Official OCA position

[TomS]

It is inaccurate to refer to the OCA as the "Russian Church" since a good percentage of its constituency is not Russian. Further, within the past two decades the OCA has established some 125 new parishes, almost exclusively non-ethnic in origin and employing only the English language in worship.

Yes! AS it should be. ROCOR and the likes are for those people still led around by the nose by their ethnicity.

Give us a church for ALL people - Not just ones for Greeks, Serbs, Arabs, or Russians!!!!

:mrgreen:

[Natasha]

so you have joined the OCA then?

[TomS]

No. I am still GOA. But only because that is what my wife is and the priest at St. Sophia is pretty conservative (as much as he CAN be being GOA) when it comes to the Faith.

I like the adherence to the historical church and the old calendar and the ant-ecumenism of ROCOR and OCG, but along with that comes the whole ETHNICITY issue. And I want to feel a part of a church, not always be an outsider because I don't speak the language or grow up with the customs. It is bad enough at St. Sophia when I CAN NEVER SAY THE CREED cause they always say THAT part of the Liturgy in Greek. Because they are after all ----> GREEK Orthodox.

Why do I have to give up MY culture and MY ethnicity? Why is there NOT an Orthodox church, that is just enough American so that I don't feel like an outsider, where I can find these things?

[Natasha]

& why do I have to give up my Russian culture and Russian ethnicity?

Sigh, I hate this issue.

[TomS]

I agree with you. You should NOT have to give it up!!!

[尼古拉前执事]

Tom, have you visited any of the ROCOR or ROAC Churches in VA? They all have English services.

The ROCOR listing of Virginia Churches is here

The ROAC church info is at http://www.russianorthodox-roac.com

[TomS]

Really??!!! That is very surprising!! Thanks, Nik!