What you Need to Know About the Intermarriage Challenge

Two Basic Statistics

• 62% in last 20 years

• 80% or more intermarry

How many have remained connected?

?I can’t answer this question.

However…

The following story might provide us with some important hints and clues.

Meet The “X” Family

A Four Generational Case Study

Trends over four generations (125 subjects) Not to be generalized to the GOA How pervasive? Further research is needed Everyone here knows a family like this one

WW I Generation

In 1914, Costa and Eleni immigrate to the USA.

They settle in a large city in the Northeast.

They intend to stay for a few years and return to Greece.

Costa peddles newspapers, sells fruit and eventually works in a factory.

They have eight children.

After WW II all eight children marry in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA).

Six of eight couples move into the suburbs.

Two of the eight intermarry (25%).

They have 22 children.

WW II Generation

Baby Boomers (1946 – 64)

Of these 22 children: 14 would intermarry (64%)

Of these 14 children:

8 would marry outside of the GOA

In addition…

Four would intramarry – (Greek Orthodox to Greek Orthodox)

Two would remain single Two would cohabit and never marry

The EIGHT Greek Orthodox Christians who would marry outside of the GOA and the TWO cohabiters do not attend a Greek Orthodox Church.

That’s a 45% Attrition Rate by the third generation.

Further…The others who attend (54%) report a low to moderate level of connection to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA).

This generation would have a total of 35 children.

Generations: X (1965 - 81) Y (1982 – 2000)

Of these 35 children,…

16 were uncertain if they would marry in the GOA

In addition…

22 (63%) would either be baptized outside the Orthodox Church or remain un-baptized.

~ This is a 63% attrition rate ~

Two Salient Statistics

In four generations, the retention rate drops from 100% to 37%.

In three generations the intermarriage rate increases from 0 to 64%.

Marriages: 1996 - 2010In 1996

3855 in GOA• Inter-Christian: 2588• Orthodox/Orthodox: 1267

In 20102709 in GOA• Inter-Christian: 1631• Orthodox/Orthodox: 1078

GOA’s Stats from 1996 – 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 150

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Series1

Between 1989 – 2009 (20 year period)

Nearly 2 or every 3 marriages (62%) that took place in our Archdiocese were categorized inter-

Christian marriages.

This needs assessment survey was done in 2006. It’s objectives were to identify…

1. S = Strengths2. W = Weaknesses3. O = Opportunities 4. T = Threats

Over 300 clergy and lay leaders responded.

Two valuable observations…

1. Under the category Opportunities… – Respondents ranked outreach to intermarried couples

and their families as the “#1 Opportunity.”

2. Under the category Weaknesses…– respondents indicated that the GOA was failing to take

advantage of this opportunity.

These results, along with previous research studies such as…

The Interfaith Research Project (2001, 2006) The Gallup Needs Assessment (1980’s)

…suggest that at all levels we’re not doing enough and we could be doing more

Newest Research Project (2009)

The Orthodox Family in America at Home and in the Church: A Study of Families in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Among the perceived needs…

Respondents from this study identified outreach to intermarried couples as “an urgent need.”

Big question…

What are the implications of all this research?

“…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1)”

Running the race…

We’re running a marathon and a relay race.

Let’s focus on the relay race.

Passing the batton

What’s critical to any successful relay race?

“Couples get married in our churches, • and we don’t see them again.”

• Archdiocesan Council Member

Don’t assume they’ll come back! Many drift away.

A good first step

What do you know about intermarried couples?

A self evaluation exercise