Does Eastern Orthodoxy have a "Protestant Problem"?

[ladylove]

Not all Orthodox churches are that way. For example the Antiochian parish I belong to has only one arab family, and one copt. The rest including me are converted from Protestant faiths, some main-line and some fundamentist in back ground. Our priest was originally Episcopal, our deacon was Lutheran married to a baptist. There are also ex church of Christ members including myself origianlly.

Where you might have trouble is with some of the greeks, who do seem to be more interested in hellenism than religion. But that is only some greeks, not the majority.

The one that is near my residence (there are only two in the city) is made up of mostly arabic speaking people.

 

[Trebor135]

The one that is near my residence (there are only two in the city) is made up of mostly arabic speaking people.

Where I go to university, there’s an Antiochian (i.e., Arab) Orthodox parish as well. But even there, as I’ve read, half the Divine Liturgy is in English–certainly more than at the Melkite Greek Catholic parish in the same city.

 

[Cavaradossi]

Where I go to university, there’s an Antiochian (i.e., Arab) Orthodox parish as well. But even there, as I’ve read, half the Divine Liturgy is in English–certainly more than at the Melkite Greek Catholic parish in the same city.

That sounds a lot like the parish my father goes to. The Sunday liturgy is done completely in English, even though the parish is made up of mostly Arabic-speaking Lebanese emigrants.

 

[babochka]

I’m curious if there is any substantial encroachment of Protestantism in Eastern Orthodoxy areas. Any info appreciated.

My city is full of Slavic Baptist and Pentecostal Churches. There was major immigration of Ukrainian Baptists and Pentecostals during the 1990s, mostly sponsored by local churches. Their churches are huge, well funded and well attended. Some would qualify as mega-churches.

 

[babochka]

Interesting–I’d never heard of those Lutheran efforts before. To the best of my knowledge, though, most Indian Christians are indeed Catholic–Latin and Syro-Malabar.

I’m pretty sure there is a strong Anglican presence in India, due to it having been part of the British Empire.

 

[Trebor135]

My city is full of Slavic Baptist and Pentecostal Churches. There was major immigration of Ukrainian Baptists and Pentecostals during the 1990s, mostly sponsored by local churches. Their churches are huge, well funded and well attended. Some would qualify as mega-churches.

Have you talked to any of the Slavs attending those churches and found out why they became Evangelical Protestant?

And I wonder if they have icons and use incense during worship?–They’re both in the Bible, in some form or another!

 

[Trebor135]

I’m pretty sure there is a strong Anglican presence in India, due to it having been part of the British Empire.

I had always thought Indian Christians were almost all Latin/Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, or Pentecostal. But you’re right: the Church of North India has one and a half million members, and the Church of South India has four million adherents (both communities being Anglican).