Conversions to Orthodoxy


Over the last few decades and particularly in the last twenty years the Orthodox Church has witnessed a joyous phenomenon, which must be attributed primarily to God's grace, which “cures all that is ailing” and “replenishes all that is missing”. In worldly terms, however, it is mainly due to the freedom of information and cultural communication, resulting from the worldwide spread and projection of the treasures of the Eastern, Catholic, Orthodox Church and spiritual, theological and artistic treasures, etc. This phenomenon is the conversion of individuals, quite often of prominent people, or even whole communities from heterodoxy to the―unchanging through the centuries―Orthodoxy, of the holy Prophets, Apostles, Fathers, Confessors and Saints.              

The webpage of the Holy Monastery of Pantocrator presents an anthology of such stories of conversions to Orthodoxy, both from Roman-catholicism and Protestantism. In addition to the substantial proportions of this phenomenon of conversion to Orthodoxy—when at the same time Western Christianity is experiencing mass withdrawals of its faithful from its ranks, especially towards the subculture of New Age—the following is also quite characteristic: those who turn to Orthodoxy from Western Christianity can, as a rule of thumb, provide factual historical and theological reasons for this decision of theirs, which is not the choosing of just a “more traditional culture”, but of the only truth for salvation and communion in God with the Holy Trinity. According to the testimonies of converts, turning towards the traditional Eastern Church is not easy. Nor is it always full of joy—from the worldly point of view—and laurel crowns, but it is certainly a matter of obedience towards Christ, Who calls to become members of His Body the truthful and impartial seekers of truth, who “for the sake of the words of His lips, have kept the ways that are hard” and “Thou didst bring us out into refreshment” (Psalms 16:4[17:4] & 65:12[66:12]), a refreshment “with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).              


In the Church of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Odigitria of Gonia in Kisamos Kolimvari... (18/9/2013)
Press announcement by the Holy Monastery of the Pantocrator... (23/10/2012)
This story tells how a Roman Catholic nun discovered the fullness of the Truth in the Orthodox Church... (9/24/09)
The conversion of George Lesier to Orthodoxy. (5/17/08)
On Saturday 8-8-2009, at the Holy Monastery of Dohiariou at the Holy Mountain... (8/13/09)



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