An OSU Student Discovers the Orthodox Church
Although I was raised Christian, I never really was interested in religion until I graduated from college. I am now a graduate student at Ohio State University. After coming to Columbus, I was exposed to theological ideas from a specifically evangelical viewpoint. The more I learned about Christianity in general, the more I was intrigued by Orthodoxy in particular—what I found to be the historical, universal, and apostolic church.
 I came to St. Gregory’s for the first time on a whim, interested by the website and its accessible location. I could not honestly tell you I knew what was happening during the service, but I could immediately connect to the timeless feeling of it. I knew it was special.
I was welcomed by a number of parishioners before and after the service, and their kindness and willingness to share their own stories made me feel less anxiety about exploring this “old-fashioned” faith. In fact, many of those I spoke with at St. Gregory’s had similar stories of conversion in their own lives. Hearing the thoughtful and sympathetic things they had to say helped me immensely in my decision to pursue Orthodoxy.
Since first arriving at St. Gregory’s, and feeling the acceptance of the church body and the value of the Church itself, I have become Orthodox and a regular member at the parish. Gregory, my name, was the obvious choice for me to take as a patron saint; the church, with the same patron, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary less than a month after my twenty-fifth birthday. All coincidences or providences aside, this church has changed my life. I hope that you would consider how Orthodoxy could change yours at St. Gregory’s. |
