Delighted to find your blog.

Hope you do something with Organic Church in the near future!

I have become convinced that Orthodoxy, especially an Orthodox rooted in the desert spirituality of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church, has something significant to say to Western society. It had something significant to say to me since I chose to become Orthodox 11 years ago, in the mission Church, the British Orthodox Church, which is part of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.

Our small, resource-poor, Church has just thrown itself into becoming a Church Planting Movement and I am devouring all the materials on this site and many others to help inform our missional theology and strategy.

I have wondered whether the old English, and Orthodox, model of Minster Churches might be useful. Where a central semi-monastic community rich in clergy, became a centre for mission in an entire district. With many smaller communities being supported by, and developed from the core community.

I believe that there is a possibility for combining authentic Orthodoxy, such as was the lived experience of the Celtic churches, with an appreciation of the modern culture in which our mission takes place. That is why the British Orthodox Church is developing a model of many small groups, lay led, praying the ancient prayers of the Church, with less regular liturgical support from our limited numbers of priests. Our aim is to grow local leaders, training them from the beginning to become potential priests and deacons, and building in the concept of being part of a Church Planting Movement from the start.

We have been much influenced by the ideas of Natural Church Development and believe that our methodology provides for small group membership, inspiring worship, development of gifts, fellowship and evangelism.

These were surely also the experience of small local groups of believers in the Celtic churches period.

I believe that our advantage is that we are rooted into the living and authentic Orthodox spiritual tradition, where fasting, prayer, and theosis are the foundations of spiritual practice and aspiration. We are not having to rediscover something, it is in the liturgical air that we breath. We believe passionately that we have a gospel for post-modern man.

I have printed off tens of pages of documents. I haven’t read so much missiology since I studied for evangelical ministry 20 years ago. I am convinced that historic Orthodoxy, with a considered use of modern church planting thought, has much to offer the UK. We are working towards four new plants this year, working hard to be both British and Orthodox.

Thanks for the comment. Very insightful and I beleive, correct. There is definitely much that we could learn in the West from the Celtic movement and some of the earlier influences from the East, particularly as we move further into the postmodern era.

When Patrick came they immediately latched onto the faith.

Interestingly, even though it was a Western movement of sorts I think there was influence from the East through John Cassian who brought desert monasticism to France in the 5th century and my suspicion, given how Irish Christians formed their communities, also farther north. Cassian would have been an old man when Patrick was starting out in ministry, with his influence and leadership certainly affecting any young and passionate priest of the day.

These curious desert monastics and orthodox monks jumped over continental Europe and influence what was then the far west, because of their absolute and incredible devotion in all of life.

They were also extremely influential for Wesley. I wonder then if there is something to be said for finding answers to our Western situation in some of the diverse emphases of the Eastern church, with their different conceptions of salvation, sanctification, and many other aspects of the Christian life.

Good to see you on the web.

Look foward to checking out what you have to say on this page!

glad to see you have been hanging out with my crazy and brilliant boss and mentor Al.

all the best and glad to christen your blog with its first comment!

mark