Top Orthodox Christian nations in the world

[Averoff]

I hope this top belongs in this forum, it didn't seem to fit anywhere else.

 

[Ainnir]

The thread has been moved from Orthodox-Other to Religious Topics. --Ainnir

 

[LucianNae]

That's a ridiculously unfitting song. Let the darkness take control? Really? And it's so catchy too.

 

[Asteriktos]

5.2 million Orthodox Christians in the U.S.?

 

[Averoff]

That's a ridiculously unfitting song. Let the darkness take control? Really? And it's so catchy too.

I didn't even think of the song lyrics I was focused on the facts. Had I paid attention to that, I wouldn't have posted it. Sorry.

 

[LucianNae]

I didn't even think of the song lyrics I was focused on the facts. Had I paid attention to that, I wouldn't have posted it. Sorry.

I didn't say it was your fault. It's not. It's not even the video creator's fault. You don't have to apologize.

 

[Averoff]

I didn't say it was your fault. It's not. It's not even the video creator's fault. You don't have to apologize.

Yes, I should. When I post a video to this site I take responsibility for it's content-all it's content, audio and video. I guess I never listened to the lyrics, I was focused on the numbers.

At any rate, I'll be more careful in the future. Thanks for pointing it out, truly.

 

[Averoff]

5.2 million Orthodox Christians in the U.S.?

I think that denotes the growth of the Orthodox Church in America to some extent. We have some ethnic groups who come from predominantly Orthodox nations-Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Russians, Egyptians, Syrians, Georgians, Ethiopians, etc.. But also there has been growth in the Church, particularly the Antiochian Orthodox Church?

 

[Asteriktos]

I was joking because the 3-6 million thing is something that used to get said a lot like 15+ years ago (which is why it still gets repeated these days), but the bishops in America eventually got a more accurate estimate. Using data from 2010 the finding was that there were about 800,000 Orthodox in the U.S., and if memory serves the Oriental Orthodox added around 100,000 to that. The picture was meant to put something of an optimistic spin on it... maybe we'll get there some day

 

[recent convert]

I think the estimate of 3 million of more was based on wishful thinking of a statistical possibility of growth based on a strong retention rate in generational growth of cradle groups. Marriage to non Orthodox Christians seems to have been viewed differently among the ethnic groups. The Syrian ( Antiochian) Orthodox seemed to embrace it in the hope of families having a fair number of kids to be raised Orthodox. This was probably thought to be what stood for evangelism.

 

[hecma925]

Fastest growing denomination in America!!!1!!

 

[Ainnir]

 The total number of adherents of all American Orthodox Churches (i.e. all persons associated, however loosely, with the lives of local parishes) is 798,000;
 If measured by the number of regularly participating church members, the total membership of all American Orthodox Churches is about 326,000; For five individual jurisdictions, the number of regularly participating church members is: AOCA ‐ 35,400; ACROD ‐ 5,700; GOA ‐ 179,500; OCA ‐ 58,100; Serbian Orthodox Church ‐ 22,900;

(page 9)

https://www.assemblyofbishops.org/assets/files/studies/2018-01-OrthodoxChurchesIn21CenturyAmericaFinal.pdf

 

[Averoff]

There are 3 million ethnic Greeks in the USA alone, probably most of them are Orthodox Christians-even if they go to Church only on high holy days. Church membership rolls really aren't the best way to count adherents, lots of folks aren't members in good standing yet consider themselves as Orthodox. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

 

[hecma925]

Some ethnic Greeks go to heterodox churches.

 

[Christos3]

Thanks. Very informative, and will help me when I am picking soccer teams to cheer for in the next World Cup (Most likely the US will lose again in a qualifier). And maybe a country to move to in the future.