Changes

Amidst this confusion, there was  a desire for bishops from the “old country”, that is, Serbs wanted a Serb bishop, Albanians wanted an Albania bishop, etc.  And the Archbishops and Patriarchs from the “old countries” were happy to send them. Thus right after the Russian Revolution, what had been an administratively unified Church in the U.S. became administratively fragmented.

Amidst this confusion, there was  a desire for bishops from the “old country”, that is, Serbs wanted a Serb bishop, Albanians wanted an Albania bishop, etc.  And the Archbishops and Patriarchs from the “old countries” were happy to send them. Thus right after the Russian Revolution, what had been an administratively unified Church in the U.S. became administratively fragmented.

After decades of a very cold relationship, in 1970 the Metropolia was granted autocephaly (think of it as administrative independence) by the Patriarch of Moscow and became known as the Orthodox Church in America.  When that happened, the Romanians, Bulgarians, and Albanians merged with the OCA.  There are still a few ethnic jurisdictions in America, the largest being the Greeks and the Antiochians, but they are in discussions to join the OCA, too.  

 

The Present Situation - The Orthodox Church continues to grow in North America.  Most of its bishops were born in America, many having converted (either from paganism or other Christian churches) as adults.  The Orthodox church has experienced a couple of waves of mass conversions, such as when several thousand Byzantine-rite Catholics converted in the early 20th Century, and several leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ and their couple of dozen churches converted, or when Christ the Savior Brotherhood (a “Jesus People” movement from the 1960s) converted.   

 

After decades of a very cold relationship, in 1970 the Metropolia was granted autocephaly (think of it as administrative independence) by the Patriarch of Moscow and became known as the Orthodox Church in Ameica (OCA).  When that happened, the Romanian, Bulgarian, and Albanian Churches in the USA and Canada merged with the OCA.  There are still a few ethnic jurisdictions in America, the largest being the Greeks and the Antiochians, but they are in discussions to join the OCA, too.  

 

The Orthodox Church continues to grow in North America.  Most of its bishops were born in America, many having converted (either from paganism or other Christian churches) as adults.  The Orthodox church has experienced a couple of waves of mass conversions, such as when several thousand Byzantine-rite Catholics converted in the early 20th Century, and several leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ and their couple of dozen churches converted, or when Christ the Savior Brotherhood (a “Jesus People” movement from the 1960s) converted.   

The Orthodox in America have established one undergraduate college, Holy Cross in Boston as well as four seminaries (Anchorage, [[New York]], [[Boston]], and Pennsylvania), one practical ministerial institute (Penn.), and a graduate school for lay theologians (Berkeley).  Most of their parishes have Saturday schools where Greek, Russian, and other languages as well as theology and culture are taught to children.  A few parishes have established high schools and elementary schools.

The Orthodox in America have established one undergraduate college, Holy Cross in Boston as well as four seminaries (Anchorage, [[New York]], [[Boston]], and Pennsylvania), one practical ministerial institute (Penn.), and a graduate school for lay theologians (Berkeley).  Most of their parishes have Saturday schools where Greek, Russian, and other languages as well as theology and culture are taught to children.  A few parishes have established high schools and elementary schools.