Journey Stories

My wife Tammy says that through our life together, I have never surprised her until the day she (gently and with trepidation) broke the news to me: She and my son Taran had determined that the Orthodox Church had the best, deepest and truest theology. They had found a local church that seemed—from its website!—welcoming, and they were going to approach the priest (Fr. Theodore) to learn more. I shocked her by offering no argument, and telling her I wanted to go, too! She was amazed! So let me ... [Read more]

As a child I grew up in a Christian household and attended many different parishes from Methodist to Catholic, but primarily non-denominational. In high school I had the desire to become a missionary, which led me to Nepal when I was twenty. I was there for almost three months and I worked at a hospital, led a children's Bible school at church, and helped an American missionary family who lived there. As much as I fell in love with the humanitarian side of things, I also left the country with ... [Read more]

Before becoming Orthodox, I was a Protestant Christian my entire life. I was not raised in a family where we necessarily went to church every Sunday, but I was always a part of the Christian faith. I attended a Methodist church as a kid and went to many different VBS camps growing up. I moved to Oregon City when I was entering 8th grade and eventually made friends who attended an Evangelical church, which I attended throughout high school. After high school, I started attending a ... [Read more]

I was raised in a Protestant Christian home by wonderful God-fearing parents (who are now Orthodox too)! Growing up, I attended a non-denominational Bible study where the theology was primarily Baptist. I remember attending church for most of my childhood and enjoyed studying the Bible. When I was a very young child, I remember praying the “printed prayer.” I distinctly remember feeling like there was still something missing from my understanding of the faith and as I grew older, my feelings ... [Read more]

Like all the amazing stories that fill this page mine is yet another that displays the miraculous providence of God. I was raised in the Episcopal church as a child and, after my family stopped attending church, I was taken to Southern Baptist church by neighbors who were concerned for my spiritual well-being. I wandered aimlessly through adolescence from a spiritual standpoint always believing in God and trying to look good to others from a worldly standpoint but not really connected to ... [Read more]

I grew up nondenominational Protestant, attending Baptist, Evangelical, Assembly of God, and Foursquare churches, along with Christian schools. There was an emphasis on Bible study, avoiding sin, politics, evangelizing, and the end times. To me, this was authentic Christianity. I thought of “being saved” by “asking Jesus into my heart” as a one-time event, and I struggled with doubt, wondering if I had prayed the “sinner’s prayer” sincerely enough. After moving away to college, I stopped ... [Read more]

I grew up in a Protestant home, attending a variety of different denominations, but feeling most at home in the moderately charismatic Foursquare denomination. I felt like my faith was pretty solid until tragedy hit my family: my youngest sibling passing at 13. I was angry at God and pushed Him away. However after some years, I came to the conclusion that I needed God whether I liked Him much or not. When I met my husband John, he helped me work through that. After John and I got married, John ... [Read more]

Coming to Orthodoxy was like death by 1,000 papercuts (or like life, in this case!): there wasn’t just one pivotal moment or fact, but many small things over time. The Bible says we will experience trials and tribulations in life, and in 2010, our family received our fair share (cancer, death, and divorces). By the end of that year, I was left feeling sorrowful and lost as pieces of my world view began to fall apart. Also, at the end of that year, my brother, Eric Clary, came to live with me and ... [Read more]

My first obstacle was accepting that God was something to consider. Growing up agnostic in a small Missouri farming town and going to a Baptist Sunday School on occasion, I was left with the idea that church was free daycare and a school for morals. I gave next to no thought to God—that is until I had what could be called a mental break at 24. I spent my free time playing in a band and living a lifestyle reflective of that choice. I set myself up to have an early existential crisis, wondering ... [Read more]