the collective 1.5 million Orthodox Christians throughout the United States of America 57 Bishops The Assembly of Bishops is comprised of all the Eastern Orthodox Bishops actively engaged in the United States of America 1 Church The Assembly of Bishops is the primary and official forum for Orthodox Christian Unity in the United States of America
Source: The Washington Post By Michael Gerson Columnist On Nov. 1, 1755, Lisbon was visited by a violent earthquake that left some 50,000 to 60,000 people dead out of a city of 200,000. The scale, randomness and cruelty of the event led some Enlightenment thinkers to employ it as evidence against the existence of a loving God. “Come,” wrote Voltaire, “ye philosophers, who cry, ‘All’s well!’ / And contemplate this ruin of a world. / Behold these shreds and cinders of your race.” This theological argument has seldom gotten much popular traction, then or now. Human beings have a tremendous and healthy…
Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Christ is in our midst! Right now, an “Orthodox moment” is happening around the world, and we can’t afford to let this opportunity escape us. Seekers are flocking to Orthodox Churches, and our alumni in North America and abroad are reporting record numbers of catechumens and baptisms in their communities, in spite of the ongoing pandemic. We need well-trained priests and lay leaders to guide this influx of seekers home and minister to the newly illumined in a darkened world. And your generosity is making it possible. Donate Now Father Christopher Moore was a student…
Source: Orthodox Church in America Sea Cliff, NY [OCA] – On Tuesday evening, August 3, 2021, Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky, longtime Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and Rector of the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Sea Cliff, New York since 1974, fell asleep in the Lord at Glen Cove Hospital in Glen Cove, NY at the age of 78 following a heart attack. In spite of serious health issues over many years, he remained in active service to the Church until his repose. Father Leonid Kishkovsky was born in Warsaw, Poland…
Source: The National Herald by Prof. Dan Georgakas The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times recently reported at length about the serious problems engulfing the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptists. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese faces challenges of a different but equally dangerous nature. For more than forty years, it has experienced a steady decline in membership, constant closing of more Church-sponsored Greek schools, and a chronic shortage of priests. The peak in church membership came in the 1970s, mainly due to the impact of nearly two hundred thousand Greek immigrants (1960-1980). The newcomers were educated, mainly…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Thank you to the thirty respondents who provided thoughtful answers to two questions in a survey distributed at the end of June 2021. The voice of the Orthodox faithful reveals a sampling of grassroots understanding and passionate opinions about this important issue. 1) In your opinion, what major obstacles must be overcome to administratively unite the Orthodox Church on the American continent? Have everyone recognize the status of the OCA. (1) The fear of losing money and “handing over ” assets to some other authority. (2) The clergy are more opposed to giving up their ethnic…
Source: Orthodox Reality Did you know that: · …less than one-third (31%) of US Orthodox parish clergy have publicly encouraged their parishioners to get vaccinated; · …nearly half of American Orthodox parishes (48%) “profited” financially from the pandemic, because their members give now more than they did prior to COVID. Only 16% of parishes experienced a decline in donations · …overall the pandemic had a negative influence on parishioners’ involvement, but, at the same time, certain Orthodox jurisdictions benefited from the crisis by winning more members and increasing church attendance. If this appears interesting and you want to know more about the consequences…
Source: Orthodox Christian Network Join myOCN Interactive Virtual Community for a special edition this Thursday, 3rd, at 7:00 pm EST with guest Alexei D. Krindatch. Register Here. The report, “US Religion Census 2020: A Decade of Dramatic Changes in American Orthodox Churches,” presents detailed information on parishes, membership, and rates of worship attendance for fourteen Eastern Orthodox and nine Oriental Orthodox Churches in the USA. Most importantly, it describes significant changes in American Orthodox Christianity since the previous Census in 2010: membership decline in most Eastern Orthodox Churches, impressive growth of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, new parishes founded after 2010, and…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO RESPOND TO THE ONE-MINUTE SURVEY AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE The Local Parish If you are reading this article, you are most likely a member of a local parish in one of the jurisdictions of Orthodox Churches in North America. Before the pandemic, and now that society is beginning to open up again, you regularly attend a local Orthodox parish, which is your church family. During the pandemic, you may have “attended” services via ZOOM or other online platforms and had the opportunity to “virtually visit” other parishes. Your Role…
Source: Orthodox Reality The report, “US Religion Census 2020: Dramatic Changes in American Orthodox Churches,” is now available. The report presents detailed information on parishes, membership, and rates of worship attendance for fourteen Eastern Orthodox and nine Oriental Orthodox Church bodies. It also describes significant changes in American Orthodox Christianity since the previous Census in 2010: membership decline in most Eastern Orthodox Churches, impressive growth of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, new parishes founded after 2010, and much more. The report can be downloaded here: https://orthodoxreality.org/latest/second-census-2020-of-american-orthodox/ The data were obtained directly from over 3,000 US Orthodox Christian parishes. Overall, 97% of…
Would you do us a favor and take a couple of minutes to provide important feedback for our survey about the Orthodox Church in North America? CLICK HERE or on the green box above. View the results here (as of November 28, 2021)
Source: Orthodox Church in America To the Venerable Hierarchs, Esteemed Clergy, Reverend Monastics, and Beloved Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, My Beloved Brethren and Blessed Children in the Lord, on this the glorious and light-filled Feast of the Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, I greet you with the words that resound throughout our Churches and homes during this season: Christ is Born! Glorify Him! By the grace of God, we have come through an extraordinary year fraught with challenges and trials that none of us could have expected. We have found…