Well, I have poked around the website a little bit. I haven't visited every page, but I did visit a good sample of the pages. The site-design is good. The church-locator is good. The links to jurisdictions are good.
But most of the text seems to be expected from "These Truths We Hold - The Holy Orthodox Church: Her Life and Teachings". Compiled and Edited by A Monk of St. Tikhon's Monastery. Copyright 1986 by the St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, South Canaan, Pennsylvania 18459.
Some of that text is dated. Specifically, it doesn't cover the state of the Orthodox Church since 1986. Thus, it leaves out the VAST reconversion of the Eastern Europe and Russia to Orthodoxy after the fall of Soviet Communism.
Also, the text seems to be limited to a Russian / OCA perspective in the discussion of the history of the Orthodox Church in America. Of course, there is nothing wrong with those churches. However, there is more to American Orthodoxy than these. Furthermore, the efforts of the OCA to minister and mission to Americans is not much discussed.
The doctrinal materials seem good, but again they are almost entirely from the same one source.
Overall, it seems that the text on the pages I visited was lifted from one of two books: the one cited above and one of Bishop Kallistos Ware's books.
If the webmaster had permission to do that, ok. Otherwise, it is violating copyrights by quoting far more than "fair use" would allow.
Also, it is lame for someone to quote another person's words entirely -- instead of making his or her own testimony. Even if it is short or un-artful, a person's own testimony is preferable because it is genuine; and the Holy Spirit will speak through that.
Overall, the website seems to be a good idea and well designed, but it seems to be almost entirely lacking in originality.
--John
