Orthodox Identity - Who am I ?

Thirty nine years ago, one of the very first youth conferences I attended was actually the December Australian youth conference in Geelong in 1986. I flew out from California for it and back then I couldn’t even fathom the idea that so many years later I would become a priest and return to this prestigious forum to give a talk. My seemingly simple participation helped to develop me as an Orthodox Christian and helped to strengthen my faith.
The topic at hand for this conference “I am the vine…” Jn 15:5 is not some sort of instant formula to be a good Christian. It opens up the importance of who we are as part of the “vine” and our connection to Christ.

In the book of Genesis we hear the words: “And God said: Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness …. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them (Genesis 1:26-27)

An incredible source of understanding these words in the bible comes from the book Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky. Fr. Michael, himself a pious humble man, was able to lay out the understanding of the Church’s teachings on Dogmatic theology so that it could be pastorally understood and taught for generations. He was born in 1888 with many generations of priests before him and finished the Theological Academy in Kiev where he also taught. Upon arriving in America in 1949, Fr. Michael was appointed by Archbishop Vitaly [Maximenko] to be an instructor at the Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. Even though his education was at a very high level, his humble approach to theology was explained in this fashion: “simple impressions from the churchly way of life of his childhood set their seal on his whole life, influencing him more than all the theological schools he attended,” was likely written by Fr. Seraphim Rose in his biographical sketch of Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky, titled “About the Author: Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky: Theology in the Ancient Tradition”.

Monk Benjamin, his cell caretaker, expressed “That it was from prayer that Fr. Michael drew the source of the enlightenment of his mind and heart; through prayer, which draws upon us the cleansing grace of the Holy Spirit. He became a theologian; having cast aside the decayed garments of the old man.”

Fr. Serafim Rose who spent many hours translating the Orthodox Dogmatic Theology book corresponded often with Fr. Michael and in 1981, when writing an article, affirmed what both Fr. Michael and Archbishop John had taught him about how the Church is preserved from extremes both on the right and on the left. (Hope - Chapter 99 from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works)

We see the approach by Fr. Michael as a humble explanation of Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, not as judgement towards other faiths, but rather a clear simple path of understanding. He is calm and objective in expressing himself not showing personal opinions but opening up the true teachings of the Church while never considering himself in the ranks of the Great Theologians of the Orthodox church.

Fr. Michael explains the passage in Genesis: “Man bears the image of God in the higher qualities of the soul, especially in the soul’s immortality, in its freedom of will, reason and in its capability for pure love without thought of gain.” Fr. Michael further expresses: “Is there a distinction between the “image” and the “likeness” of God ?” “The majority of the Holy fathers and teachers of the church reply that there is. They see the image of God in the very nature of the soul, and the likeness in the moral perfecting of man in virtue and sanctity, in the acquisition of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

Our likeness to God depends on our own free will and desire and is acquired by our own activity. It is up to us to keep that image pure, to keep our soul undefiled and that is done by our own actions and deeds. Our image is an expression of who we are, an icon of our existence and representation of the condition of our souls. Icons as we know are a window to the mysteries of God’s grace. Icons are not just a wooden board with paint on it or glass pieces of a colorful mosaic. We venerate the image of the icon. The depiction of a saint would show the “likeness” to God.

The memorable and well known iconographer of ROCOR Archbishop Alypy (Gamonovic) with whom I had the pleasure of serving for 5 years in Chicago once expressed the following: “Humans are also an image of God as it is stated in the Bible but the image of God in humans is not in his physical attributes but in God’s gifted freedom to man in possessing free will. Man using his freedom of will and intelligence, Archbishop Alypy stated, can assimilate God’s goodness”.

Saints depicted on icons were people born into this world just like you and me. They fought against sin and that struggle is what brings us closer to the “likeness“ of God. God doesn’t have to fight sin but we do.

Choosing a different path from Fr. Michael Pomazansky’s scholarly, theological and yet meek approach of shining the light of Christ in him was a well known priest in Russia, Archpriest John Mironov.

I had the opportunity of meeting Fr. John together with our travelling youth choir in St. Petersburg, Russia, a few years ago. Fr. John’s life was an example of the words in the Gospel: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Mathew 5:16

He was the oldest serving priest in the St. Petersburg diocese and just recently passed away at the age of 99. Born in 1926 in the Pskov region, in the village of Shabany, into a peasant family, John who served in World War 2, realized his desire to become a priest. His aunt Anna sent John to Elder Seraphim of Vyritsa who blessed him to attend seminary in 1948.

Fr. Seraphim imparted to the young seminarian John Mironov the spiritual wisdom that he expressed in these words: “It was necessary to experience everything, to go through fire, water, and trials, but without becoming embittered or damaging one’s soul. I have always known that the Lord’s eye is watching over us. The merciful Lord guides us out of the most difficult situations, out of any dead end we encounter in our lives. From the moment of baptism to the very end of our lives, He guides us with His love. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22. If we entrust ourselves into God’s hands, then everything is always easy for us, at all times. This is how Fr. John lived his life.

He lived his life for the sake of others. As we served together in his small church for vigil, I remember the church being packed with people who were not the usual city people I was expecting. The church was filled with people clearly having experienced life’s hardships. You can see on their faces the struggles they endured of many years of battling the temptations of substance abuse or alcoholism and came to him for help of recovery. During the polyelaion, I recall that there were many physically disabled parishioners either sitting on the floor or in their wheelchairs. Fr. John took his time anointing each one and showing them his pastoral love. He simply glowed from the opportunity to be with them. His approach to people was special and genuine.

Even though many clergy would come to him for spiritual guidance he himself travelled to seek guidance from other holy fathers. He communicated with many elders from the Pskov-Pechory Monastery, with Venerable Simeon (Zhelnin), and while serving in Letovo near Ryazan, Fr. John (Krestyankin). He also traveled to see Fr. Nikolai Guryanov on Talabsk Island (Zalit).

As rector of the church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice” Fr. John blessed to create a Brotherhood of “Sobriety” and according to parishioners, at least 1,000 people have been cured of alcoholism, tobacco addiction, and gambling addiction during the time the church has been operating.

His parish has many different outreach ministries such as: an Orthodox radio station of St. Petersburg, the “Vigilance” club named after Martyr Boniface, the parish newspaper “Sobriety Leaflet,” and a Sunday school.

His approach to people was very special and genuine. He would help everyone who comes to the church for prayer, first with words, and later with actions. According to those who have turned to him with requests for prayer, he radiates love for his neighbors and knows how to comfort people during the most difficult moments of their lives.

We are all familiar with the Gospel’s Luke 15:3-7 which contains Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep, where a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find that one lost, bringing it home joyfully. Fr. John was a person whose entire flock of 100 were those lost sheep he had searched for and returned back to Christ. His identity as an Orthodox Christian is simply unarguable.

In order for us to get a better understanding of our own personal spiritual state, it is important for us to also be aware and recognize our surroundings, of the overall condition of our world with all its distractions and temptations. There is a category of people in society who live under the understanding of the term: “Nones”.

“Nones” are individuals who do not identify with a specific religion, often describing themselves as nothing in particular, atheist or agnostic. They may have spiritual beliefs but don’t belong to an organized religion. Most Nones believe in God or a higher power, but very few attend any kind of religious service. They dislike religious organizations and see them as the very essence of their reason they are nonreligious. They cite a dislike of religious organizations or having had bad experiences with religious people as important factors for why they are nonreligious.

Nones have their own moral codes, which are often based on reason and a desire to avoid harming others. “You do what you want, I do what I want and as long as our lives don’t interact in a conflict we are living a spiritual life” is the standard that helps them to spiritually function. They live by the principles of not wanting to hurt people, logic and reason, feeling good when making good choices, and wanting to stay out of trouble – as key factors when making decisions between right and wrong.

The PEW Research Group - states that today, about 28% of adults in the United States of America are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.

In 2024, more than 51% of Australians reported having ‘no religion’, according to the Mapping Social Cohesion (MSC) survey. The 2021 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recorded 38.9% of the population with no religion, making it the second most common affiliation after Christianity (43.9%).

This is the general consensus worldwide for countries traditionally considered as predominantly “Christian countries”. So how do these “Nones” fit into the mainstream of society and what effect do they have on our own spiritual and religious existence? The generation born between 1997 and 2012 is considered by most sociologists and statistical researchers as the Generation Z.

You are the first true “digital natives,” with no memory of a pre-internet world while experiencing the widespread availability of high-bandwidth cellular service and social platforms.

Gen Z church attendance has nearly doubled since the pandemic, rising from roughly once a month in 2020 to 1.9 times per month in 2025. Gen Z and Millennials have become the most regular churchgoers in 2025. This is what is called a silent trend.

What is the reason for this surge of interest in Christianity? During the Covid pandemic we all experienced isolation and loneliness. It was a time for reflection and many started questioning purpose and meaning. It gave an opportunity for researching spiritual options. The emptiness of secular societies’ direction poses questions and emptiness that most of your generation look to fill.

We were all in lockdown mode so, for many of us, there was an opportunity to do research and watch online religious services. In New York City, for example, our English mission parish, St. Sergius, has seen a surge in baptisms of roughly over 20 baptisms of young adults in the last couple years of people who previously knew nothing of the Orthodox faith. The parish attendance has doubled just from people “off the street”.

People such as Herman, a 20 year old student explains: “I had been originally Christened in the Methodist Church and also often went to Anglican services with my grandmother growing up. I started going to church regularly again when I came to New York for college. I became Orthodox as opposed to returning to Protestantism or becoming Roman Catholic because I was convinced of the Church’s historical claims in having continuity with Christ, the Apostles, the Fathers, etc. I was and continue to be very moved by the Saints, especially modern Saints like St John Maximovitch and St Paisios. I also find the Liturgy beautiful and deeply peaceful.”

Or Miriam, baptized at 20 years old, states: “I converted because I realized the Orthodox Church was consistent throughout time and I didn’t know of any other religion or form of Christianity with that consistency.”

Even though there is a new direction for Gen Zers to become Christian, searching to replace the void that society has imposed on them, the majority of that generation are Nones.

A recent survey in 2024 suggests that over half (52%) of Australian teenagers do not identify with a religion, indicating a continuing trend. Many Gen Z youth are constructing their own spiritual paths by combining elements from various religious and non-religious sources, a practice sometimes called “faith unbundled”.

Gen Z youth is less likely to attend religious services regularly and expresses trust issues with formal religious institutions. Some Gen Zers are creating their own personalized religious experiences by engaging in community work. They are tempted by society to be part of a social media world, a world with an imagined large community. It makes you feel you have A LOT of friends but it actually promotes isolation. It’s not real! Social media becomes your world instead of being a tool to connect with people.

They are asking questions and looking for answers. They are starting to go to churches for answers. So, many Gen Zers are flocking to Christian-based religions but will it satisfy them in the long run? They, more than other generations, are “spiritual” which leads some to be “religious” but that alone may not keep them secure.

Young people are turning to faith due to a desire for truth and stability in a complex world. They are showing spiritual curiosity and a desire for belonging. The emptiness of secular society is forcing them to ask questions about their lives. They don’t feel the love from society so they go searching. Many end up turning to faith based groups and whether it is for purely comforting peace purposes or some sort of mentorship, they still come to the question of overall satisfaction.

There is a huge surge of interest by young people to read the Bible, more so in the last couple of years but, unfortunately, those interested in reading the Bible end up questioning its authority, clearly not receiving the proper guidance in understanding scripture. So they go out looking to understand. Many use AI research to try to understand scripture but that dismisses personal interaction and actual guidance they may be looking for in their lives.

Many young adults who look for Christ turn to protestant evangelist communities. They still ask themselves in those “good feeling” communities of the authenticity of their new community. They are looking for a deep relationship with God. They are looking for true faith. So when these Gen Zers, who are the bulk of atheism in society, start questioning atheism they tend to dive full force into looking for the right answers.

Orthodoxy provides the right path to understanding and believing in God. This is where our roles as Orthodox faithful become crucial in providing guidance. God is the one who gave us our identity and to eternally get closer to God by emulating his love. It is up to us to use our God given gift of free will to shine our identity so others may also emulate God’s love. Our example to others will help to give clarity to those seeking truth. We are not simply Christians by label but by how we live our lives.

These youth conferences help to develop and understand who we are. They develop our identity. Choose not only to attend such conferences but to help organize such meetings. Youth meetings can be coordinated on a parish level and this will help to evolve larger scale meetings. Talk to your parish priest to start such a project. Coordinate with other parishes the possibility of a deanery-wide youth group meeting. Be the example for others who haven’t yet secured the drive in their faith.

Archpriest Andrei Sommer
Vice Chairman Synod Youth Department
Adelaide, Australia 2025