The Explosion of Orthodoxy- A Louisiana Example

The Shreveport Times had this excellent article that was on the front page this morning. It is called Local Orthodox church follows national growth.

I am convinced this trend with what we are seeing is the most under reported religious story of the decade. Even though we have signs of this trend not going away for over 10 years. Good Grief I was even tempted by Orthodoxy at one time.

Orthodoxy of course in a state like Louisiana has always had some slight presence. However I think Shreveport Louisiana is an excellent place to see what is happening nationwide. Shreveport being a River Town had a small established Greek Orthodox Church for decades and decades. Way back though, besides marriage, the main growth was maybe people from the Air force base of maybe a few workers that came to work in places like the GM plant. Shreveport like much of North Louisiana is still very hardcore Protestant.

What we are seeing here is something else. What the article does not mention is that is there is another Orthodox Church in town that is mostly converts. That is a An Antiochian rite Church by the name of St Nicholas. St George is the established much much older Greek Church in Shreveport. If you would have asked me 5 years ago I would expect everyone to be flocking there that were converts. However it appears that the Greek Orthodox are getting their fair share if not more than the Antiochian rite.

Have no doubt , that not all of these converts are Evangelical. There are many there that are are former Latin rite Catholics that seeked refuge from the mishandling of Vatican II.

I have been screaming for Catholics and the Diocese of Shreveport to take notice of what is happening in Orthodoxy. That people are returning to tradition. That evangelicals and others are reading the Church Fathers like never before. Here is an excerpt:
The Fosters came to the church through a study of history. Jason Foster, formerly a full-time Southern Baptist minister, was looking into the tradition of the Lord's Supper. That led him to the writings of the reformers, which led to writings of the early church fathers, now more accessible than in the past."As a Protestant, I had spent time studying from the Reformation forward. When I went back and started studying, it started rasing issues. Until 1054, there was only one church."Jason Foster's first step was to the Anglican church, while studying at Oxford, and further reading convinced him to visit an Orthodox church. His wife agreed to just a visit."It was completely different — the incense, we were kissing icons, we were kissing the priest's hand," Ashley Foster said. "But there was something to it, and it seemed heavenly."

The sad fact is that many Catholics Dioceses are missing the boat here. The Web was indeed like the introduction of the printing press. The Writings of the Early Church Fathers that were once only in libraries were now online for everyone to see. While some Catholics(in positions of power and influence) from the Vatican II generation were still trying to run away from tradition, we had evangelicals starting to turn toward it. The Catholic Church in some places turned a deaf year to it and were about as clueless as the Evangelicals as to what was going on. Even though we should have been the first to take notice and take advantage of it. I have always wondered why Latin Rite Bishops did not try to work to get Eastern Rite Catholic Churches to expand in their Dioceses to meet the needs of the people looking for a more Eastern spirtuality.

I am hopeful now that the liturgy is getting back on track that many people considering Orthodoxy will give us a more serious look. I really do think peoples Apologetics need to start adapting to the arguments Orthodox have.