A man becomes an Orthodox priest through a process of discernment with his bishop, theological formation, and ordination through the Mystery of Holy Orders. It’s not a career choice you make on your own. It’s a calling the Church confirms.
Let me walk you through how this actually works.
The Bishop Chooses You
Here’s the first thing that surprises people coming from Protestant backgrounds: you can’t just decide to become a priest and sign up for seminary. The process starts with your parish priest and ends with your bishop’s decision. You might feel called to priesthood, but the Church has to recognize that calling. Your priest watches how you serve, how you pray, whether your family life is stable. He’s looking for spiritual maturity, not just enthusiasm.
If your priest thinks you might be suitable, he’ll talk with you about it. Probably over coffee, not in some formal interview. He’ll ask about your prayer life, your marriage if you’re married, what draws you to this. He’ll be honest about the challenges. Then, if he agrees you should pursue this, he’ll help you approach the bishop.
The bishop has the final say. Always. He’ll interview you, meet your wife if you’re married, review your background. He might say yes. He might say not yet. He might say no. This isn’t a democracy, and that’s actually a mercy because it means you’re not carrying this decision alone.
Marriage Matters
If you’re going to be a married priest, you have to be married before ordination. Period. Once you’re ordained, that door closes. You can’t marry or remarry after ordination. This is ancient Church practice, going back to the apostles.
Bishops, on the other hand, are chosen from celibate clergy, usually monks. So the path splits early. Married priesthood or celibate priesthood leading possibly to the episcopate. Both are honored. Neither is “better.” They’re different callings.
Your wife’s on board or this doesn’t happen. The bishop will want to meet her because he’s not just ordaining you, he’s bringing your whole family into a particular kind of life. Matushka (that’s what we call a priest’s wife in many Orthodox parishes) isn’t a job title, but it’s definitely a reality. She needs to know what she’s signing up for.
Formation Takes Time
Once the bishop blesses you to pursue ordination, you’ll need theological formation. In the Antiochian Archdiocese, that usually means the Antiochian House of Studies or one of the Orthodox seminaries, St. Vladimir’s in New York, Holy Cross in Boston, St. Tikhon’s in Pennsylvania. Some men do a Master of Divinity. Others do a Master of Theological Studies or a certificate program, depending on their situation and the bishop’s direction.
But it’s not just academics. You’ll also serve an apprenticeship under an experienced priest. This is the old way, learning by doing, by watching, by serving at the altar as a reader or subdeacon. You learn how to hear confessions, how to counsel someone whose marriage is falling apart, how to serve Liturgy when you’re exhausted from working night shift at the plant. The books teach you theology. The apprenticeship teaches you priesthood.
This takes years. Not months. If you’re working full-time in Beaumont, supporting a family, you might do the House of Studies part-time while serving in your parish. It’s not quick. Formation shouldn’t be.
You’ll also go through background checks and psychological evaluation. The Church takes safeguarding seriously. This isn’t about suspicion, it’s about responsibility.
Ordination Itself
When the bishop decides you’re ready, he’ll ordain you. First to the diaconate, then later to the priesthood. These are separate ordinations, separate Mysteries.
The ordination happens during the Divine Liturgy. You’re led to the altar. The bishop examines you in front of the whole congregation, asking if you believe the faith, if you’re being forced into this, if you’re free from impediments. You answer. Then you kneel, the bishop lays his hands on your head, and he prays the prayer of ordination, calling down the Holy Spirit.
Something happens in that moment. We believe this is a sacrament, a Mystery. You’re changed. Not in some magical way, but really changed. You receive grace for the work you’re being given. The congregation sings “Axios!”, “He is worthy!” They’re confirming the choice.
After you’re vested, you serve your first Liturgy as a deacon or priest. It’s overwhelming. I’ve seen grown men weep.
This Isn’t Protestant Ministry
If you grew up Baptist or non-denominational, this probably sounds foreign. Many Protestant churches hire a pastor like you’d hire any professional, résumé, interview, vote by the congregation. The Orthodox Church doesn’t work that way. Ordination isn’t a job. It’s a sacramental reality. You’re not hired, you’re ordained. You’re not an employee, you’re a priest. The relationship is with your bishop, not a board of elders.
And it’s not about preaching primarily, though priests do preach. It’s about the Eucharist. The center of a priest’s life is standing at the altar, offering the Bloodless Sacrifice, feeding the people with Christ’s Body and Blood. Everything else flows from that.
It’s also not like Catholic priesthood, though it’s closer. We have married priests. We don’t answer to Rome. Our bishops govern together, not under a pope. But we share the same understanding that ordination is a sacrament, that priesthood is ontological, that apostolic succession matters.
What If You Think You’re Called?
Talk to your priest. That’s step one. Be honest. Tell him what you’re sensing, what draws you, what scares you. Let him guide you. He might encourage you. He might tell you to wait. He might redirect you to another form of service.
Don’t rush this. The Church has been ordaining priests for two thousand years. She knows what she’s doing. Trust the process, even when it’s slow. Especially when it’s slow.
St. John Chrysostom wrote a whole book about the priesthood and how terrifying it is, how weighty. He actually ran away when they tried to make him a priest. Eventually he accepted, and he became one of the greatest bishops in Church history. But his hesitation was holy. This isn’t something to pursue lightly.
If God is calling you and the Church confirms it, the path will open. If not, there are a thousand other ways to serve. The Church needs faithful laymen just as much as she needs priests. Maybe more.
