About four years ago, a priest in the GOA sent me and a few others a long and thoughtful essay called “The Orthodox Church of Tomorrow.” It was written by Fr John Peck of Prescott, Ariz.
Its clarity was stunning. Others who had received it talked about it whenever we got together for days on end. It was as if the scales had been removed from our eyes. We couldn’t believe it, here was a priest in the GOA who wrote with such purpose that it got us to thinking that the GOA was finally going to come out of its helladic ghetto.
I tracked down Fr John and got to know him. We struck up a friendship that has lasted to this day. After several months he told me I should start a blog. I listened politely but didn’t really give it much thought. Finally, I bit the bullet and started Monomakhos and it’s been a wild and crazy ride ever since.
Please take the time to read Fr John’s essay. If you’ve read it before, read it again. I know that this is going to sound paradoxical given the fact that it was intended as a critique of the GOA but it really speaks to the situation in the OCA at present.
Source: frjohnpeck.com
There is an interesting phenomenon occurring in Orthodox Christianity in America today, and reflected powerfully in our seminaries. Seminaries are loaded almost exclusively with converts, reverts (cradle Orthodox who left the faith, and were re-converted to it again), and the sons and grandsons of clergy.
I believe we are looking at the future of the American Orthodox Church — today.
The notion that traditionally Orthodox ethnic groups (the group of ‘our people’ we hear so much about from our primates and hierarchs) are going to populate the ranks of the clergy, and therefore, the Church in the future is, frankly, a pipe dream. Orthodoxy, despite the failings of its leadership, has actually lived up to its own press. The truth of the Orthodox faith, as presented on paper, is actually being believed – by those who have no familial or historical connection with the Orthodox. These poor deluded souls (of which I count myself) actually believe what they are reading about the Orthodox faith, and expect the Church to act like, well, the Church. They refuse to accept the Church as a club of any kind, or closed circle kaffeeklatsch. No old world embassies will be tolerated for much longer – they will go the way of the dodo. No one will have to work against them; they will simply die from atrophy and neglect. The passing away of the Orthodox Church as ethnic club is already taking place. It will come to fruition in a short 10 years, 15 years in larger parishes.
AXIOS! Fr John!
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