Women would be throwing themselves at you because you are American, which if you stay there will probably give you a strong amount of leverage in the relationship--but anyone marrying you for that would be angling to get herself to the USA and to bring over her family members. Then, divorce.
Every two years the Antiochians host OYPC - Orthodox Young Professionals Conference. Basically a thinly veiled singles conference. They usually have it on even numbered years, but had an additional one last year as a reunion. The next one should be in 2024. I went to last year's because it was in the DC area and some of my friends were the ones organizing it. Depending on how life goes I'll try to go to the next one. My one critique is that not enough of the other jurisdictions participate because God forbid we would, you know, do Orthodox things with other Orthodox that aren't our own jurisdiction
Both of these are excellent points.
Yeah, I’m slightly doing the same thing in Nashville here. I know pretty much everyone at every parish and even the new people and I generally have been trying to connect all the YA’s, but the parishes say that it could be “parish poaching”… so I left the position of YA leader at one of the parishes and am just doing it without being associated with any parish in particular because that’s what I think needs to happen. But I’ll have to look out for the YAP conference next year since that sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for telling me about it.Every two years the Antiochians host OYPC - Orthodox Young Professionals Conference. Basically a thinly veiled singles conference. They usually have it on even numbered years, but had an additional one last year as a reunion. The next one should be in 2024. I went to last year's because it was in the DC area and some of my friends were the ones organizing it. Depending on how life goes I'll try to go to the next one. My one critique is that not enough of the other jurisdictions participate because God forbid we would, you know, do Orthodox things with other Orthodox that aren't our own jurisdiction
That said, a big part of why I'm staying in the DC area is because some of our generation are trying to break the jurisdictional barriers. For example next month one of the Antiochian parishes in the area is hosting a young adults gala specifically to get the young Orthodox people together. I'm helping my friends connect with the other jurisdictions in the area so that hopefully it would be a truly pan-Orthodox shindig. I imagine it'll be like a wedding reception minus the wedding part.
Both of these are excellent points.
I know of too many American converts who think that moving to Russia is the answer to all of life's problems while conveniently ignoring the fact that Russia has much higher divorce, domestic violence, and abortion rate than we do here in the good 'ole USA. An Orthodox "Shangri-La" simply does not exist. Nor does an Orthodox "utopia". For Americans running and hiding somewhere else far worse is not the solution. The best we can do sometimes (unless there is a real, credible risk to one's life) is simply do as St Seraphim of Sarov said, "Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you shall be saved".
The local friends is important. I would not be remaining in the DC area if it were not for the friendships I've made in the Orthodox communities here. Its laughable because some of my friends joke that I've become something of an Orthodox mob boss since I know where all the churches are and "I got a guy" in almost all of them
The Beltway is by no means anything close to an ideal Orthodox utopia or Shangri-La, but we have managed to carve out our own bit of sanity here.
I forgot about that conference, I know people that got hitched from that.Every two years the Antiochians host OYPC - Orthodox Young Professionals Conference. Basically a thinly veiled singles conference. They usually have it on even numbered years, but had an additional one last year as a reunion. The next one should be in 2024. I went to last year's because it was in the DC area and some of my friends were the ones organizing it. Depending on how life goes I'll try to go to the next one. My one critique is that not enough of the other jurisdictions participate because God forbid we would, you know, do Orthodox things with other Orthodox that aren't our own jurisdiction
That said, a big part of why I'm staying in the DC area is because some of our generation are trying to break the jurisdictional barriers. For example next month one of the Antiochian parishes in the area is hosting a young adults gala specifically to get the young Orthodox people together. I'm helping my friends connect with the other jurisdictions in the area so that hopefully it would be a truly pan-Orthodox shindig. I imagine it'll be like a wedding reception minus the wedding part.
Both of these are excellent points.
I know of too many American converts who think that moving to Russia is the answer to all of life's problems while conveniently ignoring the fact that Russia has much higher divorce, domestic violence, and abortion rate than we do here in the good 'ole USA. An Orthodox "Shangri-La" simply does not exist. Nor does an Orthodox "utopia". For Americans running and hiding somewhere else far worse is not the solution. The best we can do sometimes (unless there is a real, credible risk to one's life) is simply do as St Seraphim of Sarov said, "Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you shall be saved".
The local friends is important. I would not be remaining in the DC area if it were not for the friendships I've made in the Orthodox communities here. Its laughable because some of my friends joke that I've become something of an Orthodox mob boss since I know where all the churches are and "I got a guy" in almost all of them
The Beltway is by no means anything close to an ideal Orthodox utopia or Shangri-La, but we have managed to carve out our own bit of sanity here.
it was until the people of NEPA invented the Old Forge pizza, which is a pizza made with American cheese….and the Orthodox up there all love it….
I've heard of a few. Unfortunately, again, it was about 90% Antiochian this last time and you had more Copts then you did non-Antiochians. I don't mind Arabs nor the Antiochian Archdiocese, but the problem is that I just don't fit their mold. I'm not a banker, doctor, lawyer, or engineer like most Arab-Americans. I'm not an ex-Protestant convert like most Americans in that jurisdiction. I don't think that Antioch is the beacon of Orthodox stability in the world (trust me, they have their corruption like anyone else). And to top it off I have zero problem criticizing the way that Arabic culture treats women. And absolutely none of this helps when dealing with THAT crowd
ANATHEMA!
