Convert attendance dropping off after initial surge

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• − opinion#1580 1 likes at the source

  We have 129 catechumens and around 90 inquirers at my parish. Even in summer most folks end up standing outside just to hear the liturgy on the speakers, and with two priests plus a deacon communion takes roughly 45 minutes. No way is this dying down; maybe there just isn't much interest where you live.
• − opinion#1581 1 likes at the source

  Right now my parish has over 300 catechumens and we're trying to get a mission built. Hopefully our seminaries get a boost soon!

  • − opinion#1597 1 likes at the source

    What's a mission parish like? Next trip I take after my baptism I'd love to visit one on a Sunday

    • − opinion#1599 1 likes at the source

      Usually smaller, sometimes in a building that hasn't been consecrated yet, or a storefront, a warehouse, even someone's living room. Often there's no regular assigned priest and they do the Typika. There's one in a nearby state I love visiting, it's my home away from home. No deacon either, just a reader leading the lay services.

      • − opinion#1600 1 likes at the source

        I attend a mission church. We have one priest serving every week (very lucky there). We have a retired deacon who doesn't serve, so our priest reads all the deacon's parts too. We meet in a Methodist congregation's building when they're not using it (our Sunday service is at 10am). We do have lots of altar servers to make up for no deacon. Our chanters are always learning. Any given Sunday we're like 80% catechumens, and basically 99.9% converts if you don't count the kids.
  • − opinion#1598 1 likes at the source

    Part of it is that we're the only Orthodox church in a densely populated area. Our priest taught at a local university for a few years, that brought the first big wave of converts, then a local Protestant church came over to Orthodoxy and their pastor ended up serving at our parish. Then an active online presence. A few of my friends converted because they showed up trying to prove the priest wrong and found out he wasn't.
• − opinion#1582 1 likes at the source

  I hope it's not trendy anymore. Trendiness. New friends joining the church is great, but people who join for a fad don't make it spiritually. If they're too burdensome it could drag the whole parish down
• − opinion#1583 1 likes at the source

  No point comparing your parish to others. What matters more is that the people who come actually stay and live long fulfilling lives in Christ. I'd also add that an inquirer not attending liturgy for a while doesn't necessarily mean they've given up on becoming Orthodox. I know a catechumen who came a few times, got swamped, couldn't come for months, and once things settled down he was able to become a catechumen.
• − opinion#1584 1 likes at the source

  There have been several waves of converts over the years, and usually most stop coming somewhere between 2-5 years after conversion, unless they converted as the spouse of a cradle, and even they aren't great about showing up once the kids move out. By year 10 nearly all are gone. Out of the last 3 waves I can name exactly ONE who's still a regular.
• − opinion#1585 1 likes at the source

  Our priest says new people still show up every week. I honestly can't tell anymore because we've grown so much I don't recognize most faces. Happy people are finding the Church, but socially (and crowd-wise) it's been miserable and overwhelming. I think we're just under 30 catechumens now, which is the new normal. We used to average 7-10.
• − opinion#1586 1 likes at the source

  My parish is bursting at the seams too. Big influx over the summer, but we're in a tourist area so it's always packed. Probably lots of traveling Orthodox folks. We're nearly at critical mass.
• − opinion#1587 1 likes at the source

  I'd skip worrying about the trend, the craze, or using headcount to legitimize Orthodoxy and all that. Man walked with God in the garden and fell away. Thousands followed Jesus while He was trendy and handing out freebies, then left when He said something hard. This is normal, people come and go. Many are called but few enter.
• − opinion#1588 1 likes at the source

  Our bishop blessed us months ago to hold 2 liturgies because of the growth. We can only do it when we have enough clergy, which is most Sundays, since nobody can serve more than one liturgy a day.
• − opinion#1589 1 likes at the source

  Hard to say. Every pastor keeps records differently, so even with statistics we couldn't really know. For instance, the Diocese of the West puts together summary stats ahead of its upcoming Assembly. About 66 parishes. Growth, measured by point in time counts of adult members, has been double digit since 2022, averaging ~12%. But some bigger parishes report membership in suspiciously round numbers like "300". Also striking how much variation there is: one parish in Spokane reports 140 catechumens this year. Imagine that. Others have just 1 or 2. My takeaway: no real evidence it's settling down, but it could be. Most crazes fade eventually. Among our catechumens, especially the single ones, I see some enthusiasm dropping as the chrism wears off.
• − opinion#1590 1 likes at the source

  I'm 1 of 45 catechumens at my parish, plus maybe 20 inquirers. Add up the numbers across the country and you quickly hit tens of thousands of people PHYSICALLY at Liturgy going through the whole Catechism. I think the "craze" is just getting started! Think of the people watching friends and family turn Orthodox and what they might do as we lead by example ☦️
• − opinion#1591 1 likes at the source

  Not seeing that where I am in Columbus, OH. I've been a catechumen since February and there are usually 25-30 catechumens at any time. That's a lot for a small, small parish. The coffee area upstairs serves as overflow where people watch services on a screen and come down for the catechumen blessing or communion. There are 5 or 6 pregnant or newborn moms (can't tell you the exact count, I just know some were born this month), and people are willing to drive. I drive just over an hour each way and another couple drives about 40 minutes one way. It's not dying down at all. One of my fellow catechumens just got baptized. He's an ex-Muslim. Orthodoxy is alive and growing and thriving, glory be to God!
• − opinion#1592 1 likes at the source

  I'm just a lowly inquirer, so remember my opinion and a dollar bill will buy you a can of coke. The parish I'm checking out is absolutely busting at the seams. They brought in more catechumens a few weeks ago and the number is in the 30s now. From what I can tell, every baptism for the last year or two has been in groups of 20-40. There's probably another 20-30 inquirers like me right now, with more showing up every week or two. Regular attendance is probably 200-250. It's so crowded they removed the pews and during the homily us able-bodied folks sit on the floor. There's talk of having to build a newer, larger building, and soon. With fall coming on here in the US, people are taking vacations to dodge summer crowds and weather, leaf peeping trips, etc. Plus kids have sports, cheer, after school activities picking up, especially if they're on travel teams. So that plays into it too. They'll be back.
• − opinion#1593 1 likes at the source

  We're still getting inquirers in. Of course some people come once or twice, figure out Orthodoxy isn't what they want, and don't come back. We also had a couple guys who did take to Orthodoxy but their wives didn't, so we lost them. And recently a guy who was hung up on Once Saved Always Saved (which of course we don't preach) quit.
• − opinion#1594 1 likes at the source

  Your church or your priest is not holding them. That was the case at my first church. The priest is discouraging and maybe he just wants a young, Slavic parish. And the Russians can't stand the Ukrainians. That church is shrinking. My Greek church is standing room only.
• − opinion#1595 1 likes at the source

  No it is not dying out. If people think it's dying out it's just because there was a huge influx, but it's still steady because there is only one original church and that is the Eastern Orthodox Church. The closest thing you will get to the original Church is EO.
• − opinion#1596 1 likes at the source

  Our parish didn't have a big surge during Covid, but within the last 6 months several families have joined and most are now catechumens. There's a new ROCOR mission starting in the area, so I think several of the more established families will leave to join it, and the number will level itself out to the membership it's constantly been for years.