Former OCA Primate: Orthodoxy in the U.S. is rapidly growing

Metropolitan Jonah. Photo: UOJ

In an exclusive interview with the UOJ in America, former Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), shared his observations on the rapid growth of Orthodoxy in the United States, especially among young Americans.

According to Metropolitan Jonah, the past five years have seen a significant increase in Orthodox communities, particularly in parishes of converts located in small towns across the American South. “My own parish in Stafford County, Virginia has exploded. There are some parishes that have 40 and 50 catechumens at a time; then they get baptized and another 40 or 50 more people show up,” the metropolitan reported.

He noted that this growth is being led by young men who are searching for stability and authenticity. “They're searching for a place to be loved, where there's somebody that can kind of take them under their wing and disciple them. And I think this is a perfect ministry for Orthodoxy. It’s the tradition of Orthodoxy,” Metropolitan Jonah emphasized.

In the opinion of the hierarch, who himself came to the Church from Protestantism, young Americans are now choosing between Orthodoxy and Catholicism as they leave Protestant denominations behind. “The Orthodox Church is totally stable. It's the only church that's stable,” he explained. He stressed that, unlike the formal approach of Roman Catholicism, “Orthodoxy is really the way to a deeper and deeper personal experience of God and union with God, which is the whole point. You know that the pursuit of the knowledge of God, not about God, but of God, I think, is one of the things that would be most appealing for those who are really seeking Christ.”

The metropolitan also focused on the concept of freedom within Orthodoxy: “Orthodoxy has radical freedom. That doesn't mean that there are no dogmas and canons and all those kinds of things, but within that context, there's radical freedom. And what theological freedom is, is the freedom to do God's will.” He pointed out that people are seeking a meaningful life rather than the emptiness toward which Western society is heading.

For those interested in founding Orthodox missions, Metropolitan Jonah advised avoiding “any kind of zealotry or fanaticism” and following the principle of St. Benedict: “Moderation in all things.” “if you really pursue God in a sober way, what it will do is it will lead you deeper and deeper into communion with God. 
Of course, that means prayer, that means fasting, that means ascetic discipline, frequent confession, going to communion frequently, trying to transform your life into a quest for God. That’s what orthodoxy really is, and that's where it will take you,” the metropolitan explained.

He also announced the annual conference of the Orthodox Brotherhood of Philip Ludwell III, which will take place on September 6 in Stafford, Virginia. The conference, titled “Cradle and Crucible,” will focus on founding missions in the American South and on aspects of Southern culture that make it receptive to Orthodoxy.

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) is the former Primate of the Orthodox Church in America and currently serves under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). He is the abbot of the Monastery of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki and rector of St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Stafford, Virginia.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that young people in the United States are converting to Orthodoxy en masse.

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