U.S.A., February 28, 2025
Photo: orthodoxtimes.com
Orthodox sociologist Alexei Krindatch has published a new report, “What Orthodox Christians in the USA Want From Their Bishops,” based on a survey of about 1,100 Orthodox Christians in the spring of 2022.
Participants represent four of the largest jurisdictions in America: the Orthodox Church in America, the Greek Archdiocese, the Antiochian Archdiocese, and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Overall, 47% of respondents have a positive view of their bishops, 29% negative, and 24% neutral. The Greek Archdiocese has the highest bishop approval rating amongst parishioners (52%) and ROCOR the lowest (40%).
Respondents spoke about what makes a good bishop, listing qualities such as pastoral care and accessibility, upholding the Orthodox faith and tradition, and spiritual guidance, and what makes a bad bishop, listing qualities such as lack of presence and engagement, perceived deviation from tradition or canons, and lack of transparency and accountability.
Each jurisdiction varied as to which qualities parishioners value most.
Five main themes emerged from the question, “If you could request JUST ONE THING from the Bishops to improve the life of your parish or the Orthodox Church in the United States in general, what would that be?” These include greater pastoral presence and engagement, better spiritual guidance and teaching, more emphasis on Orthodox canons and traditional values, greater transparency and accountability, and more emphasis on unity and collaboration among Orthodox Churches.
Again, priorities varied by jurisdiction.
Concerning, parishioners’ greatest concerns regarding the life of the Church, the main issues are the lack of accessibility and approachability of bishops, concerns about transparency and accountability in Church governance, insufficient focus on the needs of youth and young adults, and inadequate communication and opportunities for dialogue between bishops and parishioners.
See the report for more details.
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Source: Orthodox Christianity