Your bishop decides. That’s the short answer. But there’s a lot more going on behind that decision than you might think.
The Orthodox Church has three ways to receive people into full communion. Baptism (for those never validly baptized), chrismation (anointing with holy oil for those already baptized in a Trinitarian church), and confession (for Orthodox Christians who’ve lapsed and want to return). If you’re coming from a Baptist church in Beaumont or a Catholic parish in Port Arthur, you’re probably going to be received by chrismation. But it’s not automatic.
Here’s what happens. When someone wants to become Orthodox, their priest evaluates their background. Were you baptized? Was it done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Was water actually used? These aren’t trick questions. Most Christian baptisms in mainstream churches are valid. The form matters because baptism isn’t something we invented, it’s what Christ commanded and the apostles practiced. If you were baptized at First Baptist with the Trinitarian formula, that baptism happened. The Church doesn’t redo it.
But baptism alone doesn’t make you Orthodox. It makes you Christian. Chrismation completes what was begun in baptism and brings you into the fullness of the Orthodox faith. Think of it like this: you were born, but now you’re being adopted into a family. The birth was real. The adoption is also real.
When Economia Comes In
Orthodox bishops operate with something called economia. It’s pastoral discretion. The opposite is akribeia, which means strict application of the rules. Economia lets a bishop look at your particular situation and make a merciful decision that serves your salvation. It’s not about being lax or making things easy. It’s about wisdom.
So your bishop might receive most Protestants by chrismation because their Trinitarian baptism is valid. But he might require baptism for someone coming from a group that doesn’t baptize in the Trinity’s name (like Oneness Pentecostals or Jehovah’s Witnesses). Those baptisms aren’t valid because they’re not Christian baptisms in the historic sense. The form matters because the reality matters.
Sometimes a bishop will require baptism even when the prior baptism was technically Trinitarian. Maybe there’s serious doubt about how it was done. Maybe the person was baptized in a schismatic group with such defective theology that the sacramental intent was compromised. These are judgment calls. That’s why we have bishops.
The Antiochian Archdiocese generally follows the principle that if your baptism was done with water, in the Trinitarian formula, by someone acting as a minister of a Christian community, it counts. You’ll be received by chrismation after a period of instruction. You’ll renounce your former errors, confess the Orthodox faith, and be anointed with holy chrism. Then you’ll receive communion for the first time as an Orthodox Christian.
Why It’s Not the Same Everywhere
Walk into a Greek parish, an OCA parish, and an Antiochian parish with the same background, and you’ll probably be received the same way. But not always. Some jurisdictions are stricter. Some Russian churches outside Russia baptize everyone regardless of background. Some Old Calendar groups do the same. They’re applying akribeia, the strict rule, rather than economia.
This isn’t about one group being more Orthodox than another. It’s about how bishops apply the canons in their pastoral care. The canons themselves show flexibility. The Second Ecumenical Council said to receive some heretics by chrismation. Other councils said to baptize them. The Church has always had this tension between strictness and mercy, and she’s never resolved it with a single universal rule that covers every case.
What matters for you as an inquirer is that your priest will work with your bishop to determine the right path. You don’t get to choose. This isn’t about your preference or comfort level. It’s about how the Church receives you according to her wisdom and tradition.
If you’re coming from a Catholic background, reception by chrismation is standard. Catholics have valid sacraments, we just believe they’re cut off from the fullness of the Church. If you’re coming from a Methodist or Presbyterian or Lutheran background, same thing. Most Baptists too, even though some Orthodox get nervous about Baptist theology of baptism. The form was right even if the theology around it was incomplete.
But if you were never baptized, or if you were “baptized” in a way that wasn’t actually baptism, you’ll go through the full process. Baptism, chrismation, and first communion all in one service. It’s how the Church has always made Christians.
Your priest will guide you through this. He’ll ask about your background, explain what the Church requires, and present your case to the bishop if there’s any question. Trust the process. The Church has been receiving converts for two thousand years. She knows what she’s doing.
