Hello. This blog is a collection of correspondence begun on October 27, 2011, with my family on the subject of my impending conversion from Protestant Christianity to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. I have been a Protestant for my entire life (about 35 years), but for the last two or three years have been intensely studying Orthodoxy. I recently started the process of informing my family.
I decided to post the letters for a few reasons. I suspect that the issues I’m dealing with are fairly universal to converting Protestants. You might find them helpful if you are thinking about Orthodoxy, someone you know is converting and you want to know more and why, or you are converting and want to have some help in letting your family know. You can feel free to take these letters and use them for your own personal correspondence, modified appropriately. They took a lot of time and personal research to write, and while not perfect I’m sure, they might save others some time.
The letters are a mixture of personal reflection and thoughts, and the combined reflections of others much smarter and more versed in the issues than myself. Since they are personal letters I didn’t spend a lot of time giving attribution for every person who unknowingly contributed material, but if I quoted anyone verbatim I tried to give attribution.
My family is all protestant, and more particularly that brand of Protestantism known as charismatic. My dad and my mom were both raised in the denomination known as the Assemblies of God. After marriage they intended to become missionaries, but for various reasons my dad became a pastor instead. Growing up my dad was the only pastor I ever had. He and my mom were my teachers and my examples. They did a great job, and myself and my two sisters became and remain Christians to this day. My parents did finally get to fulfill their desire to be missionaries for a few years, but health issues interfered and they came home and finally retired from full-time Christian work a few years ago. I am eternally indebted and grateful to what my parents did for me.
One of my sister serves with her husband as music ministers in a very large Assemblies of God church on the east coast. The other attends a Four Square church in the same town where I live, which is very similar to the A/G. I have an uncle who’s an A/G pastor, and two cousins who are missionaries. My family is full on both sides of deeply committed Christians, most of whom are charismatic.
I hope these ongoing letters are a help to others who may be on the same path. Feel free to contact me if you want help with any issues.
Letters on Orthodoxy 
Best wishes to you on your new path. I was brought up an atheist, but was always secretly attracted to religion. When I was in my thirties, I joined a liberal Protestant church: I attended for many years but eventually something seemed to be missing.
I first learnt about Orthodoxy from reading about it and I was immediately attracted. I attended for several months, then converted in 2005. It feels like home.
Thanks so much Anne. It really does help me to here from people who made this journey first and found it worth the sacrifice. That inspires confidence!
Thank you so much for sharing this! My husband and I are “on the path” to Orthodoxy as well, and I grew up with a retired minister father in the A/G church. My dad has since passed on, but I have been having trouble figuring out how to “break the news” to my mom, and your story/correspondence is such an inspiration and encouragement to me.
Christ is Risen!
Thanks Orlia! I appreciate it when others let me know how this is helping them. Some of my conversation with my family has taken other means lately, so my letters have slowed down, but it’s not over! There will be more. It seems that there’s a natural ebb and flow of discovery in Orthodoxy, and my family is doing more research and getting some necessary framework needed for taking the conversation onward. One thing I’ve found is that breaking the news to family has been less scary than I originally anticipated. I trust yours will be the same. God bless your journey!