Moderator: Mark Templet
HAHAHAHA!! Coming from a ROAC catechumen, that is funny indeed!! 
Seriously, though, the Matthewites, as far as I know, are even more extreme than ROAC in matters of ecclesiology (and who knows what else)...why would one choose a more "liberal" jurisdiction seven hours away when "really true" Orthodoxy is only two hours away? That is my essential question. What makes ROCOR and the Matthewites wrong, but ROAC right? What is the error of the Matthewites, that one would not want to join them?
Nick, Mor;
The canonical issue with the Matthewites is Bishop Matthew having concicrating a bishop or 2 single handedly. To the best of my knowledge that that was corrected by ROCOR in the early 70's. As far as I can tell, the Matthewites, ROAC, GOC, all have the same basic ecclesiology as did ROCOR at one time.
Ummm... maybe it is the fact as I have stated before tht I am not going ot go church hoping just because it is convenient. I am a Catehumen in one Church and even though there are those who say 'Sure go to ANY Church you want to we dont care,' that doesnt at all mean that that is even safe nor right. It just seems that no matter where you go there is a street corner preacher telling you that ROAC is wrong. Sad, very sad. But I guess even at one point these same people were aying when ROCOR was created that it was wrong and this is just the circle repeating itself again...
Juvenaly
NicholasZollars wrote:I am no expert, but don't the mathewites have some serious canonical problems? I have heard of a mathewite church a couple of hours south of here down by Fr. mark's someplace, but it has been a whiel and I could be misremembering.
Nicholas Zollars
The Matthewite mission of St Elizabeth is 30-40 miles south of here in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. Their phone number is 918-366-0327. Ask for Ignatios.
Compared to all their previous experiences in Orthodoxy, this current situation must seem like pure serenity to them. Originally accepted by Antiochians with no option for baptism, they were next refused baptism by a ROCOR priest. Just before we arrived in Oklahoma they left ROCOR and joined up with a priest in Phoenix where they were finally baptised. This priest's claim to be under the GOC with Met Pavlos, while true at first, proved to outlast the GOC's willingness to admit that he was with them. Not unlike the disciples of a certain charismatic bishop, they wouldn't/couldn't believe anything (even what I was told directly from St Markella's) about their spiritual 'director' until it hit home.
Now Fr Anthony Gavalas and Fr Stephen Fraser from Arizona are serving St Elizabeth's on an occasional basis.
o.Mark
Daniel wrote:Nick, Mor;
The canonical issue with the Matthewites is Bishop Matthew having concicrating a bishop or 2 single handedly. To the best of my knowledge that that was corrected by ROCOR in the early 70's. As far as I can tell, the Matthewites, ROAC, GOC, all have the same basic ecclesiology as did ROCOR at one time.
If it was corrected by ROCOR, then what is the problem now? If this was the only difference, and it was corrected, why isn't there communion between these bodies? Or else, why would one choose ROAC over the Matthewites?
Juvenaly wrote:It just seems that no matter where you go there is a street corner preacher telling you that ROAC is wrong. Sad, very sad. But I guess even at one point these same people were aying when ROCOR was created that it was wrong and this is just the circle repeating itself again...
Juvenaly
With all due respect, get over it. I am not telling you to go to any church because it doesn't matter. All I am asking is why choose ROAC over the Matthewites, if there is substantially no difference between the two, and the latter is closer and thus would afford you more of an opportunity to conveniently participate actively in local parish life? Or are there substantial differences between ROAC and the Matthewites that would require you join the former rather than the latter? Or is it simply that it is more praiseworthy in the eyes of God (and men too) to drive, one way, seven hours rather than two every week to go to church? I really hope it is not the latter.
