Posted on 05/27/2005 7:36:52 PM PDT by Destro
Article Last Updated: 04/29/2005 11:16:34 PM
Ancient rhythm: Converts to Orthodoxy are drawn by its unchanging nature, aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery
By Robin Galiano Russell
The Dallas Morning News
Orthodox churchgoers line up at the end of service to kiss the cross being held by Father David Hovik in Arlington, Wash. After six months of catechism studies, Hovik and 104 members of the independent Grace Community Church converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and became the St. Andrew Antiochian Orthodox Church. (Pedro Perez/Seattle Times )
Meg Robinson lights a candle for her uncle and grandparents before service at St. Andrews Church in Arlington, Wash. (Pedro Perez/Seattle Times )
DALLAS - The Eastern Orthodox Church, as far removed from a nondenominational or evangelical congregation as you can get, is attracting a growing number of converts who are drawn by the tug of an ancient faith.
Converts are trading in their PowerPoint sermons and praise bands for the ancient rhythms of a liturgy that hasn't changed in thousands of years - a pendulum swing from the casual, seeker-friendly services that have dominated contemporary evangelicalism.
Their numbers are still small compared to megachurch growth patterns, with 1.2 million Eastern Orthodox Christians in the United States. But adherents say there has been a surge in people drawn to the faith.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church, the most evangelistic of the American Orthodox churches, has tracked conversions for several decades. The number of its churches in the United States has doubled in 20 years to more than 250 parishes and missions. About 80 percent of its converts come from evangelical and charismatic backgrounds, 20 percent from mainline denominations.
Those who convert say they are drawn to an aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery in Orthodox worship that are often lacking in their own Protestant services. It's like entering a time machine that allows congregants to worship as the early Christians did.
Not that it doesn't take some getting used to. Orthodox services are based on the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which can last two hours or more. Congregants stand much of the time, while priests in vestments offer incense and chant the Psalms.
'Startlingly different': Frederica Mathewes-Green, a former Episcopalian and author of Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey Into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy, said the experience of Orthodoxy was ''startlingly different'' from anything she had known in Western churches. But it clicked when she saw it was directed toward God rather than her own emotional needs.
''It called us to fall on our faces before God in worship and to be filled with awe at his glory. I could never go back. I now find Western worship tedious and sentimental. To me, the contrast is jolting.''
Mathewes-Green also prefers the Orthodox view of the Christian life as a healing process and a journey, rather than a one-time ''sinner's prayer.'' She and her husband converted from a liberal Episcopal Church in 1993 and helped found an Orthodox church made up mostly of American converts.
''It's not about getting the sin-debt paid, the ticket punched and now you wait around to die and go to heaven. Orthodoxy is a transforming journey where every day the Christian is being enabled to bear more of God's light. That's exciting,'' she said.
Stan Shinn, who was raised in the Assemblies of God denomination, recalls feeling nearly overwhelmed when he stepped inside Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in North Dallas for the first time. What looked good on paper - definitive answers to his search for early Christian worship and doctrine - had taken him to a ''very bizarre and strange'' church with icon-filled walls, heavy incense and Byzantine chanting.
''I felt like there was a gauntlet thrown down in front of me,'' he said.
He and his wife, Janine, and their three children converted in 2002 from their nondenominational church to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Like the Shinns, those who convert are joining 350 million Orthodox Christians around the world.
First-century church: "Orthodox" means ''right belief.'' The Orthodox Church traces its origins back to Jesus' apostles and first-century practice. The Roman Catholic Church makes that same claim, but the two branches of ancient Christianity differ in ecclesiastical hierarchy and a few doctrinal points.
Catholics believe the pope has ultimate authority, while Orthodox Christians say their council of bishops is more in line with Scripture and church tradition. Orthodox Christians also disagree with the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which states that Jesus' mother was born without sin herself. The two branches of ancient Christianity split in 1054.
Today, the Orthodox community is led by patriarchs and a hierarchy of bishops who must be celibate. Unlike Catholic clergy, Orthodox priests can marry before ordination.
Archbishop Dmitri, 81, leads the Archdiocese of Dallas and the South for the Orthodox Church in America. He grew up as Robert Royster in a Southern Baptist family in Teague, Texas, but converted to Orthodoxy as a teen because he wanted more out of faith.
''Everything was true, but it was not complete. It wasn't that I needed to repudiate it. I just went on to find the rest of it,'' he said.
The Orthodox consider themselves to have a bond with other Christians but believe they have a more accurate understanding of the faith. At a recent daylong festival in Dallas about Orthodox Christianity, Dmitri encouraged people in other denominations to cling to the elements of the historic faith that their churches uphold, but added an invitation: ''If you find there are holes at the bottom and you have to abandon ship, then head for one that's still afloat,'' he said.
In search of history: Conversion to Orthodoxy often begins with an intellectual quest, Shinn said. He began searching when he saw modern churches abandoning historic Christian tenets, such as the Nicene Creed, and stripping their sanctuaries of any religious symbolism to be more seeker-friendly.
''The elements of Christianity were disappearing before me like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. What kind of Christianity would my grandchildren inherit, and would the Gospel even be recognizable?'' he said.
The ancient liturgies, chants, incense and sacraments used in Orthodox services, he discovered, were not taken from medieval Catholicism - as his Protestant upbringing taught him - but from early church worship.
''It all caused me to re-evaluate my core assumptions. Instead of me judging history, I decided I wanted history to judge me and tell me what should I practice,'' Shinn said.
The unchanging nature of the Orthodox Church is a strong draw for ''serious Christians'' who are tired of Protestant individualism yet disagree with the Catholic Church's teachings, said the Rev. Peter Gillquist, chairman of missions and evangelism for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
Minority faith: Converts become more familiar with the church through catechism classes and the guidance of spiritual godparents (individuals and couples in the congregation who mentor new converts). If they've already been baptized in another church, they also must be chrismated, or anointed, to be received in the Orthodox Church.
Americans who convert to Orthodoxy know they will be part of a minority faith. That doesn't bother the Rev. Anthony Savas, of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, who grew up Orthodox among Mormons in Salt Lake City.
''It's wonderful to practice the ancient Christian faith in an environment that doesn't know what to do with it. A minority can be a beacon of light, like the apostles, who took it beyond their own country,'' he said.
Orthodox in America: Adherents say there's only one Orthodox Church, which is administratively organized into several jurisdictions. The faith, worship and doctrine are the same; churches differ in language and administration.
Dioceses of Orthodox Churches are administrated by bishops in North America, as well as archbishops and patriarchs abroad.
Orthodox Christians belong to two major ecclesiastical families: the Orthodox Oriental (Coptic, Syrian) and the Orthodox Byzantine (Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian).
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is the largest American Orthodox body, with more than 530 parishes, and was founded by Orthodox Christians from Greece and the surrounding areas.
Orthodox Church in America has its roots in Eastern Europe and Russia. It was established when Russian missionaries landed in Alaska in 1794. Ethnic variations of the Orthodox Church of America include Serbian, Romanian, Albanian and Bulgarian. It includes about 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Antiochian Orthodox, from the Archdiocese of Antioch, was established by immigrants from the Middle East, and includes more than 200 parishes and missions in the United States and Canada.
Coptic Orthodox Church, established by Arab-speaking Orthodox Christians from Egypt, includes about 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions in North America.
Thank you for posting this wonderful article. Although Catholic myself, I have always had a very strong feeling for the Orthodox. I am also blessed with the presence of three(!) Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in my area. I find the contemporary liturgy of the western church to be terribly bland. The Tridentine Rite is great if its available. But the glorious liturgy of the east is truly a spiritual feast.
The Russian Orthodox Church has a very visible presence in Alaska. I've always loved their onion dome churches.
Time for one of those Orthodox Christian pings.
Nice article. There certainly is no mass movement to Orthodoxy, and it is still the "Powerpoint sermon/rock band" churches which overwhelmingly dominate church growth on the American scene, but the stream of converts to Orthodoxy is steady, and the seriousness of the converts remains high.
Your point is well taken, and I know of a couple of instances where an entire Protestant parish "became" Orthodox along with their pastor after no known length of time for theological training, and in both cases reverted to what they were before. There is a reason that even Orthodox men who have grown up in an Orthodox family their whole lives still have to attend seminary for four or so years if they wish to be ordained to the priesthood. It's not just organizational skills and preaching.
PS I'm going to Russia again next week and it will be magnificent to see the fervor of the faithful there, who waited a whole lifetime for what we all too often take for granted.
The charismatic approach is good for kick starting a sluggish soul but lacks the permanency of traditionalism.<
Those who convert say they are drawn to an aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery in Orthodox worship that are often lacking in their own Protestant services. It's like entering a time machine that allows congregants to worship as the early Christians did.
This is evident in the Eastern Catholic Traditions, as well. These liturgies have survived for thousands of years and trace their roots to the first christians. AAABest commented recently that there is a growing interest amongst catholics in the Eastern Churches.
The Catholic Church is both Western and Eastern. As most of us realize, the Church began in the East. Our Lord lived and died and resurrected in the Holy Land. The Church spread from Jerusalem throughout the known world. As the Church spread, it encountered different cultures and adapted, retaining from each culture what was consistent with the Gospel. In the city of Alexandria, the Church became very Egyptian; in Antioch it remained very Jewish; in Rome it took on an Italian appearance and in the Constantinople it took on the trappings of the Roman imperial court. All the churches which developed this way were Eastern, except Rome. Most Catholics in the United States have their roots in Western Europe where the Roman rite predominated. It has been said that the Eastern Catholic Churches are "the best kept secret in the Catholic Church."
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15). Pope John Paul II said that "the Catholic Church is both Eastern and Western."
Check your local community at the following link and look into attending an Eastern Catholic Liturgy (not to be confused with the Orthodox Church).
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
The Eastern Catholic Rites retain the rich heritage of our church, without the "novelties" introduced into the Novus Ordo liturgy. Incense is used throughout.
I attend a Maronite Catholic Church. The Consecration is in Aramaic, using the words and language of our Lord at the Last Supper. Communion is ONLY distributed by the priest. It is by intinction (the priest dips the consecrated host into the Precious Blood) and is ONLY received on the tongue. The priest administers communion with the words: "The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, is given to you for the remission of sin and eternal salvation".
A Roman Catholic may attend the Divine Liturgy at any Eastern Catholic Church. You can learn more about the 22 different liturgies at this link:
Geeze.
An article about converts to Orthodoxy written in Dallas. Written largely about Orthodoxy *in* Dallas. Not one mention of the ROCOR St. Nicholas in Dallas -- which is mostly converts, and whose priest: Father Seraphim Holland is also a convert.
The article is like a well-prepared formal meal with no dessert. Good, but something is missing.
Voistinu voskres!
Go with God and have a wonderful trip! The situation of the Faith and the Faithful in Greece has taken an odd turn. Monasticism is flowering all over the country and many of the Patrida's best and brightest are entering the monasteries, rather like at the height of the Byzantine period. The people both love and respect the monastics and to a marginally lesser extent the married clergy, but the hierarchy they disdain and with good reason. The nuns told us that years of oppressive and venal actions by the hierarchs have lead the people to fall away from regular attendance at the liturgies and reception of communion and we saw this with our own eyes. The parishes at the monasteries, however, are full every Sunday and we were informed that the younger priests are working very hard to renew the Faith of the people with some success. The presiction is that disestablishment is not far off and the hierarchy is in for a rough time. Given the dramatic rise of monasticism, however, there is cause for hope, however.
This is an odd statement, given that Orthodox and Catholics have many, many teachings in common. Both differ much more from Protestantism than from each other, or so it seems to me. Perhaps he was referring to those few teachings on which we differ, but he made it sound like we are far more separated than I believe we are.
This was startling. David Virtue lists her as an "esteemed colleague" on his site VirtueOnline, "The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism."
A fascinating article. Although I doubt that even 10% of Roman Catholics are aware of the existence of eastern rite Catholic churches in their own midst, it's something well worth exploring.
***They inquired about how we finance and run the parishes here as they seem overwhelmingly convinced that the Church of Greece will, and ought to, be disestablished sooner rather than later.***
Welcome back!
Is the Church in Greece facing the same radical secularizing pressure that the RCC in Spain is facing?
While I am one of those few, I will agree with you although I do know about 10 converts from Rome in my old parish. What I have noticed is where one spouse is RC and one is EO, the children are always brought up Eastern Orthodox.
The only thing in this article which really concerns me is the line that the congregation which is highlighted was accepted en mass, along with their priest after only 6 mos. of catechesis. This isn't nearly enough time to inculcate the Faith in the majority of people, certainly not in an entire parish as in this case
There is nothing like being welcomed, taught and immersed into a parish of born into the faith Orthodox Christians. You hunger for their peace and wisdom. Let's pray that this new church draws some older Orthodox Christians.
This is good. I just hope they get used to the excessively long masses, which can be brutal. No flames anyone - my Mom's Russian Orthodox.
Why should cradle Orthodox get a pass? Being born in the faith is no guarantee either, I reckon.
There is a book available called "Coming Home" which was edited by Fr. Peter Gilquist. It's the stories of over a dozen or so clergy from other Christian faiths who have come to embrace Orthodoxy. Available at www.conciliarpress.com.
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