A study published this month shows that the number of conversions to Orthodoxy increased in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023.
Most converts are aged 30-39 and are unmarried, with the majority coming to Orthodoxy from Protestantism, the research indicates.
The study, conducted by the Orthodox Studies Institute at St. Constantine College in Houston, covered 20 Orthodox parishes in 15 states.
The figures show that conversions fluctuated very little from 2013 to 2019, saw a notable decline in 2020 due to the pandemic, and experienced a significant increase from 2022 to 2023.
The average number of conversions from 2013 to 2021 was about 89 people per year. In the 2022-2023 period, the average annual conversions in the sample increased to 155.
The study was conducted in 2023, with only partial data for this year. Parish representatives were asked for statistics starting from 2013.
Conversions in Europe
Labour migration and free movement have contributed to the growth of Orthodox numbers in parts of Europe where they were previously minimal. According to Deutsche Welle, Germany has approximately 4 million Orthodox Christians, compared to only 1.5 million a decade ago.
According to information provided by the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe, more adult baptisms are taking place in Scandinavia.
In England, over the last four and a half years, more than 260 people have converted to Orthodoxy through the “Discover Orthodoxy” program of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.
Source: Basilica.ro / Photo: Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
