www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West restrictions on starting fellowship/Bible Study group

I have only been a Western Orthodox Christian for a little over a year, after 38 years in the Charismatic/Evangelical world. A men's group has started up, and a girlfriend at church and I wanted to start a Bible Study/fellowship group for women. It has to be approved by this person, and that person, and overseen by my Priest. We are going to call a well-known Orthodox wife of a Priest in our area for input and what she would advise. I feel like while the men's just started up, we have to jump through all these hoops. It feels insulting. We are a small church and desperately need fellowship as we live quite scattered over many miles and don't interact during the week. I am desperate for Christian fellowship. I have honestly considered going back to the women's Bible Study at my old Lutheran Church ... I know theologically there would be differences and I would have to use wisdom when it came to the actual study, but at least I would have fellowship with other Christian women, a prayer group, and that sense that I belonged there.
I honestly don't mean to sound difficult .... this is just so different for me and I don't understand at all. Any input would be appreciated.
Many thanks,
abby

Christ is Risen!!



Why does it have to be approved by more than your pastor?

Bob

I honestly don't know, but it has to be approved by our Bishop and he is the one that gives it its name.
abby

So don't make it formal. Just get together and do it--no name is necessary, and "when two or three are gathered in my name, I am with you". Considering the miniscule nature of the Western Rite Vicariate, there should not be too much need for bureaucracy. But people do like to play church, and the tendency is for chiefs to proliferate faster than Indians.

Two other things--it is always easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission; and it's easier to get something approved if it is already up and running.

Abby the Catholic and I am sure the Orthodox Church takes seriously its duty to assure authentic christian teaching is being promoted.
As one of the faithful you have to submit to a hierarchical authority in the Church, this is the heart of the issue between protestant groups and the Apostolic Churches.
It may be difficult but you will be blessed by God for fidelity to legitimately constituted authority.
It is never licit to act as a lone ranger, that is why there are thousands of protestants sects.

Stephanos I

In two different Latin parishes I know of, an informal Bible study was started. It seemed inocuous enough. About a year later, in both instances, the whole Bible study group were led into Protestantism.

I can understand the need to regulate Bible studies. It is due to genuine pastoral concern, not a desire to increase bureacracy.

Blessings

I too can understand the need to provide oversight for Bible studies. However, where the people cry out for Bible studies or other forms of extra-liturgical spiritual guidance and the Church does not provide it, the formation of informal groups will happen-at least in some instances. This is an issue the Church needs to address. Pastoral concern for safeguarding authentic Church teaching needs to be paired with pastoral concern for forming people in Holy Scripture beyond what takes place in Divine Liturgy or Mass.

From the Orthodox side of the aisle, I agree with Stephanos and mardukm. It isn't bureaucracy, it is the nature of a hierarchichal Church and the necessity to ensure doctrinal consistency.

amberpep:

Christ is Risen!!

Ahh, your bishop. I misunderstood your initial post. I thought you meant that you had to be approved by members of the parish council or some other lay members of your parish.

Don't look at this care by your bishop as anything but him doing his duty. If I were you, I'd thank God that you have such a caring shepherd who takes his duty of watching out for your souls so seriously. May God grant him many years.

I've had the experience of Bibel study groups left to teir own devices and left them when it became clear that the members were trading both ignorance and what bordered on heresy. So thank God for your bishop.

Bob

I guess this is another one of those things that I have yet to learn about .... there's so much that at times it's overwhelming.
abby

That was my point exactly! In my home parish these Bible Study Groups were infiltrated by protestants and the result was terrible. (Definitely there needs to be Pastoral oversight of the flock of God.
Stephanos I

Abby I like to liken the faith to a beautiful picture that is in puzzle form, we need to fit every piece in place before we can see the whole picture and the sense it makes.
Don't give up by looking a things in isolation from the whole picture.
Stephanos I

(One who was formerly gripped in error about the Truth of the Faith)Thank God that was many many many years ago!

.

If the bishop is too busy, he has nobody to blame but himself if the people go off on their own. But how busy can he be, considering that the WRV has perhaps a couple of thousand members in some two dozen parishes at most? Moreover, I have heard more than one bishop, and dozens of priests, complain that the faithful lack familiarity with Scripture and do not read the Bible. So, yes, let's put some more obstacles in their path when they try.

Meanwhile, if I want to invite some of my friends from Church to my house to read and discuss Scripture while we drink coffee and have a pastry or two, is it any of the bishop's business?

Beware of Prelest and remember there are reasons for obedience. This is coming from an Orthodox perspective.
Chad

Numerous Orthodox publishers, too many to list here, have published Bible study programs with the approval of Church authorities. Why not just use one of those approved sources and be done with it?