A Website Transfigured

The previous content for this domain name contained the message of a manufactured church based on race. This was offensive for two reasons: I am of German descent and I am an Orthodox Christian. National Socialism of the 1930s and 1940s was an aberration of German culture; a political ideal based on race and an invented German romanticism. A racially exclusive church based on these failed and evil ideas cannot be truly German, nor can it be Orthodox. Also, an Orthodox church cannot be invented or "started" by individuals. It must be an organic extension of one of the ancient Churches as evidenced by apostolic succession, adherence to the accepted theology, and being "in Communion" with the other Orthodox Churches. In case you are wondering what used to be at GermanOrthodoxChurch, you can read it at the following website

http://aggreen.net/other_orthodox/other.html (now defunct)

The website above is a directory of various independent liturgical churches and bishops. Almost halfway down it mentions a group called the German Orthodox Church. The directory maintains some of the text that was part of the old website. I will not reproduce it here.

The former owners of GermanOrthodoxChurch most likely misunderstood the religious practice of Eastern immigrants to America and therefore misundertstood the nature of Orthodoxy. They assumed that Orthodox belief was intrinsically organized around ethnicity; an idea which would be appealing to people wanting to wrap their racialist theories withij religious language. 

Read the following article regarding the Heresy of Racism... http://incommunion.org/?p=263

What is a "German Orthodox Church?"

What is a "German Orthodox Church?"

It would seem to make sense, since there is a Serbian Orthodox Church, a Russian one, a Greek one, etc. But if you notice, these kinds of geography-specific Churches exist only in the East.

In regions historically under Roman Catholic influence, there were no national demarcations. Everything was just "Roman Catholic." Whereas in the East, the Orthodox Churches were (and are) for the most part administered locally.

Germany was obviously within the Roman area.

However, the Eastern Churches recognize that before the Great Schism in 1054, the Church of the Frankish, Saxon, and Teutonic regions was Orthodox in belief. So there was an Orthodox Church in Germany... under the administration of Rome. But then Rome went its separate way.

In modern times, Eastern European immigrants moved westward and brought their faith with them. So there is- now- an Orthodox Church living in modern Germany. Orthodox clergy have a responsibility to serve both the immigrant communities as well as indigenous Germans, and in the local language. Ethnic exclusivity is not the belief of the Orthodox Church.

Even in Orthodox Churches in the US you will hear German used along with a variety of languages usually during the celebration of the Resurrection. The priest will exclaim:

"Christus ist auferstanden!"
(Christ is Risen!)

And the people reply loudly:

"Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!"
(Truly He is risen!)