Yes, it is causing tension; I see this as a good thing. Having grown up ethnic and initially leaving the Orthodox Church due in some measure to the off-putting nationalism of my home parish and overall ignorance of what comprised the faith, the influx of converts has at the very least challenged many "cradle" to learn of what their faith consists. Converts insure the Church will in time truly become a Church for Americans as the Church is for the Ukrainians, Russians, etc., in their native coutries. I will never forget an "ethnic" say to a convert they could never be Orthodox because they were not born Orthodox from an Orthodox country; and still converts are coming into the Church.
