I'm sorry :/ forgive us. The Orthodox Church has been great at evangelizing to all ethnicities for millenia, the 20th century was not a good time for American Orthodoxy, however. Though God sent saints our way to change that, to translate, to serve services in English, and now because of that we are growing. I am a parishioner at a great community of The Orthodox Church in America, 100% of the services are in English, and liturgical (older) English at that rather than contemporary. It's a family for me, I'm literally being saved alongside them and when I feel that my biological family is broken, I'm only missing out on not getting to live full time with my close Church family.Interesting point and post. Off topic regarding the women, but I had some parish drama happen to me when I was exploring Orthodoxy. I don’t know if there’s more gossip in Orthodox vs. Catholic circles because of the ethnic component. Gossip and drama are everywhere, but I was kind of put off by not just the drama but the nosiness of my priest
My Church is not typically gossipy. Now of course, women struggle more with the passion of idle talk, gossip, no matter where you go. The drama that happened to me was relating to an immigrant convert, we're reconciled. He's much older than me so it's odd it happened as I'm not even 20 yet. But I assure you that the serious faithful, of which there are many won't gossip about you.
The hardline between gossip and cautionary/close nit bonding talk for me is when someone says something for the purpose of defaming them. Or, making one's friends view the gossiper higher than the one who was gossiped about. It can also become gossip if someone spreads word carelessly. If someone has bad things happen to them, my policy is that if I'm the victim, I tell those who are humble and who will console me, therefore it's not gossip, because we hasten to cast away pride and judgement even though we recognize how relational sins affect us.
It is common to say to "Say nothing bad about one's parents." I take that rule to heart, however I cannot take it to an opposite extreme where if I'm hurt I cannot say anything that is true that is negative about my parents in a humble, safe context.