Do You Have to Be Greek to be Greek Orthodox? | Greek Orthodox 101 

I started attending Orthodox services in that church in Mannheim, Germany. Small world. Greetings from Hungary.

Greetings from an brazilian orthodox christian, IC XC NI KA☦️♥️☦️🇧🇷

I would like to say that I am a great example & answer to this question. I grew up in the Greek Orthodox church. I was baptized in the Castro Valley, CA Greek Orthodox church and my god parents were Greek and British. I loved the Greek Orthodox church and everything that came with it! My ethnicity is of Eritrea, Africa (so clearly I'm black). The majority of Eritreans arrived in America in the eighties and early nineties. Our faith of Orthodoxy is classified as Oriental Orthodox but we practice the same as the Greeks mostly. Because of this, most Eritreans went to Greek Orthodox churches in America until the early two thousands when they built their own place of worship and spoke the good word in our native tongue of Tigrinya. The Oakland Orthodox church is where I have had some of my best childhood memories. Every fall Oakland was our primary home court for the Castro Valley basketball team. We had a small court of our own, but it couldn't adequately host to the number of guests Oakland court was able to. Traveling to San Francisco for tournaments and the other churches for away games was always such a blast. This is what little boys live for, ya know! Getting to drive to Castro Valley (from Union City) twice a week for basketball practice on a day that wasn't Sunday made me appreciate the church more. All those years of Sunday School, serving as an alter boy, church at midnight every Easter. Seeing my sister & brother being baptized by father Ted. These are memories and a shared past myself and many like me who are not Greek expierinced growing up in the Greek Orthdox church. Everything I've ever learned and absorbed about my faith was in the Greek Orthodox church. There's a whole generation of us that can say the same thing. I feel so lucky and blessed to have been apart of this amazing culture and shared branch of the faith. Something funny to add. Being Eritrean our parents spoke Tigrinya to us at home, the priest spoke Greek at church and the teachers spoke English at school. On the playgrounds and in city sports leagues Eritrean kids are classified and assimilated as African American. When I would go around the native black American kids homes and discover how their church was ran and operated. Methodist, Baptist Presbyterian and when we moved to Oregon having discovered Protestant churches and their way of faith. Boy oh boy does that confuse you as child. The cool thing about having grown up in California for half my life and Oregon for high school and beyond. I've come to enjoy, embrace and love all cultures that I'm making it career. As my ambitions are not directly related to theological teachings, they are directed to educational ones. I'm in my second year of studies to become a high school geography teacher. Thanks for letting me share. All the best 🙏🏽

i go to the Greek Orthodox church in Colombia, no-one is Greek! But we do get the flag out for Independence Day! I would like to give thanks to American donors who have built churches for us x

I heard Indonesia in this video. Greetings from Indonesia.

My church is St George Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church, Troy, MI. Although our Liturgy is in English and Arabic, we sing Lord have mercy in Greek. When our Metropolitan or Bishop visit, we greet him in Greek and always sing Holy God Holy Mighty in Greek during his visit. Our Liturgical heritage is Greek. Our Resurrection Greetings are always in English, Arabic and Greek.

Greeting from Ethiopia

I'm eritrean orthodox

May the Holy Spirit enlighten the minds and spirits of all true seekers of the Light of Christ!

Fr. We appreciate you wonderfully egalitarian explanation (nice try) on “Greek” Orthodox. In the real world if you attend a Greek Orthodox Church as a non-Greek you and your family sit in the back of the bus! I’m alright with the experience, because the sign says “Greek” Orthodox, what did I expect! ☦️

The liturgy in Greece is only in New Testament Greek. It does not have to be in modern too so to be long. It almost lasts for 3 hours considering that usually there will be a memorial service in the end.

Does this denomination study OT in Hebrew as well?

How similar is modern Greek to New Testament Greek? Can Greek people easily understand it? Is it similar to a modern English person reading the KJV or Miles Coverdale bible for example? Thanks! Keep up the good work, this channel deserves so many more subscribers than it has!

Id like to attend but don't know where to start

I have a question. North American culture moves further and further away from first generation Greeks and the younger generation is increasingly unable to speak Greek. Additionally many Greeks are marrying non-Greeks. Given that, having much of the service or even 50% of it in Greek becomes difficult for them to understand what is happening during the liturgy. Do you think the church will eventually move to a 90% English liturgy with a few parts of the liturgy remaining in Greek?

As a Traditional Catholic, can I be accepted into Greek Orthodoxy even if I can't grow a beard?

Please can anyone even explain what Greek Orthodox means??? And what is the difference between Orthodox and Greek Orthodox? Thank you to everyone who will answer me in the comments 🙏❤💛

We need to get rid of any terms like Russian, Greek, etc. for the Orthodox. As Father Tom Hopko said, you can’t use earthly adjectives to describe the Church.

Wghat If one only speaks English?

About 04:20 : That statement is FALSE. In Greece the liturgy is done in ONLY New Testament greek. That is because modern (demotica/δημοτική) Greek is so close to New Testament (Koine/Κοινή) Greek that there was no need for further translation.

No. not anymore. The Church opens it's doors to all who seek Christ

Greek orthodox = christian orthodox ( eastern christianity). Roman catholic = christian catholic (western christianity)

Well i prefer bizantine ortodox than greek ortodox

I notice people who covert to orthodoxy they go to the Greek Orthodox Church.

No.

I'm going to respond the question before I listen to this video massage. No! Catholicism is world wide, Orthodox Catholic have many variations(Indian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox) yet we are one in the Holy Trinity. The division comes from religious leaders who turn cold in their spiritual life at one point while leading the church and causes division within communities.

No. You do not. Orthodox Christianity welcomes visitors and inquirers of the Faith.