You’ll know over time, not in a moment. This isn’t a decision you make once, it’s a transformation you live into through worship, prayer, and patient discernment with a priest.
Most people who end up Orthodox don’t figure it out by reading alone. They come to Divine Liturgy. They keep coming. Something in the worship pulls them back, week after week, until they realize they can’t imagine being anywhere else. That persistent hunger for the Liturgy, for the Eucharist, for the Church’s sacramental life, that’s often the first real sign.
But feelings aren’t enough on their own.
The beauty of Orthodox worship can be overwhelming. The incense, the icons, the ancient prayers, it’s easy to fall in love with the aesthetics. Some people are drawn by the theology, the Church Fathers, the intellectual richness. Others come because they’re exhausted by the shallowness they’ve experienced elsewhere. All of these attractions are fine starting points. They’re just not the finish line.
The OCA puts it plainly: conversion involves “a change or transformation in vision, direction and heart, one rooted in repentance and the acknowledgement of Our Lord as the God-man Jesus Christ.” You’re looking for something deeper than agreement with ideas or appreciation for beauty. You’re looking for a change in how you see, where you’re headed, what you love.
Time Is Part of the Answer
Orthodox priests won’t rush you. In fact, they’ll probably slow you down if you try to rush yourself.
The typical path looks like this: you attend services for a few months as an inquirer. You talk with the priest. If both of you sense you’re being called forward, you become a catechumen, someone formally preparing for baptism or reception into the Church. That catechumenate might last six months. It might last two years. The Church has been here for two thousand years. She’s not in a hurry.
One Antiochian-style parish guide compares the catechumenate to engagement. You’re preparing for something permanent. You’re being tested, and you’re testing whether this is truly where God is calling you. The priest is watching to see if you’re serious. You’re watching to see if you can actually live this life.
During that time, you’ll attend Liturgy regularly. You’ll learn to fast. You’ll go to confession. You’ll read the Fathers. You’ll pray the prayers of the Church. And you’ll notice whether your life is actually changing. Are you becoming more patient, more humble, more aware of your sins? Do you find yourself longing for communion with Christ in His Church, or are you just enjoying the aesthetics?
The difference matters.
What About Doubts?
You’ll have them. Everyone does.
Maybe you’re worried about what your Baptist parents will think. Maybe you’re not sure you can handle fasting. Maybe the theology of the Theotokos still feels strange, or you can’t quite wrap your mind around venerating icons. Maybe you wonder if you’re just running away from a bad experience at your old church rather than running toward something true.
Bring all of it to your priest. That’s what he’s there for. The inquiry period exists precisely so you can ask hard questions, voice concerns, and work through doubts in a pastoral setting. If your family is upset, your priest can help you navigate that. If you’re confused about a teaching, he’ll explain it or point you to the right resources. If you’re not sure your motives are pure, he’ll help you examine your heart.
St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Alaska describes the catechumenate as a time of “both preparation and testing.” You’re not expected to have everything figured out before you start. You’re expected to be honest about where you are and willing to let God work on you.
Signs You’re Being Called
Here’s what Orthodox teachers point to as evidence of a genuine call:
You keep showing up. Not just when it’s convenient or when you feel like it, but steadily, even when you’re tired or distracted or the Liturgy is long and you don’t understand half of it yet.
You want what the Church offers. Not just the ideas or the history, but the sacraments, the fasting, the rhythm of feasts and fasts, the discipline of prayer. You’re drawn to the whole life, not just the parts that appeal to you.
You’re changing. You notice yourself confessing sins you used to ignore. You find yourself thinking about God at odd moments. You’re gentler with people, more aware of your pride, more hungry for holiness. Repentance becomes real to you, not just a word.
You feel at home. Not necessarily comfortable, Orthodoxy will make you uncomfortable in good ways, but like you belong. The people in the parish become your people. The rhythm of the Church year becomes your rhythm. You can’t imagine being anywhere else.
None of this happens overnight. Give it a year. Attend Liturgy every Sunday you can. Talk with the priest. Read something like Becoming Orthodox by Fr. Peter Gillquist, which tells the story of how a group of evangelicals found their way into the Antiochian Church. Pay attention to what’s happening in your heart.
If after a year you’re still hungry, still showing up, still changing, that’s your answer. The Church will be here. Christ will be here. And if He’s calling you, He’ll make it clear in His time, not yours.
Come to Liturgy this Sunday. See what happens.
