INTRVIEW with true orthodox priest

[Despotovac]

INTERVIEW with true orthodox priest father Steven Allen.

[mmcxristidis]

Thanks for posting this. I watched all four parts and thoroughly enjoyed listening to Fr. Steven's insights

[Catherine5]

I have forwarded the series to other people who don't quite grasp what True Orthodoxy is about.
Fr Steven explains very well the most salient points about why one would want to be True Orthodox instead of World Orthodox.
One or two minor points I might quibble a little but not important to the overall meaning.

This series deserves to reach a much wider audience, as he enunciates clearly and speaks slowly, both of which are rare for an American, according to most foreigners! He also explains unusual words so that foreign audiences can quickly grasp his meaning and not be bogged down trying to decipher American English.

However, one shortcoming is the lack of introduction of Fr Steven...I had never heard of him so was casting about for some time trying to place him.
The interviewer might have given a quick biography at the beginning.
All we hear in the course of Part I is that he used to be with ROCOR and is now with Greek Old Calendar.
But a fuller picture would lend more credibility to his statements.
Why is he in Serbia, where is he based in Greece? There is nothing on the internet that I found.

I certainly liked what he said about the opening of hearts, and his comments on American education and its export around the world. Plus he mentioned Zionism which it doesn't seem like enough even True Orthodox are concerned about when they decry problems of the world. It's a huge problem!

Anybody know any more about Fr Steven Allen by any chance?

[mmcxristidis]

Why is he in Serbia, where is he based in Greece? There is nothing on the internet that I found.

Anybody know any more about Fr Steven Allen by any chance?[/quote]

He is a priest at St Spyridon iin Detroit, Mi.
He is or was at a monastery in Serbia when the video's were made
Here is a link to it's blog, which has the video's and a bio of him

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... pot.com%2F

[Catherine5]

Oh thanks, I would NEVER have found that!
There's such a nice feeling from that monastery's blog and videos overall.
Anyway, some of the google translations were a riot: St John the Outrunner, like in a race, for one example. The greeting, "Brothers and Setra" we can supply to Elias next time he needs a new variation....

As for the videos, it was a great idea to film those talks, which could be the introductory summary for a course in "The Philosophy of True Orthodoxy"
They should film more if possible. One can see Fr Steven could easily be able to talk on these topics 24 hours straight without a pause!

Fr Steven's cogent explanations made a strong impact on at least one Orthodox viewer, who wrote this rambling but sincere reply after viewing the 4 part series:

"this brought me to tears of gratefulness to hear this. It is completely truth what he said. His descriptions of hedonism reminded me of [an OCA deacon and reader in the U.S.] coming home and drinking and drinking - and in Russia with Putin showing supposed brawn for photos with shirt off.

It is so perfectly said . Being at ____College, I saw this subjective truth, no one wants to offend, they cater to the gays and they cater to the left.
The hollywood numbing of Americans has occured in stupidity and robotized reactions. i was that way too of course!

those world orthodox leaders use obedience as a way to keep their sheep from questioning them.
Father Stephen Allen does not discuss the manipulation of the spirtual father system which would be good.
The world orthodox community wants their flocks to feel good by saying that the leaders will be punished by God for mistakes, but the followers had no sin and did right because they were obedient to their bishops.

Mother [Nun] _____ of the Church Outside of Russia quoted the Bible to me she said that God will divide the wheat from the chaff to justify that no one should leave RoCor after the union to moscow. She said like it's not up to the sheep to make a right decision, because God does not expect us to, because He knows which person is good and which is not good so He will be merciful to the good parishioners because it was not their fault if it was a bad decision. only the bishop answers and all the sheep are off the hook they are all saying to me. Its how the world orthodox hierarchs twist concepts of love and obedience to get everyone into their waye

[Pravoslavnik]

Father Stephen Allen was raised as a Roman Catholic in the state of Louisiana, and attended a Roman Catholic seminary before converting to Orthodoxy and serving as choir director in an Antiochian Orthodox parish. He was later ordained to the Orthodox priesthood in the ROCOR, and served for several years as the rector of the ROCOR parish of All Saints of Russia in Denver, Colorado in the late 1990s. He resigned from his parish in the ROCOR in June of 2000, and became the priest of an old Calendar Greek parish in Michigan that same year. Among other things, he believed in early 2000 that the ROCOR had fallen under its own anathema against ecumenism (per Metropolitan Philaret) by concelebrating with hierarchs and clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He may have also had some awareness of the impending take over of the ROCOR by the MP as early as 2000-- prior to the ouster of ROCOR Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) and the death of ROCOR Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) within that same fateful year...

[Despotovac]

Fr Steven was in Serbia visiting his daughter who lives and works there and attends the Serbian True Orthodox Church. He has been the rector of St Spyridon Parish in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan for since 2002 in the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom Kiousis, Greece.
The bishop in America is Pavle of Astoria.
Websites>
http://www.saint-spyridon.com/
The email on the website is not correct: He can be reached at frsteven@woway.com

Website of their synod

http://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/e_index.htm