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Becoming an Orthodox Christian is not primarily about assenting to a set of doctrinal propositions, joining a particular institution, or adopting certain cultural practices, but rather embracing a relationship with God, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, in the fellowship of a worshipping community. Initiation into life in Christ in the Orthodox Church takes place after a period of inquiry and instruction, initial formation for the spiritual life, and communal discernment.
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Inquiry
If you are interested in becoming an Orthodox Christian, you should first begin to attend church regularly. The liturgy is the ordinary mode of spiritual formation. Orthodox Christians should—at a minimum—attend church every Sunday, on all great feast days, and throughout the Great Fast and Holy Week. Those seriously committed to life in Christ will strive to attend all the services that are offered, including the vigil on Saturday evenings and the eve of feasts.
Secondly, you should make yourself known to the priest as an inquirer. He will want to learn something about your background, interests, and inclinations. You should be prepared to discuss what has brought you to this moment and how your life is ordered. You should also get to know members of the community. Take the opportunity to make new friends, spend time with people outside church, and ask about the life and experiences of the people you meet.
During the inquiry phase, you should begin to inform yourself about the foundational content of Orthodox teaching and practice. You must read at least the following three books:
John Behr, Becoming Human (2013)*
Hilarion Alfeyev, Catechism: A Short Guide to Orthodox Christianity (2024)*
Thomas Hopko, The Orthodox Faith, Vol. 2: Worship (2016)**
[*copies are available to buy/borrow from our church; ** available here for free]
Of course, the more you learn, the better. You may wish to look into Orthodox theology more deeply, review some church history, familiarise yourself with the structure of the services, and explore the lives of the saints. The priest will be happy to answer questions and direct you to reliable resources, but you should expect to undertake a reasonable amount of self-education.
Caution must be exercised with regard to online content, especially when it is produced by so-called ‘influencers.’ As an inquirer, you probably lack the knowledge and experience to be able to discern between high-quality content and click-bait. Many content creators are themselves not members of the Orthodox Church (even some who appear as clergy), lack serious education, misrepresent the tradition as a whole, or promote a dangerous guruism.
If your church attendance is erratic, the priest will likely consider that serious inquiry has not yet begun. Furthermore, if you belong to another Christian community, you must decide between it and the Orthodox Church during the inquiry phase. You cannot advance beyond initial inquiry while you remain committed to another tradition or continue to worship regularly in a non-Orthodox community.
The inquiry phase lasts as long as necessary but typically not less than six months. Even if you have already done a lot of reading, listened to many podcasts, or watched many videos before you come to church for the first time, you will still need to spend at least six months regularly attending church and getting to know the community before you can progress to the next stage.
Instruction
After the inquiry phase, if you are certain that you wish to become an Orthodox Christian, you will be formally enrolled as a catechumen (‘one under instruction’). From this moment, you are committed to joining the church. If you choose not to proceed, you remain (in the eyes of the church) a catechumen, but one who has lapsed. In antiquity, the catechumenate often lasted three years or more. Today, a catechumenate of one year (including the inquiry phase) is more typical. In any case, the priest, acting in the name of the wider community, determines when you are ready to proceed to initiation.
Throughout your catechumenate, you must continue to attend church regularly and develop a rule of prayer under the guidance of the priest. Catechumens are also required to undertake a program of formal instruction (catechesis). This is not intended to teach basic information about the Orthodox tradition—this should have been acquired during the inquiry phase. Rather, catechesis strives to induct those under instruction into life in Christ. It relates the teachings and practices of the church to the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ and shows how our way of life leads one personally into this mystery.
In our parish, a catechetical program is currently offered once a year, beginning in October. It lasts 12 weeks and includes weekly evening meetings online and some Saturday study afternoons in person. Each session includes some preparatory reading. Since the program is currently offered only once a year (for practical reasons), it may be possible to begin during the inquiry phase, with the blessing of the priest; however, this will not shorten the total time needed to prepare for initiation.
During your catechumenate, you should begin (if you have not already done so) to contribute to the common life of the community, offering whatever resources you have available to you. This will usually include not only a financial pledge towards the community’s costs (such as rent) but also the contribution of talents (such as musical ability, hospitality, etc.). The church is not a professional agency providing services to consumers; all members must contribute to the upbuilding of its life.
Initiation
Initiation into the church takes place through a series of rites culminating in baptism (immersion in water) and chrismation (anointing with oil). In some cases, initiation begun in another Christian community through baptism may be completed in the Orthodox Church through chrismation alone. You will then receive the Holy Gifts at the Divine Liturgy for the first time. From this moment, you are a full member of the church, with all privileges and obligations.
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