We Are Orthodoxy

Ed works in software development, but he found the Orthodox Church through OCF while in college. Since graduating, however, his relationship with the Church has gotten a little complicated. Struggling to find his place in a local parish, Ed feels disconnected from the Church but remains committed to the belief that Orthodox Christianity is good for him.

Ashley is a 29-year-old mental health counselor and yoga instructor. She is also a convert to Orthodoxy, but it wasn’t exactly a quick journey. When her husband wanted to become Orthodox, it took her over three years to catch up. She entered the Church with some big questions, and she still has plenty of them, but in the last few years she has learned increasingly to trust the ancient wisdom of the Church.

Daniel is in his early 30s and working in software. Through high school and even through college, Daniel was involved in the Orthodox Church, even serving in leadership positions. Since getting married, however, it seems that he has let his involvement in the Church slide to the back burner. He discusses the various reasons that this has happened as well as the fact that he still maintains an affection and respect for Orthodoxy.

Christina is in her early 30s, working as a professional fundraiser. Though she has been Orthodox her whole life, she finds a lot of usefulness to some of the practices in Protestant denominations. Her story is full of pain and longing, but she seems to remain confident in God’s providence through it all.

Elizabeth is a med student and is preparing to be married in the Orthodox Church, yet she finds herself asking more and more questions about the role of women in the Church. Elizabeth’s story is full of honesty, curiosity, and insatiable longing for Mystery.

Ted is a 30-year-old youth director in Ohio. After deciding against a career in journalism, Ted chose to spend his life spreading the best news story he’d ever heard: the resurrection of Christ. For Ted, no other story has the capacity to break through the darkness and shine the light of love upon our lives.

Aleksandra is in her early 20s, and she says she “lives, eats, and breathes Human Resources.” She describes her faith journey as one that has taken many twists, but has ultimately brought her back to Orthodoxy through a series of painful events. With the support of her friends and people who have loved her, she has found the Church to be a place that offers direction and new possibility. New episodes every other Friday.

Hannah is newly graduated from college and is looking for how she can continue to grow in her own faith through serving the world. She speaks clearly about the reality of pain and suffering, both in her own life and in the world, and shares how the community of the Church can be a source of strength through the ups and downs of the Christian walk. New episodes every other Friday.

Stephanie is 32 years old and is just beginning her own therapy and life-coaching practice. Her area of expertise: religious trauma. As an Asian-American woman, Stephanie is also interested in the intersectional space of minority identities and how this gives everybody a unique perspective on the spiritual life.

Matt is a professor of philosophy in Rhode Island, and for him, philosophy isn’t just something he has studied; it’s a way of life. Through philosophy, Matt has learned that it is important to stay engaged in the struggle of faith and to pursue the things that are rightly fitting for human beings.

Justin is in his 30s, working as a forensic investigator for a major insurance company. He describes himself as a scientist but can’t seem to get away from the relational realities of the Gospel as he seeks to live more fully into the tradition of the Orthodox Church.

Fr. Panagiotis is a 31-year-old priest in the Chicagoland area. Having served as an altar boy as a kid, he pretty much always knew the direction his life was headed. In this episode of We Are Orthodoxy, Fr. Panagiotis discusses how his relationship with the Divine Liturgy has kept him connected to an enduring vision of what is good and right for human beings to pursue.

Emily is newly graduated from college and is working as a learning specialist. A convert to the Church, Emily is trying to navigate exactly what it means to live a faithful life in Christ. While she longs to be connected to Christ and the Church, Emily shares the shame she experiences when she feels she falls short of others’ expectations, and the temptation to give up altogether.

Steve Christoforou puts his feet to the fire in the season finale of We Are Orthodoxy. Steve discusses the complexity of working for the Church, describing how it isn’t always quite the same thing as serving the Lord. Trusting that Christ is enough to make it through even the deepest of crises, Steve remains deeply committed to holding on to the Lord.

Zantana is a third-year college student living in Las Vegas. She grew up Orthodox but never really felt like it mattered beyond being a dogmatic system. Recently, however, she has begun to rediscover the spiritual depth of Orthodoxy. Surprisingly, it has actually been her education at a secular university that has opened her mind to reengage the spirituality she was given as a kid.

Tim is in his twenties, working in D.C. as a graphic designer. He has grown up in the Church and remains actively involved in it, but he can’t help but feel a little frustrated when he feels people are getting stuck in promoting ideological agendas. Tim is looking for the Truth and simply isn’t interested in anything less than Truth Himself.

Natalie is a 30-something who recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. She grew up Orthodox, and she is now married to another woman. Natalie is stuck in the tension of being separated from the Church while also understanding the Church’s uncompromising stance on her marriage.

Sean is 32 years old and is living in New York City with his wife and daughter and attending grad school. Although Sean grew up going to Christian schools, attending church, and converted to Orthodoxy after high school, his life has taken a turn away from the Church. Compelled by social concerns, Sean has turned to other places looking for solutions.

Maggie is a senior in college and is looking for her purpose, but her journey hasn’t been easy. Battling with depression and anxiety has been hard, but she finds the Church to be both exactly what she’s looking for while also being a place where she struggles to find people who understand.

Ben is a 23-year-old dental school student in Detroit. Having moved away from his friends, family, and community, Ben is struggling to find a parish to call his home, and often feels some of the pain of being so far away from the people who know him. This reality has affected his desire to attend church, but it doesn’t define it.