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My Orthodox Testimony

I was raised in an Assemblies of God (Evangelical Pentecostal) church and family. I was very aware of differing opinions on certain topics, and that many people on both sides loved God, read their Bibles, and still came to different final conclusions.

• Pre-/Mid-/Post-Tribulation Rapture
• Once Saved Always Saved vs. being able to backslide
• Speaking in Tongues vs. Gifts of the Spirit are dead

I went to an A/G college to become a missionary, but changed my major after taking most of my theology and missions classes. I feel that I have a pretty good grasp of what the A/G believes and teaches its up and coming new preachers, missionaries, evangelists, and such. Basically, I realized I don't agree with the Assemblies of God on two of their major distinctives: I don't believe that anyone can know whether there will be a pre- or post-tribulation rapture, but the A/G requires pastors and missionaries and such to say they believe in and teach about a pre-trib rapture. I also don't believe that the only visible sign that someone has been filled/baptized with the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. It is one gift of the Holy Spirit, and evidence of any gifts in a person's life indicates to me that they have the Holy Spirit. Again, however, in the A/G people are told they do not have a baptism of the HS if they haven't spoken in tongues. I disagree with that undue pressure on people to perform in a certain way in order to reach the "higher level" of their faith that's touted before them as what everyone should reach. :(

We stayed in an A/G church, however, because we were pregnant and then raising our daughter, and we didn't know where else to go. So for about 3 years or so, we were in church, but not terribly comfortable, even though I can honestly say that we tried to fit in and do what was being taught at our church.

I found out about the Eastern Orthodox Church through ladies who were at one time on a message board for Christian mothers who wanted to parent gently. In talking about grace shown to our kids and how that was influenced by the theological leanings of our churches, I was amazed at what the Orthodox ladies were saying about grace in their churches. I was also very impressed with the humility I was in those ladies, who would often ask for forgiveness *just in case* someone was offended. There was more, but I think it's hard for me to put into words--just that their overall presentation of themselves was with deep humility.

I started asking questions, but then there was the "Great Crash." For whatever reason, a lot of the Orthodox (and Catholic?) mamas were asked to leave or at the very least made to feel so uncomfortable that they left, feeling driven out. Then the whole board crashed and had to be rebuilt. When it came back, I couldn't find those ladies, and I had to figure out a way to contact them. I searched blogs and started sending e-mails and people started responding to me. Eventually, after many conversations, one of the ladies helped me find the church close to me, and I went and visited.

Around this time, my family was going through the crisis of my father's Alzheimer's diagnosis....

More than ever before, I felt the need to have a ruler or guide for figuring out just what the Bible says. There's no way that the Bible really says one thing to one person and a completely opposite thing to another person, or if it does, then it's not what I ever thought it was. How are we supposed to read the Bible and find out for ourselves what it means, when we're fallible human beings and we all mess up?

As I was investigating the Eastern Orthodox Church and the doctrines that seemed "out there" based on my upbringing, I started to find what I was looking for. I found that ruler.

Because the EOC is 2000 years old, goes back to the original Apostles, and has an unbroken line traceable back to the Apostles (my priest was ordained by a priest who was ordained by a priest who was ordained by a priest....who was ordained by one of the original Twelve), there is more than just what someone teaches is doctrine. There a continuity in consensus of faith. The EOC doesn't teach new things--it only teaches what the Church has always believed. It's comforting for me to know that the Early Church believed something, because then I can believe it, too. Also, I found out that the Church predates the Bible as we know it. That made a big difference in how I understand Scripture. Being released from Sola Scriptura, which includes by default that I have to read and figure it out for myself or trust my preacher or teacher who has done the reading and the figuring out, made all the difference. That doesn't mean that I'm not still supposed to read my own Bible, but it does mean that when I do, I'm not supposed to be looking for some new interpretation of it. I don't have to figure it out for myself, and it shouldn't say anything to me that it didn't already say to the Early Church. (Something I just read recently that explains the process of canonization can be found here: The Three Old Testaments.)

I continued to research Orthodox theology and doctrine, and at first I was comparing everything to the A/G statement of faith to see where it differed. I knew that I found Christ in the A/G, so it was a good place for me to start. But eventually, I started going to the Nicene Creed, because that’s a summary of what the Early Church believed and what the Eastern Orthodox Church of today still believes…has always believed. When I realized that I had made the switch from using the A/G statement of faith as the measuring stick to using the EOC Nicene Creed as the measuring stick, I realized that I was ready. I still had some issues, but I was at the point to where I could discuss those with my priest or with my Orthodox friends and figure them out.

I fought against converting pretty hard, just because of all the negative sentiment from family and church growing up, all the anti-Catholic stuff that I knew would be the same for the EOC, if only anyone knew it existed. I wanted to find the secret doctrine that would allow me to discount the whole thing. Finally, I talked with one friend about it, and he reminded me that the EOC doesn’t have secret doctrines. Everything is summed up in the Nicene Creed, which is still held on to by other Protestant churches as a symbol of faith, and which is not secret. Moder authors publish, the original works by the Early Church Fathers (theologians who fought for fundamental doctrines like the Trinity and the Dual Nature of Christ) are reprinted regularly, and there are blogs and websites and Q/A sites for people to ask questions and receive answers. Just because the EOC isn’t out knocking on doors trying to convert people doesn’t mean they’re not open to anyone who wants to find out more.

Finally, I felt that I had reached the end of my search. I might not have a grasp of everything that the EOC teaches, but I did trust that the Church has been guided and protected by the Holy Spirit. I trust that the consensus of faith won’t lead me into dangerous false gospels, but rather, will keep me in the center of truth. The last step was figuring out whether my husband agreed. His journey was different than mine, and it’s also not mine to tell, but the summary is that he also found peace in the Orthodox Church, and so our little family all converted together, our daughter being baptized and my husband and I being chrismated (because we’d already been baptized). You can find out about that process by going to Tamara's Camera, and in the top right corner, clicking on “Chrismation/Baptism.” The fact that we were in unity on the decision to join the Orthodox Church meant so much towards confirming my conviction.

I have never been more sure of anything regarding my faith than I am that the Eastern Orthodox Church is the right place for me.

(This in response to a private message asking me what led me to Orthodoxy.)

Wow!

I feel loved!

It's great to be married to someone who knows how to do that well.