On Converts to Orthodoxy, By Metropolitan Saba (Antiochian Church)

By His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Isper

Denver, Colorado

Friday, November 7, 2025

Introduction

For centuries, the New World has drawn successive waves of migration. In most of the twentieth century, there was a modest Orthodox presence that remained largely confined to Orthodox communities across North America, especially in the big cities. Orthodox immigrants established their churches in the midst of their residential clusters and preserved their faith as best they could at that time. With the organization of church life in North America, the expansion of immigration after the Second World War, and the birth of new generations within American culture, Orthodoxy came to be known as an Eastern Church—a church of immigrants and ethnic communities: “Greeks,” “Slavs,” “Syrians,” etc.—rather than by their apostolic faith.

However, the changes that took place in Western society in general, and among American Christians in particular, pushed some to search for the original roots of Christianity. They discovered that “the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3) had been preserved in the Orthodox Church, and they turned to it. Thus began the first large wave of converts—at least in the Antiochian Church—in the 1980s. These new Orthodox took upon themselves the task of evangelizing the Orthodox faith in the land, and their children and grandchildren were raised Orthodox.

By the end of the twentieth century, we almost thought that the century of immigration for Orthodox Christians in America had ended and that the century of evangelization had begun. Yet the collapse of the communist world in the early 1990s quickly brought a renewed flow of immigration from Eastern Europe, and the economic problems that have continued to plague Greece prompted the continued flow of Greeks to America. Two decades later came what was called the Arab Spring, which sent many Middle Eastern Orthodox to North America as well. Today, it seems as though we are returning to the first century A.D., when new believers left Jerusalem because of persecution and the Gospel spread throughout the oikoumene (inhabited world).

The growth of the conversion movement, for various reasons, contributed to making Orthodoxy a known religion in North America; indeed, it is now witnessing accelerated growth—some have even called it a flood. To put it mildly, we were no longer, as my predecessor Metropolitan Philip, of thrice-blessed memory once called us, “the best kept secret in America.”

His Eminence Metropolitan Saba delivers his presentation “On Converts to Orthodoxy”

Motives for Conversion

There is no doubt that the abundance and variety of Protestant churches, and their differences from one another, are one reason many Protestants seek the authentic Church. There is a palpable hunger for Christian authenticity in America.

Over the last five centuries, Protestantism has developed its own “tradition” while at the same time rejecting the fullness of Holy Tradition. Today, however, many ask how they can accept a Protestant tradition that began with Luther’s movement and grew and developed to the present day, yet reject the Tradition that goes back to the beginning of Christianity.

As for the rootlessness that has prevailed in many Evangelical settings, it remains the greatest driver for those seeking a firm, unchanging faith—for “the faith once delivered to the saints.” These motives apply especially to those coming to Orthodoxy from Evangelical backgrounds. But there are also other Christians, atheists, non-religious people, and followers of other religions who are drawn by the beauty of Orthodox worship and its sacred arts—iconography and church music—into the spiritual world for which they thirst. Many find in the spirituality of the Orthodox Church both accountability and discipline amid the decadence and compartmentalization of contemporary life.

Social media also plays a large role in introducing American society to Orthodoxy, prompting many to look for the nearest Orthodox church and become acquainted with it.

Because Orthodoxy was, in the past century, a church of ethnic communities, it drew the attention of many non-Orthodox to certain beauties of the cultures Orthodox Christians brought from their countries of origin—family life, hospitality, friendship, community, cuisine, and the like. Many of our priests also observe that Orthodoxy’s resistance to a commercial spirit gives it credibility in a world where faith has become a consumer commodity, while the blood of our many and recent martyrs gives it further credibility. There is no relativism in Orthodoxy, nor populist, emotional mass appeal.

In short, as one of the priests who responded to a survey I circulated put it regarding this century: “The century of the ‘church of immigrants’ has ended; the century of evangelization has begun. Orthodoxy’s mission is no longer primarily geographical (from Antioch to America) but existential.”

The Youth Awakening

Speaking about conversion requires pausing to consider youth. The phenomenon of young people, ages roughly 15-30, coming to Orthodoxy has become very clear in many churches. For example, in New York—where previous waves of conversion were not known—you will find today in our Antiochian cathedral in Brooklyn more than fifty university-age catechumens or very recent converts of every race and religious background—or even of no religious background at all.

It is also notable that many young men with little prior contact with Christianity are drawn to the order, hierarchy, and seriousness they find in Orthodoxy. Young people in general summarize the reason for their choice of Orthodoxy in these words: “We were looking for a real spiritual life, and we found it in Orthodoxy.” Before Orthodoxy became more widely known, many of these same people would leave rationalistic Western Christianity for Eastern religions, seeking that very spirituality in religions like Hinduism and Buddhism—not knowing that authentic spirituality already existed in Eastern Christianity.

Youth admire the authenticity, dignity, and spirituality they find in Orthodoxy. They discover an ascetic and moral seriousness that offers them an alternative to the relativistic, fragmented culture they experience in society. In addition, many young Americans now long for Christian community and seek it in traditional churches. It is no exaggeration to say that mysticism is what most strongly draws them to Orthodoxy: they are captivated by the mystery they experience—whether in the various liturgical services or in the sacred arts such as architecture, icons, and music. Any visitor to Orthodox monasteries in America will notice the abundance of monks and nuns who are themselves young.

Their model is holiness and the Church as a eucharistic communion in which they find the family they have missed. They are tired of ideology; they seek holiness, serious faith, and love. They do not want a faith that is merely reactionary, nor a lax religion. Their seriousness can push them toward rigidity and extremism if they do not have mature and balanced spiritual fathers. The same internet that plays a positive role in introducing them to Orthodoxy also plays a negative role if they encounter rigid and fundamentalist Orthodox preachers. Despite the existence of extremism, they remain in the Church because of the peace they feel there. They accept rules and boundaries that heal them, while at the same time rejecting other rules that they think shackle them and block their freedom. Accompanying these young people shows how great their need is for genuine, pure discipleship.

Difficulties of Converts

Perhaps the first difficulty lies in the lack of follow-up and personal discipleship, which are not always available. Many cradle Orthodox welcome converts joyfully but do not make the required effort to disciple them and provide the spiritual care they need, or they become indifferent to this responsibility and caught up in their own cares.

The truth is that the Orthodox world in general lived for centuries under persecution, which made the preservation of the faith and the continuity of Orthodox existence the priority overshadowing all else. The prohibition of Christian evangelization under threat of death made mission entirely forgotten; thus, many Orthodox lost the experience of dealing with converts, since they were unable to evangelize for centuries and forgot that great task. Their indifference to evangelization was further deepened in America by living for a long time as ethnic-community churches.

From the 1980s onward, they began to see the new conversion movement, which began by the Holy Spirit—not by cradle Orthodox themselves. But the conflation of the social culture they carried from their homelands with their Orthodox faith did not sufficiently equip them to care for new converts and help them acquire the Orthodox mind or phronema.

Here lies perhaps the greatest difficulty converts face. Acquiring the Orthodox way of thinking does not come from books but from life in the Holy Spirit, and this requires long-term rootedness in Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Faith is not an idea but a lived experience of repentance and communion with God. There is a danger that Orthodoxy becomes an ideology. Conversion to Orthodoxy is not so much an event as a journey and a process. Converts need accompaniment after receiving baptism or chrismation.

A decline of zeal is also noticed in some after an initial period of great enthusiasm.

There are cases of extremism and fundamentalism, and a tendency toward narrow legalism and a kind of theological intellectualism here and there.

Many who are coming to the Church today are psychologically, emotionally, or socially wounded, which requires experienced and mature spiritual fathers and mothers. All patristic teaching is based on the Church as a spiritual hospital that heals people from the consequences of their passions. A great task faces Orthodox Christians in America: transforming the Church from a club or religious association into a eucharistic community that heals through the mysteries (sacraments), spiritual care, and love.

It is difficult to form an American Orthodox community because of the dominance of individualism, the reality that believers do not live clustered around the church in one neighborhood, and the drain of human energy from working long hours that leave little room for gatherings outside Sunday. These factors have not yet helped to crystallize an American Orthodoxy. Meanwhile, immigrant believers still mix their social culture with Orthodoxy in ways that do not help converts distinguish what is authentic ecclesial tradition from what is merely social custom.

What makes things harder for converts is that Orthodoxy is a way of life more than a set of doctrinal rules and moral codes. Being thus, it rests on personal discipleship, which itself requires spiritually mature people and serious, patient accompaniment of new believers for a period of time. There is a pressing need here to translate doctrine into pastoral care—another very delicate task. Orthodox ethics are not merely principles and rules but a practical reflection of faith that appears in the believer’s conduct and character.

As I mentioned earlier, alongside the positive face of the internet that introduces many to Orthodoxy, there is a negative face in that people encounter an Orthodoxy that is not always authoritative or theologically sound. The open space allows anyone to speak about anything. Fundamentalism, in its negative, rigid sense, has also increased because of much that is available online—to the point that some have labeled it “internet fundamentalism” and consider it a new heresy.

We must remember that the Church has honored only three saints with the title “Theologian.” As Presbytera Eugenia Constantinou writes in her book Thinking Orthodox: “The Fathers of the Church frequently warned against the practice of dabbling in theology as an occasional pastime, attempting to discuss matters beyond one’s actual abilities. Amazingly, those whom the Fathers were admonishing against theological dabbling were not necessarily people living in the world, with secular careers, jobs, and families, as most dabblers are today. St. Gregory the Theologian sometimes refused to discuss theology with his own bishops! St. Symeon the New Theologian sharply criticized both monks and clergy for discussing theological matters about which they had no real experience. If such warnings can be issued to monks, priests, and bishops, how foolish it is for the rest of us to dabble in theology.”

Impact of the Increasing Influx

Most Orthodox churches in North America have seen increased attendance, especially after the Covid pandemic. Some observers liken this influx to a flood—and the comparison is accurate. I do not visit a parish without meeting catechumens there; in some parishes, they number more than one hundred. This raises a very serious question about the Church’s ability to receive them, form them properly, and provide spiritual accompaniment.

While many long-standing believers see in the converts a source of renewal and vitality—and a spur to discover their own Orthodoxy personally and deeply, not merely as a social religious tradition—many also feel somewhat threatened by the cultural changes occurring in their parish.

Many converts bring energy, zeal, and often deep theological literacy. But their rapid influx brings other problems: lack of space, insufficient catechetical training, increased pressure on priests—some describe themselves as burned out—lack of enough sponsors and lay mentors, and a shortage of authentic, lived Christian education.

There are no serious departments dedicated to preparing new believers, and to accompanying them spiritually as required. Various reasons bring new converts to the Orthodox Church, but rarely is it due to the Church’s deliberate work to introduce them to Orthodoxy. Some inquirers and converts feel alienated because they have not integrated sufficiently into the parish; others do not sustain their initial enthusiasm because they were not spiritually nourished in a way that preserves them; still others cling to their backgrounds in a way that is Orthodox outwardly more than inwardly. In some parishes that do not use English, converts find it very difficult to follow the services.

This influx requires more priests, deacons, and laypeople capable of serving newcomers—and this is precisely what most Orthodox churches lack. There is a growing number of priests exhausted by the increased workload. Even before this influx, we were struggling to recruit enough new priests to replace those who retire. Now the challenge is much greater: we need many more clergy and hundreds more parishes to accommodate all those who wish to join the Orthodox Church. Some of our church buildings are so full on Sundays that they exceed the fire code, and parking lots cannot fit any more cars. How many inquirers have turned around and left because they could not fit into the temple? How many of our existing faithful have been neglected because their priest must now ration his time and pastoral care? And how many clergy marriages and families are strained under this pressure? We must respond to this urgent challenge both prudently and swiftly, recognizing it as not only a problem but also a great opportunity.

Acquiring the Orthodox Mind

Many priests pose the fundamental question: how do we help converts acquire the Orthodox mindset? In baptism they become children of God and receive divine grace, but they need to grow in it. Neither teaching nor immersion alone suffices to acquire this mind. The principal question, therefore, is: what is required of the Church in the face of this influx? This is what I hope we can discuss, so that we may reach a plan or a set of road markers for developing our pastoral and evangelistic service.

Teaching without practice produces converts who are easily fragile. True formation must join both knowledge and lived experience. Attendance at services, fasting, confession, serving others, reading Scripture and the lives of the saints, and having a personal prayer rule under the guidance of a spiritual father—these disciplines must be the foundation of parish life for all the faithful (new and old alike), rather than being replaced by programs or organizational activities.

The most important means is common prayer—frequent services, friendship, and times of instruction. Preparing qualified sponsors among the laity may play a role even more important than a classroom. Formation begins with the priest but does not end with him.

Catechesis, both introductory and specialized, must include all the fields of the Christian faith. In some parishes, dogma is stressed while life and ethics are neglected. The integration of both is essential. It is essential that all the people of God in a parish, together with their priest, take part in serving the converts. This requires planning and vision. Spiritual guidance is decisive: the quality of sponsors and godparents is often the determining factor in whether a convert remains engaged in the Church.

Some Difficulties that Hinder Evangelization

Most churches facing this wave of conversions suffer from a shortage of priests in general, and of priests who are specialized in evangelistic ministry in particular. Budgets sufficient for evangelization are also not available in most parishes. The absence of coordinated planning weakens or slows evangelistic work, since most missions rely on individual effort more than on an organized system. Evangelization departments, where they exist in archdioceses, are still insufficient, and the work remains based on individual rather than collective efforts.

The influx of increasing numbers makes church spaces insufficient and sometimes stirs grumbling among parishioners, which negatively affects newcomers. In this area, some parishes have begun to sponsor new missions that grow out of them, developing over time into independent parishes. The reality is that a healthy mission comes from a healthy parish.

At the same time, there is a danger that we rejoice in numbers and forget that conversion is a lifetime process of repentance, not numerical recruitment. We must be careful lest today’s converts become tomorrow’s apostates.

Useful Matters and General Notes

Many priests agree that providing a warm, family-like pastoral environment strengthens the sense of belonging to the Church as the living Body of Christ. It is also observed that converts grow quickly where they are known by name. Shared meals—especially Middle Eastern cuisine—play an encouraging role in fostering participation in parish life, as do collaborative work inside and outside the church building and praying together. Some parishes that organized a group specifically to welcome newcomers—whether visitors or catechumens—found great success in later receiving them as full parish members.

Forming a personal relationship with newcomers greatly eases their integration, whereas bureaucracy of parish entry discourages the enthusiasm that first drew them to the parish. Orthodoxy is deeply relational—the only true incarnational experience in humanity. If we cannot offer personal relationships that lead others to Christ, then no one can.

Some who labor in this field prefer that the catechumenate not be less than one year, while others suggest two years.

There remains a lack of clarity and consensus about modes of reception, especially given the many variations we encounter among those coming from Protestant churches that either do not recognize baptism, or whose “baptism” occurred in a questionable way, or by so-called pseudo-churches.

There is a great need for pastoral and spiritual guidance training. Orthodoxy is not only a system of doctrinal ideology but a doctrine incarnated in life. Priests working in evangelization need support, opportunities for mutual learning, and spiritual gatherings specific to them. Catechumens and new converts need regional spiritual retreats that help them enter the heart of Orthodoxy.

It goes without saying that we must use the language spoken by the catechumens. Generally, this is English, but we have begun to need Spanish as well, with some inquirers either coming from Latin America or who need catechetical and liturgical materials in their native tongue to better understand Orthodoxy. There is also a growing need to minister intentionally to the African-American faithful and catechumens now increasingly present in our communities. In several parishes, there is an urgent need for balance in the use of languages, especially since the stream of migrants from other countries will never cease.

There is a great opportunity before the Orthodox Church in this evangelistic century. Converts are the first fruits of a broader evangelistic awakening. We need to receive them and prepare them well, and to strive to create an American Orthodoxy capable of taking root in a society to which Orthodoxy is not historically accustomed. This historic opportunity now places before the Orthodox Church a very sensitive task, confronting essential questions such as:

• How do we respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in creating a contemporary Orthodox culture able to communicate with, interact with, and influence modern Western societies?
• How can we protect Orthodox people in America from the policies of some Orthodox churches which, sadly, are currently in conflict among themselves?
• How can we—drawing on our rich theological, spiritual, and witness-bearing heritage—build an Orthodox testimony that begins with the needs of the American society in which we live, without denying our mother churches, especially those still undergoing tribulation and persecution?
• In the face of the spread of worldliness into the fabric of daily life, and American society’s turning away from its early Christian roots, how can we benefit from the experience of ongoing persecution in some of our mother churches to strengthen our Christian witness in the present age?

Conclusion

There is much to be said about contemporary conversion, and it needs extensive study, but reality places this challenge directly before us today, as those entrusted with shepherding the flock of Christ. It is a responsibility before God and history. We must cooperate so that each of us may be strengthened to fulfill it in the best possible way.

The hardships of history forced us, as Orthodox, to forget the basic commandment: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all people” (Mark 16:15). But the Holy Spirit reminds us today that, in this blessed land, we now have the freedom and the means to accomplish what the Lord asked of us—what centuries of persecution prevented us from doing.

“Behold, now is the acceptable time,” (2 Cor. 6:2) says St. Paul. Let us not squander this moment of grace.