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Convert

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Other Churches and Faiths › Convert

The question

I was raised a Protestant, but was not satisfied with that and felt a call of the Spirit to leave and seek out an Orthodox fellowship. Through study and prayer, God has shown me that I can find the fullness of Faith in the Orthodox Church, particularly the Coptic Orthodox Church. I was going to attend one of the churches in my area, but I had some questions.
  1. What is the language of the Divine Liturgy?

  2. Will someone be willing to walk me through the service?

  3. What is the position of the Church on visitors and seekers?

  4. What is the Catechumenate and what does it entail?
Thank you so much, Your Grace, for your time and help.

The answer


I am glad to hear about your interest in the Coptic Orthodox Church. You have not  mentioned in which city you live.

  1. A great number of our churches pray Sunday's Divine Liturgy mostly in English with some Coptic and Arabic parts.



  2. There should be no problem finding people in the congregation willing to walk you through the service. I advise you to contact the church priest and tell him about your interests and concerns. I am sure that he will have someone to help you.



  3. Our Church opens her arms to all visitors whether they are interested in becoming Orthodox or just learning about different denominations. The only restriction is that in order to participate in any of the sacraments (Eucharist, marriage etc) you need to be a full member of the Church (i.e. be baptized in the Coptic Orthodox Faith).



  4. The catechumens entail a series of lectures on the dogma, the history and the spirituality of the Church. These classes are usually arranged with the priest of the church.
I do encourage you to contact the closest Coptic Church to you and discuss your interest with the priest. He will give you some books to read that will help you  understand the Orthodox faith.

If you have any questions or you need any further assistance in this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1130 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.