Christ the Savior Brotherhood

[Peter]

This group, which came out of the Order of Mans and had such models as Fr. Seraphim Rose (ROCOR), was accepted into canonical Orthodoxy at the beginning of the 21st century.

Does anyone know any more about them? I have come up a bit short in my internet search.

I know that St. John the Wonderworker Church (OCA) in Atlanta came out of this group, as did their priest.

Thanks.


The Reader Peter

[Akathist]

Rdr Peter... Yes I was just reading about them two weeks ago..

I will look for it in "my history" and see if I can find it.

[Akathist]

http://www.pokrov.org/Articles/behinddoors.htm This is a great descripton of MANS and has a little about the CSB toward the end.. ... but it gives the back ground info.

I think this is a start, but I really read up on it last week as I found out that there is a church in Grand Rapids that brought in a number of them and we had a former member of CF who caused a lot of trouble who was from Grand Rapids. (Besides, I'm from Michigan so it caught my eye).

BTW, that site is a good site to see other troubled groups and controversy's too.

[Akathist]

Another great source:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Orthodoxia/message/1914

[Akathist]

Here is a source that is from the Christ the Savior Brotherhood about their membership and activities:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010407232942/http://www.stherman.net/ctsb.html

[ThePilgrim]

I think this is a start, but I really read up on it last week as I found out that there is a church in Grand Rapids that brought in a number of them and we had a former member of CF who caused a lot of trouble who was from Grand Rapids. (Besides, I'm from Michigan so it caught my eye).

Do you know which Church? I'm from Grand Rapids, so I could possibly look into it. I'd also be interested to know.

Grace and peace,
John

[Akathist]

The Pilgrim,

The last link is to that Church's website. It is ROCOR in Grand Rapids. I thought there was only one ROCOR church there. (AND I think an Anticocian Church and of course the Serbian Orthodox Church which I thought was the largest one there.)

[Akathist]

For those scratching thier heads here is my brief rundown of what this is so you don't have to read pages and pages from the links.

Once upon a time St. Serephim Rose was in association with this other guy. They alledgedly had a falling out just before St. Serephim Rose reposed. The other guy had some unusual ideas and an axe to grind against some Bishops (Politics.. always a temptation!)

He started over time to become more and more "New Age" and people just followed him as he moved from one thing to another.

That is how MANS developed.

That group later dispanded and many of the parts of what dispanded converted back into cannanical Orthodoxy.

[eoe]

I have known Fr. Jacob Myers for only a short while but I consider him a friend. He has never given me any reason whatever to doubt him or his sincerity. I have a deep respect for him and trust him. He has a strong and vital ministry and serves Christ with all he has. He is a wonderful priest and any parish would be lucky to have him.

[gzt]

Once upon a time St. Serephim Rose was in association with this other guy. They alledgedly had a falling out just before St. Serephim Rose reposed. The other guy had some unusual ideas and an axe to grind against some Bishops (Politics.. always a temptation!)

He started over time to become more and more "New Age" and people just followed him as he moved from one thing to another.

That is how MANS developed.

That group later dispanded and many of the parts of what dispanded converted back into cannanical Orthodoxy.This is completely wrong. The HOOM predates the association with Fr. Herman. The HOOM was a gnostic new age thing started in the late 60's. Its founder died and one of the leaders of the movement steered them towards Orthodoxy and ran into Fr. Herman, who was having a variety of problems with ROCOR. They fell in together and the people still following that man finally became the Christ the Savior Brotherhood in 1988 under some fruit loopy defrocked random bishop. In 2000 they finally disbanded.

Here's an orthodoxwiki article: http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Holy_Order_of_MANS

And take whatever Pokrov says with a large grain of salt and note that a lot of people associated with the thing weren't around before they became [at least semi-] Orthodox.

[ufonium2]

My husband and I both found Orthodoxy in former CSB churches. I can't say enough good things about any of the former CSB parishes, clergy, and laity I've had contact with. The only "baggage" I see them carrying from their HOOM days that might separate them from most parishes is a tendency to be involved in depressed communities (almost all the CSB churches are in the worst part of town) which I wouldn't consider a negative.

Before I joined my home parish, I was shown all the negative stuff about HOOM and CSB on the internet, because they wanted me to know that some folks out there still consider them to be a cult. They are very honest about their past, and very sincere about their Orthodoxy. It's a great group of Orthodox Christians, and reading stuff like that on pokrov only makes me doubt pokrov.

[Peter]

I too know Fr. Jacob. And I would agree that he is a good priest. My only reason for asking about CSB is to get more info into their back ground prior to being accepted into canonical fellowship ( an important point I recognize). I looked into the EOC and their move into canonical fellowship, I was interested in this groups journey as well.

Rdr. Peter

[Akathist]

I think that I have been misundersood. The members who have come into Orthodoxy are Orthodox, no question.

[MariaRegina]

http://www.pokrov.org/Articles/behinddoors.htm This is a great descripton of MANS and has a little about the CSB toward the end.. ... but it gives the back ground info.

I think this is a start, but I really read up on it last week as I found out that there is a church in Grand Rapids that brought in a number of them and we had a former member of CF who caused a lot of trouble who was from Grand Rapids. (Besides, I'm from Michigan so it caught my eye).

BTW, that site is a good site to see other troubled groups and controversy's too.


A lot of Orthodox Christians find the above website to be very upsetting. I would not want inquirers to read it.

[Matrona]

Pokrov is a very bad website, run by some very bad people, and it should never be linked to under any circumstance.

[Desertu2]

There is a thorough sociological study by Lucas printed via Indiana U Press entitled The Odyssey of A New Age Religion.

It is currently available used for a reasonable price on Amazon books & Abe Books.

elias
:crosseo:

[Oblio]

I will add to the positive regarding Fr. Jacob. Our priest is also associated with CSB (or remnants thereof) and is a very holy man.

[Oblio]

here (http://www.oca.org/DOorg.asp?SID=5&LID=36) is an example of a former CSB organization.