Why Are So Many People Switching Churches?

[Justin Kissel]

The chaotic nature of the movement is what confuses me the most. I mean, it's not like the majority are deciding that they must become more conservative/traditionalist, or that they must become more moderate. Different people are going in different directions, as though everyone has woken up from a nap and is now going their seperate ways. I mean, 2 churches go to the Bulgarian (OCA); at least 1 monastery goes to the JP; and one church goes to the ROCiE. And there are others making the move. But there's no discernable pattern, the OCA is completely opposite ROCiE. Someone might say based on the above that many seem to be going more moderate (from ROCOR to JP/OCA), but the small numbers used above distort the picture. I know that I and at least a few others in ROCOR have started recently going in the opposite direction, away from a moderate and into a more rigorist position. I don't imagine that I or those I talk with are unique. The question is, what has happened that is causing it? Or maybe it's just a coincidence and I (we're) reading too much into it.

[хорист]

Hi. I'm de-lurking from here in Canada. This is curious:

I mean, 2 churches go to the Bulgarian (OCA); at least 1 monastery goes to the JP; and one church goes to the ROCiE. And there are others making the move.

OK, I give up. Who went to the Bulgarian OCA Diocese? And who else is planning to go where?

This line seems to have started when a previous poster mentioned that in her metropolitan area, 1 priest went to ROCiE and 2 to the Bulg/OCA. Since there are very few former ROCOR parishes in North America that went to ROCiE (California, Windsor, Montreal, ?) this rather limits the places where this could have taken place, yet I haven't seen anything about it anywhere (other than concerning the Resaca monastery). Can anyone name names or is it conjecture?

Thanks!

[Justin Kissel]

OK, I give up. Who went to the Bulgarian OCA Diocese?

Don't ask me, I'm clueless when it comes to church politics. The information usually gets to me last, and that's the way I like it.

And who else is planning to go where?

Do you mean clergy or anyone? I know of a few people on this board who are in a state of transition at the moment; whether they will move to another jurisdiction I don't know (if they do move, it will be to the right, not to the left). I assume from things she's said in the past (which were accurate) that physicsgirl knows what she's talking about. She was talking about her area, after all, she didn't say "I heard a couple priests across the country from me..." It really didn't matter as far as my original point, I just mentioned them in further posts because they had already been brought up, if they have indeed moved, it only reinforces what I and others were noticing before we even knew about them: that people are on the move. So... sorry, I don't know any names (though I take it more seriously than rumor)

[priestmark]

I am noticing it as a trend as well. It has an ominous feeling to it.

Were these communities stable and unmoving prior to this? Those who were around ROCA 5 to 10 years ago may recall another peripheral "trend" characterized by those joining us. Some of these recent movements can surely be explained by communities acting on the fact that we are not who they imagined us to be (or were told we were), or because we did not become who they wanted us to be. In spite of occasional dramatic episodes and much trumpeting of rhetoric, on average, the Synod in fact changes very little. It is a mistake to think that those who come and go are representative of ROCA, or that their comings or goings are indicative of any change beyond themselves.

The chaotic nature of the movement is what confuses me the most. I mean, it's not like the majority ..... but the small numbers used above distort the picture... maybe it's just a coincidence and I (we're) reading too much into it.

Statistically speaking, a characteristic of an unrepresentative data set (too small) is that the data appear chaotic.

The perspective of the observer is also relevant. Someone who only recently became orthodox or recently joined ROCA might be more sensitive to recent movements. History (going back 5-10 years in some cases; to the '80s and earlier in others) can shed light on a lot of things, including future movements.

pr Mark

[Justin Kissel]

Father Mark,

Thank you, and welcome to the forum