Are you a convert to Orthodoxy?

[Antiochian]

I'd just like to know an estimate on the number of people here who are actually converts or are Orthodox by family association.

[Donna Rose]

...a poll that's easy enough for me to participate in

convert from the RC church here.

D

[jlerms]

Originally RC then dabbled in Buddhism and now found the One True  Church.        Juliana

[bergschlawiner]

To split hairs many may be of the same tradition like Greek Catholics or Melkites who just made a switch as many do back and forth in  these societies in Europe and the US. 

[Innocent]

I'm a convert from the RC church.

[Grigorii]

I'm a convert from Pentecostalism, thru Catholicsm, to Orthodoxy. Been Orthodox for a couple of years now, and have finally found home.

IC XC

Grigorii

[QuoVadis]

I'm a convert to Orthodoxy (glory to God) from the Protestant church.  Although my Dad's family are of the Orthodox faith, and my Mum's family are of the Protestant faith.

[AnthonyPL]

Although I became Orthodox nearly a decade ago, I still feel unworthy to be Orthodox.  This, I do understand, comes out of pride: it would be easier to be Catholic, at least in relations with my family; I feel "less" Orthodox than the Greeks, Russians, or Georgians who were raised in the Faith--although all have equally opened their arms to me and other converts.  This, I should add, all while I feel a great pull to the priesthood--since even before I became Orthodox (although then I was pulled towards the "ministry)--even though I push myself away from that area.

Anyhow, this came out rather muddled, but I'm curious to know if anyone else besides me has ever experienced these problems.

[Asteriktos]

I'm a convert from Christian fundamentalism of various shades.

[djrak]

Although I became Orthodox nearly a decade ago, I still feel unworthy to be Orthodox.ÂÂ  This, I do understand, comes out of pride: it would be easier to be Catholic, at least in relations with my family; I feel "less" Orthodox than the Greeks, Russians, or Georgians who were raised in the Faith--although all have equally opened their arms to me and other converts.ÂÂ  This, I should add, all while I feel a great pull to the priesthood--since even before I became Orthodox (although then I was pulled towards the "ministry)--even though I push myself away from that area.

Anyhow, this came out rather muddled, but I'm curious to know if anyone else besides me has ever experienced these problems.

hey Anthony dont feel like that man, I'm sure God doesnt want you to... He's your father and He's glad you're home dont compare yourself to others. anyway dont rush the priesthood thing, give it time and put it all in God's hands, He'll let you know loud and clear. 

[AnthonyPL]

The priesthood, and by extension seminary, is the one thing I can guarantee I won't rush toward.  I've got another five or six years of school to look forward to anyway.

[Michael]

In the process of converting, having left Anglicanism.

[MaryCecilia]

I'm a convert from the roman catholic church as well.

Mary

[PhosZoe]

Born into an Orthodox family but not baptized until adulthood. I'm a convert from Betty Crocker wicca.

[AnthonyPL]

Born into an Orthodox family but not baptized until adulthood. I'm a convert from Betty Crocker wicca.

Is that cake made with twigs and candles? 

[Ebor]

There wasn't a space for "None of the above"... ah well. 

Ebor

[PerogiPincher]

I'm 4th generation Russian Orthodox.  Our daughter is now 5th.

Although, my husband converted from Byzantine Catholic.



Deborah

[irene]

Born protestant, converted to RC, and found home with the Orthodox Church. 

Lots of RC converts!

Irene

[ExploringOrthodoxy]

In the process of converting, via evangelical Anglicanism and then Anglo-Catholicism.  God willing, being received early next year.

Ian.

[PhosZoe]

Is that cake made with twigs and candles? 

LOL. Yep with a little wax "goddess" cake topper. It was also soaked in mead for spice.

[orthotex]

Yes, my husband and I converted to OCA from Lutheran four years ago.  Just found this forum today- very cool!

[JoeS]

Yes, my husband and I converted to OCA from Lutheran four years ago.ÂÂ  Just found this forum today- very cool!

Infant Baptised Episcopalian, later "conditional" baptised in Roman Catholic church, and now Orthodox for 5 years through Chrismation.

JoeS

[Ebor]

A Conditional baptism from the RC's?  Interesting. I'm just curious and if you prefer to not answer I apologize for asking.  Were the records lost?  Was it a regular RC Church? (as opposed to an off-shoot like some I've read that claim to be the Real RC's) Was this long ago?

Respectfully,


Ebor

[suzannes]

Wow, lot's of RC converts.  Interesting.  I haven't met that many in real life.  I know our Matushka said that she thought it was hardest for RC's to become Orthodox, which I agree with.  I know I torture myself with the question "if it was pre-Vatican II times, would I have found Orthodoxy?"  But you can drive yourself crazy with questions like that.

[Friar Tuck]

Yes,

I was born into a relatively non-practicing catholic family. I came to the faith after seriously examining the faith and I believed that I truly could not affirm that the Catholic Church and its teachings were the the true faith. That was almost 25 years ago, and I have no regrets.

Friar Tuck

[suzannes]

The family thing can really kill you though.  My grandfather had been in a seminary, and my grandparents were very pious, E. European, old-style RC.  It's interesting, because I guess my grandmother would cover the mirrors during Lent, and not allow the radio to be played.  Now of course, if you keep Orthodox Lent, people think you're nuts, as in "Fasting??? WHAT??"

When I was a little kid, my grandmother gave me a Catholic holy picture, and it is still a very precious thing to me.  I know that some converts really believe the RC's are evil, but I just don't have that view.  Misguided, but not evil.  Interestingly, we have a RC priest who sometimes attends services at our ROCOR parish.  Our priest keeps asking him when he's going to convert.

[Vasili Kosta]

I am converting from the Protestant Pentecostal Movement, specifically Foursquare.

My journey has been long and strenuous, as I also went from Foursquare to Messianic Judaism in search of the first church. My wife and I drove roughly 70 miles each Saturday to attend something which was new to us both, searching for the Truth of the First Church. Little did I know that the One, True Church was right in my old hometown not 6 miles away, and I glanced by it everytime I drove by not thinking that someday I would eventually attend and desire the fullness of the Mysteries that lie within. That Church which I ignored for so many years was this little Greek Orthodox Church. My wife and I are in the process of joining whereas our two girls are already baptized and chrismated.

VK

[Fr. David]

What a great thread.  Vasili, welcome to oc.net!  I, too, dabbled in so-called "Messianic Judaism" before finding Orthodoxy.  Didn't really like the Byzantine liturgy when I first saw it, but I DID acknowledge immediately how "Hebrew" it was.

[Vasili Kosta]

What a great thread.ÂÂ  Vasili, welcome to oc.net!ÂÂ  I, too, dabbled in so-called "Messianic Judaism" before finding Orthodoxy.ÂÂ  Didn't really like the Byzantine liturgy when I first saw it, but I DID acknowledge immediately how "Hebrew" it was.

Same here. I saw how Jewish the service was, the similiarities that show us the fulfilment of the Messiah as Jesus. I miss the Hebrew though, mainly because my Greek is horrible(lol) and my Hebrew is okay. But I honestly sense that it was a good passing from the Messianic synagogue to the Greek Orthodox Church. It prepared me for a Liturgical service as well as showing fulfillment of the Church.

I love where I am at now. It's home!

VK

[BJohnD]

Baptized as an infant in the Presbyterian Church (now PCUSA)
Confirmed in the United Methodist Church at age 12
10-year vacation from church
Return and conversion to Episcopalianism at 31
Found Home in Orthodoxy at 37

[germanus]

Baptized at six yrs. old in 1st Baptist church in L.A. (unusaual for baptists-18 or older to be baptized-rule of thumb) by my own choice.
Ran away from God to study many "gods" until I became Rastafarian @ 22 yrs.
found the Orthodox church @ 25 1/2 yrs.
baptised @ 27
now 29
"Lord have mercy." + + +

[Protokletos]

I am a convert to the Antiochian Archdiocese from the United Church of Christ (or "Unitarians Considering Christ" as they are sometimes called).  I did actually receive a Trinitarian baptism (which I'm not sure they do any more).  When I was in high school, I had many "evangelical" friends, and so I started going to church with them and reading the Bible.  This raised in my mind a lot of questions about the differences between Christian churches.  But when I went to talk to my UCC pastor about it, he just told me something like, "Whatever path you choose to follow is the right one for you." 

So I was evangelical/charismatic/fundamentalist for a while and went to a Bible college.  It was there I found out about Orthodoxy.  In my studies of the Scriptures and Church history, it became obvious to me that the early church was sacramental and hierarchical, and that "sola scriptura" and "sola fide" were not taught anywhere until the 16th century.  About half way through my Protestant seminary training, after shedding my Protestant/egalitarian/higher critical baggage, I was chrismated into the true Church, the fullness of the Christian faith. 

[Sarah]

Born and raised Antiochian Orthodox.

[Beavis]

Mainline Protestantism.  Islam.  Atheism.  Charismaticism.  Orthodoxy.   ...in that precise order.

[SouthSerb99]

Born and raised in the Serbian Orthodox Church.  After having moved, went to a "Macedonian" Orthodox Church (for 4 years), thinking it was the same thing, just a different flavor.  After realizing I was wrong, went back to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

[SouthSerb99]

Mainline Protestantism.  Islam.  Atheism.  Charismaticism.  Orthodoxy.  ÃƒÆ’‚ ...in that precise order.

...and lived to tell about it 

[Beavis]

Born and raised in the Serbian Orthodox Church.ÂÂ  After having moved, went to a "Macedonian" Orthodox Church (for 4 years), thinking it was the same thing, just a different flavor.ÂÂ  After realizing I was wrong, went back to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Why?  What's up with the Macedonian Church?

[Elisha]

Why?ÂÂ  What's up with the Macedonian Church?

They're Schismatic...and are being used/using their government to justify their existence, while both a) persecuting the legitimate Serbian Orthodox Church and b) allowing their government to use them (the MOC) for their own political agendas.

[ozgeorge]

While I was born into an Orthodox family, I haven't voted until now because I disagree with the way the title of this thread seperates believers. No one is born Orthodox, we are all converts to it. It is our second birth (baptism) not our first which determines Orthodoxy.

[Veniamin]

Raised high-church Methodist, drifted (very, very slightly) into Anglicanism during high school, whence I fled back to Orthodoxy.  I say "back to" since Orthodoxy really is the "faith of my fathers," until they arrived here fleeing the Russian Revolution, anyway.  I'm the first in four generations, so far, to come back to the Church.

And an off-topic hello to Orthotex, since we attend the same parish.  Hi! 

[JoeS]

A Conditional baptism from the RC's?ÂÂ  Interesting. I'm just curious and if you prefer to not answer I apologize for asking.ÂÂ  Were the records lost?ÂÂ  Was it a regular RC Church? (as opposed to an off-shoot like some I've read that claim to be the Real RC's) Was this long ago?

Respectfully,


Ebor

Sorry for getting back with an answer so late, but to answer your question:  There must have be some recognition of baptisms as performed by the Episcopal church by the Roman Catholic church.  Otherwise, I would have been UNconditionally baptised.  Remember I was baptised in the Episcopal church some 65 years ago when Episcopalians were very conservative and you dont see the things happening in their church as you see today.  Conditional baptisms are or were performed by the RCC quite frequently and I believe the words go something like this: "On the condition that this (baptisimal name)  was not baptised I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost". Or words to this effect.

[Ebor]

Thank you for the reply.  Interesting. 

Ebor

[Carpatho Russian]

Born and raised in the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (what was commonly referred to as the Metropolia and now know as the OCA).

[Padre Ambrogio]

Raised as a very nominal RC, wandered off for a decade of so of restless religious search, came back to the Orthodox Church.

Currently putting some effort in trying to live as a good Christian (maybe will be able to do that, when growing up...)

[SouthSerb99]

Father,

Nice to have you here.  Enjoy the site!

[odox]

Hello everyone,

My 'family of origin''s faith was Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ). I considered myself eclectic and nondenominational until I became Orthodox.

odox

[SouthernOrthodox]

Hi everyone,

Excellent forum, glad I found. Born into a long line of Russian Old-Believers. Often joked with my brother and sister, we are the last of the pure-breads in our family. All of us married non-Russians. Left the faith altogether for over 15 years. Came some-what back three years ago to a New-Rite ROCOR Parrish. I agree with the post that all of us are converts or have to discover for ourselves what the true faith is (Orthodoxy). I took it for granted and nearly lost everything. It's amazing to me the zeal of faith converts to Orthodoxy have here in the South. Good stuff.

[zefciu]

Hello, nice I found this 4um.  I am Polish, born a Roman Catholic, and always been quite religious.  I found the true Church in the Orthodoxy few months ago.  I learned about Orthodoxy from one of my friend, from some orthodox on a catholic forum, and at last from a priest in Edinburgh, where I stayed with an exchange programme.

[Marat]

I'm in the process of converting. Very early in the process.

[theoforos]

I grew up in a very conservative sub-group (which had been influenced by certain Calvinist and Roman Catholic ideas) within the Lutheran church. I became interested in orthodoxy already about 20 years ago (I'm 31 now) but didn't become a member of the church until about half a year ago. The most intensive period of my approach to orthodoxy started about five years ago when I lived in Moscow, so I sort of consider the Russian church my "mother" although I belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church.

[aserb]

I was born into an Orthodox and Catholic (Dad & Mom) family. Mom had me baptized Catholic, yet, I attended both churches. Officially converted to Orthodoxy as an adult. So in a sence I am a robbed from the cradle Orthodox.

[Truth_or_Bust]

Anglo-Israelism, in the process of converting to Orthodoxy!

[emidesu]

Born Unitarian, practiced Buddhism, now engaged to a Copt and studying Orthodoxy.

[dantxny]

Originally I was born as a Roman Catholic with a devout family.  Later, I persued Traditional Catholicism, until I could no longer buy my arguments of papal primacy and Vatican I & II and became Orthodox.

[dantxny]

Interestingly, we have a RC priest who sometimes attends services at our ROCOR parish.  Our priest keeps asking him when he's going to convert

Just out of curiousity, what would happen to a RC priest (or monk even) that converted to Orthodoxy.  Would his vow of celibacy be void?

[Thomas]

I believe that he would meet with the bishop to work out what status he would be in coming into the Orthodox Church. Most of those who chose celibacy would probably choose to continue to be celibate. If already ordained, there is the possibility the priest would be able to become an Orthodox Priest but as he has been already ordained, I am unsure that he could be anything except a celibate priest as Orthodox Priests must marry prior to ordination as Deacons. Of course he could come into the OrthodoxChurch as a layman (unsure if he would have to formally be lasized or not). The monastic would be encouraged to enter a monastic foundation if that is what he wishes to remain otherwise as a lay person he would leave the monastery and be free to marry.

In Christ,
Thomas

[Carpatho-Rusyn]

Convert from RC almost one year ago.

[bergschlawiner]

This poll should have included "converts" from another eastern church, i.e. Greek Catholics, who generally go back and forth a lot less formally that the others, at least in Europe. 

[StBrigid]

I started looking into Orthodoxy seriously about 2 years ago and was baptized and chrismated in the Coptic Church this past summer.  My background is Baptist evangelical, with a few years dalliance in Anglicanism.

I was a Russian minor in college, traveled in Russia and Moldova, studied lots of church history, and lived in Istanbul for several years.  God was trying to get my attention for a long time, but I'm very, very thick... 

[GeorgeS]

Born and raised Orthodox. So many converts envy that but they shouldn't, people who come to faith at a later stage in their life are in most cases more devoted to it than those who grew up from childhood within the church. I know enough people who were baptized in infancy and taken to church by their parents as children, but now they'll show up for Christmas and Easter and that's it.

It seems I'm observing a tendency that most converts in America were previously a part of another Christian confession. I don't see that many people who were raised in agnostic/atheistic families coming to the church, unlike in formerly communist countries where the reverse is true.

[Ntinos]

Being a Greek from birth, I was born in the Orthodox Church, nothing more, nothing less...
Oh God I'm glad I was born Orthodox, and didn't have to tread the path from protestantism or catholicism to Orthodoxy for many years.

[NicholasOhio]

Converted to Orthodoxy nine years ago after 10+ years of attending (though never joining) the Methodist Church.  Before that, I had experienced very little if any spiritual formation.

I'm a first-time poster obviously, so hello to everyone!

N

[Asteriktos]

Welcome to the forum

[Starlight]

I am Ukrainian Orthodox. Secretly baptized as a baby during Communist times in Ukraine. Grew up as Orthodox, when it had to be a secret. I really like Ozgeorge's point about a baptism as a second birth.

Actually, I am also brand new here. So, hello everyone!!!

[Meekle]

Welcome to both of you!

Fresh meat New members are always a joy! 

[NicholasOhio]

Hello Starlight,
     Your own story sounds pretty dramatic...it makes me really thankful for my own rather boring one!  I wasn't even Baptised until I was 28 years old.

N

[Ntinos]

I am Ukrainian Orthodox.

Moscow Patriarchate?

[Starlight]

Thank you all, for welcoming!
Nicholas,
Yes, unfortunately situation was dramatic in those years. Actually, my baptism even took place at the private residence of the friends of the family instead of a church. Information about a baptism of child really could destroy parents’ employment in certain positions (engineering, education, military, etc.) back then.  Those restrictions did not apply exclusively to top executives and Communist party members. But in general, in Western Ukraine, where I am originally from, most children were secretly baptized, often either with closed doors of churches or in residences.
Trust me, your story sounds awesome, not boring!!! Great that you made that decision about coming to Orthodoxy! Nicholas, that is important. As a cradle Orthodox, I do not have a history of such a decision.
Ntinos,
Actually I live in USA and belong to Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA — Ecumenical Patriarchate.

[Ntinos]

Heh, that's even better. 

[Starlight]

Thank you, Ntinos!

[jayjay]

Protestant to Fundamentalist, to Baptist Seminary to Agnostic, and last three years leaning to Orthodox. I plan to be "in the orthodox faith" very soon.

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