I wanted to share my story with you–how I became Orthodox. I would also love to hear your stories. If you would like to write a guest post about how you became Orthodox or why you are Orthodox, please see the guidelines here.
I have not always been Eastern Orthodox. In fact, I grew up about as evangelical as they come. My father was a pastor in the Reformed Church in America. I was our church pianist from the time I was thirteen. Sunday School teacher. Vacation Bible school teacher. Bible camp counselor. Then, I went to college at an evangelical school. While there, I served with missionaries in Equatorial Guinea (in West Africa) for ten weeks one summer. I was basically the poster child for evangelicalism.
And, I am grateful for my background. I gained a very solid understanding of the Bible. I also was given firm moral principles that helped me through the temptations that beset high school and college students. I found a community of friends who supported, loved, and prayed for one another through good and bad times.
But, God led me down another path. He whispered to me along the way.
Looking back, I can see his guiding hand even in college. My freshman roommate was an Orthodox Christian from Bulgaria who placed icons all over our room and brought me to Liturgy with her a few times. I remember standing there looking at all of the icons, smelling the incense, hearing the chanting, and feeling an intense curiosity.
That curiosity led me to research and write papers on Orthodox icons and church architecture. The English major in me couldn’t get over the rich symbolism that imbued every aspect of the Church. But, my curiosity remained academic. I couldn’t imagine that it would impact my life in any way.
Then, I decided to go to a large, prominent evangelical seminary to study missiology in the hopes of entering the mission field. In one of my classes I sat near two Orthodox seminarians–one from the United States and one from Africa. The priest from Africa told me about the deep connections that the Orthodox Church has to the continent, as all of the first Christian churches in Africa were Orthodox. In most parts of Africa, the Orthodox Church is not considered a “foreign” religion, since it has been there since the beginning. The deacon from America told me how some of the first missionaries in my own continent were Russian Orthodox monks and priests who came to Alaska. I had not heard of this missional focus of the Orthodox Church and was intrigued.
While at seminary, I also met the man who would become my husband. He was studying theology and was taking a class on the Trinity. Many of his readings came from the early Church Fathers and introduced him to Orthodoxy. We began having discussions about the trinitarian focus of Eastern Orthodoxy and how it was lacking in much of evangelical Protestantism.
Then I began teaching on a reservation in New Mexico, and he began a master’s program in Oklahoma. His first Sunday in Oklahoma, he decided that he would check out the Orthodox Church in town. He has been in the Orthodox Church ever since.
We started dating soon after this, and he told me, “I am most likely becoming Eastern Orthodox. So, if we are going to have a future, I’ll need you to look into it.”
Now, if you know me at all, you know I am extremely stubborn! The stubborn, well-educated, twenty-first century woman in me thought and told him, “I will never change my religion because a man told me to.” Fortunately, he didn’t expect me to 🙂 He wanted me to read about the Church and attend with him when I visited. But, he understood that such a big decision would need to be made on my own.
Over the next few months I read Bishop Kallistos Ware’s book The Orthodox Church, and we discussed it in our late night phone conversations. He also told me about his experiences at the Liturgy and in an inquirer’s class.
But, it was Holy Week that convinced me.
I visited him over Holy Week and fell in love. Not only with my now husband, but with the Church.
Never had I experienced services that were so filled with Scripture, so steeped in tradition, so meaningful in that rich symbolism I loved. I felt that I had never truly celebrated the Resurrection of Christ until that time. And I knew that I couldn’t go back.
That summer I lived with two families from the church. In their homes I saw Orthodoxy lived out in both big and small ways. Icons around the homes inviting us to pray and reminding us that we were a part of a bigger community. Family prayers in the evenings and at meals. A joy in all of the services of the Church. Acts of service to each other.
That fall my husband and I got engaged and became catechumens (those preparing to enter the Orthodox Church). That summer we were chrismated (joined the Church) and were married only a week later.
My story is a fairly simple one, I know. There was no dramatic conversion. No blinding light on the road to Damascus. No huge disillusionment with my life and faith that brought me to my knees.
Just small whispers from a faithful God who was drawing me closer and closer to Himself.
And that is what makes the story a holy one.
(Linked to Faith Filled Fridays.)
Hi Sarah. I really enjoyed reading this post. I love that you researched and experienced things first hand before making such a big decision and that you made the decision on your own. I hope to read more great posts from you!
Thanks for the encouragement, Ashley!
Sarah,
Thank you for linking to #SundayStillness. Thank you for sharing your faith journey. I believe God blesses us for listening to His voice. He wants to have the closest relationship possible here on earth. You have found that in Eastern Orthodox. Wonderful.
We need to remain open to His call.
Thank you so much for sharing from your heart.
Blessings,
Janis
Sarah,
Thank you for your story. I too was an evangelical (Conservative Baptist), attended Gordon-Conwell, and became Orthodox my last year of seminary. That was 34 years ago and I was able to raise all my children in the Orthodox Church. For them coming to Faith has been and is a lifelong process. What a wonderful and at times difficult journey it has been. We have so much help along the way in the Church, with the saints, through the sacraments, the services, our rich living tradition …the fullness of faith becoming fuller each day. The spring welling up within us into eternal life.
Thanks for your blog.
David
Thank you for the encouragement, David. I wonder how many of us Orthodox GCTS alums there are out there? I’ve met two others recently! Christ is Risen!
I just happened on this article and thread. I graduated from Gordon-Conwell in 1987 (it took a while … I started in 1982). My wife and I became Episcopalians there, and I did my supervised ministry at the Episcopalian parish in Malden, MA. By the time we were done, we were done with the Episcopal Church and I know that true catholicity was “somewhere.” I started a doctorate at the University of Notre Dame, and in the short time there seriously invested the Orthodox Church. We returned to Southern California without the doctorate but with the commitment and momentum to become Orthodox, which we did in 1990. Thank you for sharing your story!
I am so glad that you stopped by, Father! There seem to be more GCTS grads who are now Orthodox than I thought. I wonder if you knew Bill Black while you were at GCTS. He is now a Reader in the Orthodox Church and will be going to Kenya as a missionary soon.
Hi, Sarah! God bless you.
Honestly, I can’t remember if I knew Bill back then. I used to work in the bookstore, so I’m sure our paths crosses. In recent times, I have become aware of him, his journey, and his missionary calling … but lost track of him since. I’m hardly in touch with GCTS especially as I am out West here.
I think quite a few.
Indeed He is risen!
Fascinating post! I’m linked up behind you at Sunday Stillness. With God, there are no coincidences — my post linked there is about my “Baba” who was Russian Orthodox and a great model of faith and prayer. I hope you’ll stop by Saved by Grace for a visit!
God bless,
Laurie
Laurie, I definitely will check out your post about your Baba. How fantastic that we were linked next to each other! I sometimes wonder when I link up to Protestant blog link ups if anyone will know about Eastern Orthodoxy–so glad you did! Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you for your story, Sarah. I read it with much interest. My husband was a PCA minister for 20+ years when we became Orthodox. He is now a priest in St. Louis, and it has been a wonderful journey. Who knew I would find such interesting “Orthodox things” on Pinterest?! God bless!
I’m so glad that you found this site, Larilee! I was actually a member of the PCA for a few years before I became Orthodox. How funny!
I am a christian (“evangelical” I suppose) and loved reading your story. So interesting! I’ve never met an Eastern Orthodox Christian. Thanks for sharing. I’m enjoying looking around your site. (Also – I stumbled here from MSM and I agree – getting up before my kids is a GAME CHANGER!!!) You go momma! you can do it!
hanks for the encouragement, Renee! I love hearing other people’s story, so I was excited to share mine.
Thank you for sharing your story. My conversion to Orthodoxy from a Protestant background is so similar, I am really smiling and wish we had known each other along the way. I follow your blog and appreciate all that you share. Would love to tell my story sometime. Thank you again and keep up this wonderful encouraging blog. Matushka Natalie Kuchta
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Matushka! I really appreciate it. I would love to hear your story. You are welcome to write it up and e-mail me (theorthodoxmama@gmail.com). I’d love to hear it!
I came over here from MSM and I was fascinated to read your story! I have born and brought up by eastern orthodox church-going parents, I grew up to be an eastern orthodox till I was 17 years old. I participated in every possible way, but I always felt there is something more beyond the traditions. As I read the book of Acts, I thought Church is something more than traditions. Then the Lord intervened and now I am an Evangelical Christian! I think growing up in the eastern orthodox church with all those rich traditions meant nothing to me since I was seeing all those from childhood. But the way evangelical church worship with open arms and with the Word explained so well, I fell in love instantly! I studied some more, and after doing a certificate course in Ancient Christianity, I haven’t looked back.
How wonderful is that our God leads each one of us to Him in the ways that He chooses! God bless you and your wonderful family!
Thanks for your story, Diana.
Hi, Sarah! God bless you.
Hi Sarah, I write to you as I turn off Netflix for my 2nd Great Lent (the 1st one I was not Orthodox yet). We have a similar conversion story. I went to ORU in Tulsa for undergrad and Grad. Met my husband on an missions trio to Australia. Many years later we are in FL and he is being ordained with the Christian & Missonary Alliance and we are pastoring a church plant in a bookstore. Both of us are working full-time with babies age 3 & 1. My husband came across icons in seminary and wrote a paoer on it. He decided to interview a Priest from an Orthodox church, Fr. Dan met with him for coffee. Well after several years to “what are we doing here” we left the church plant and became churchless for about a year. My husband kept wanting to visit that Orthodox church and well I was absoulely against it. My husband began to attend regularly and he changed in beautiful ways, I could go on and on about my resistance but eventually I felt “at home” as well. Now I enter Great Lent with humble anticipation and look to you to guide me in practical ways. Thank you for giving time to this blog.
Mindy, what a beautiful story. I love hearing how God leads different people, and your story is such a wonderful one! If you would ever want to write it up into an article (500-1000 words), I would love to publish it here on the blog. And, thank you for your encouragement. I am very glad to know that this blog is helping others in their faith. Please pray for me. Have a blessed Lent.
I am just curious; how did your family react to your conversion to orthodoxy?