Yes, almost certainly. Chrismation is how you’ll become Orthodox.
Chrismation is the mystery (what some call a sacrament) where you’re anointed with holy oil and receive the Holy Spirit. The priest makes the sign of the cross on your forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, hands, and feet with holy chrism, saying each time: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It’s your personal Pentecost. Without it, you can’t receive communion and you’re not yet a full member of the Church.
If you were baptized somewhere else
Here’s what matters: were you baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If yes, you’ll probably be received by chrismation alone. If no, or if there’s real doubt about it, you’ll be baptized and then immediately chrismated.
Most Protestants in Southeast Texas were baptized with the Trinitarian formula. Baptists use it. Methodists use it. Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans all use it. Catholics definitely use it. So if you were dunked at First Baptist when you were twelve, or sprinkled as a baby at St. Anne’s, that baptism counts. We don’t repeat it. We complete it through chrismation.
But you need to prove it. Bring your baptismal certificate when you talk to Fr. Michael or whichever priest you’re working with. If you can’t find one, the parish where you were baptized can usually issue a new copy. If there’s absolutely no documentation and no way to verify it, your priest will work with you to figure out the best path forward.
Some groups don’t baptize in the Trinitarian formula. Oneness Pentecostals baptize “in Jesus’ name” only. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons have their own non-Trinitarian formulas. If that’s your background, you’ll be baptized Orthodox. There’s no way around it because what happened before wasn’t Christian baptism as the Church has always understood it.
Why chrismation and not just baptism?
Because baptism and chrismation go together. They’re two parts of one initiation into Christ. Baptism is your death and resurrection with Jesus, your cleansing, your new birth. Chrismation is receiving the Holy Spirit to live that new life. In the Orthodox Church, we’ve never separated them. When we baptize an infant, we chrismate that infant five minutes later and then give the baby communion. Adults coming into the Church follow the same pattern, whether they’re baptized Orthodox or received by chrismation alone.
This is different from what you might’ve experienced. If you grew up Baptist, you probably got baptized when you made a decision for Christ, but nobody anointed you with oil afterward. If you grew up Catholic, you were baptized as a baby and then confirmed years later as a teenager. We do it all at once because that’s how the early Church did it, and we see no reason the Holy Spirit should have to wait until you’re in eighth grade.
What about Catholics specifically?
Catholics are usually received by chrismation. The Catholic Church has valid sacraments and apostolic succession, even though we’re not in communion with Rome. So we recognize Catholic baptism without question. You’ll be chrismated, you’ll make a profession of faith (including renouncing the errors Rome has added, like papal infallibility and the filioque), and then you’ll receive communion.
Some Orthodox jurisdictions receive Catholics by confession alone, without chrismation. The Antiochian Archdiocese doesn’t typically do this. You’ll be chrismated. Don’t worry about what that means about your previous confirmation. We’re not saying it was invalid. We’re saying chrismation is how you enter the Orthodox Church, period.
The practical timeline
You won’t be chrismated your first Sunday. There’s a process called the catechumenate where you learn the faith, attend services, meet with the priest, and get a sponsor (like a godparent). This takes months, sometimes a year or more. It’s not a hoop to jump through. It’s preparation for something serious.
When your priest and the bishop decide you’re ready, you’ll be chrismated during the Divine Liturgy. You’ll wear white if you’re being baptized, or just nice clothes if you’re being received by chrismation alone. Your sponsor stands with you. The priest anoints you. And then, finally, you receive communion for the first time as an Orthodox Christian.
That’s the moment everything you’ve been learning and waiting for becomes real. You’re sealed with the Spirit. You’re home.
If you’re just starting to explore Orthodoxy and this all sounds overwhelming, that’s normal. Start by visiting a service at St. Michael’s or another Antiochian parish near you. Talk to the priest. Bring your questions and whatever documentation you have about your baptism. He’ll walk you through what happens next. The Church has been receiving converts for two thousand years. We know how to do this.
