which church to choose

[ufopilot]

I am willing to get christened in an Eastern orthodox church. Does it matter which one?

I am an ethnic Russian, so a Russian church is preferable. Unfortunately - the closest one is two hours (of fast driving) away - it is a true logistical problem for me.
Fortunately, there is an Orthodox monastery nearby (Resaca, GA).
The Russian church is in Cumming, GA.

Does it matter that these churches belong to different branches of Eastern Orthodoxy?
Is it acceptable to even try to think in practical terms about
"the closest church"?

Somehow I got the impression that the clergy of these churches are not excited about each other. To their credit they didn't say anything bad either.

Am I making a deadly mistake by trying to rationalize?

Please, forgive my ignorance.

[John Haluska]

It would be a very good idea to contact Father Alexis Duncan.

Father Alexis is an outstanding Orthodox Priest.

He took it upon himself, with the help of God and MANY devoted individuals to establish Saint Seraphim Orthodox Camp which has been in existence for 11 years now.

He would help you with any questions you may have.

His address information is:

Joy of All Who Sorrow Russian Orthodox Church
6728 CAMPGROUND RD
CUMMING, GA 30040-5630
Last Update: Jul 24th, 2004
Telephone: 770/886-7111; 770/888-2270
Fax: 770/888-2267
Web Site: www.orthodoxinfo.biz
Services: English, Slavonic
Diocese: New York (6)
Directions: 400 N from Atlanta to exit 12, McFarland Rd; left to Rt 9, rt to Campground Rd (1.5 mi); left to church on right (2 mi).
Service Schedule: Sat Vigil 5PM, Sun Liturgy 9:30AM. Wed Vespers 6:30PM. Fri Akathist 6:30PM.

Protopriest Alexis Duncan
Dcn. Anthony Bridges
++++++++++++++

John Haluska

[spiridon]

its not the Brothers at Holy Ascension monastery dont talk or like the other church that is 2+ hours away, its that the Brothers are busy trying to save there souls and keep there chores done...the man that wrote before me was nice to give you the info on the Priest who is 2+ hours away and maybe that will be a place for you to go and find shelter, but you my friend are Blessed to have such a deep connection to Holy Jerusalem right in your ft. yard. this monastery wont have your roots of russia, but it has the same roots of HOLY ORTHODOX and OUR Saviour Jesus Christ. dont let Ethnicity drive your belief of where to worship and with whom. sure the Holy Fathers say that Struggle is a neccesity , But they also warn against fruitless struggles aswell, sometimes going 2+ hours can only play a part in the ego. visit both places and remember to pray about it and approach them and ask questions...here are some photos of the monastery inside
http://www.monastery.org/slideshow.php?ssid=7&imgid=62

and here is the monastery itself, so you could call first and talk to them
http://www.monastery.org/contact.html

[ufopilot]

Thanks to all who responded.
I like both places.

Just wondering how much of an accident is
that I found myself in the middle of nowhere,
in the hills of North Georgia.
60 Miles away from the closest IKEA store.

And just 25 miles away from an Orthodox Monastery

[尼古拉前执事]

Personally, I would say if you need to find a church, that you use the Map feature here at the Saint Euphrosynos Cafe.

You can find it and get directions, or look by jurisdiction or state/province and country at http://www.EuphrosynosCafe.com/map/

[drewmeister2]

Is it acceptable to even try to think in practical terms about
"the closest church"?

This is not bad altogether, however, it is important to find a good spiritual father you can trust who preaches Orthodoxy and is part of an Orthodox Synod, which may not necessarily be the closest priest to you. For some people, this is indeed true, for others, not necessarily. It is certainly not wrong to start by contacting the nearest True Orthodox priest (and God willing the nearest priest will be a good spiritual father), but don't automatically assume that he will be a good spiritual father for you, take time to find if he will indeed lead your soul to salvation.