Met. Saba: 'The Century of Evangelization Has Begun' for Orthodoxy in America

Met. Saba. Photo: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

DENVER — Orthodox Christianity in North America stands at a historic crossroads, said His Eminence Met. Saba in a recent address on the “evangelistic century” now unfolding in the Orthodox Church. Speaking to the Assembly of Bishops on Friday, His Eminence said that the faith once known as “a Church of immigrants,” has become a growing force of evangelization, drawing waves of new faithful each year.

For most of the 20th century, Orthodoxy in America was the faith of immigrant communities — Greeks, Slavs, Syrians — who built their churches in their neighborhoods and "preserved their faith as best they could at that time," Met. Saba said. “... The century of the ‘church of immigrants’ has ended; the century of evangelization has begun. Orthodoxy’s mission is no longer primarily geographical (from Antioch to America) but existential.”

According to Met. Saba, the rise of conversions to Orthodoxy marks a profound spiritual awakening. Those who searched for the roots of Christianity discovered that ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’ had been preserved in the Orthodox Church, he said in specific reference to the mass Protestant conversion of the 1980s under the Antiochians.

“These new Orthodox took upon themselves the task of evangelizing the Orthodox faith in the land, and their children and grandchildren were raised Orthodox," Met. Saba said.

He observed that social and spiritual shifts in the West have driven many to seek “a firm, unchanging faith.” Disillusioned by denominational fragmentation, moral relativism, and the commercialization of religion, many have turned toward the beauty and authenticity of Orthodoxy.

"Their model is holiness and the Church as a eucharistic communion in which they find the family they have missed," he said. "They are tired of ideology; they seek holiness, serious faith, and love. They do not want a faith that is merely reactionary, nor a lax religion."

Youth Awakening: “We Were Looking for a Real Spiritual Life”

Met. Saba noted that the most striking feature of the new movement is the number of young people discovering Orthodoxy. In the Antiochian cathedral in Brooklyn alone, there are more than 50 university-age catechumens or recent converts of every race and background. Young people say, ‘We were looking for a real spiritual life, and we found it in Orthodoxy."

He added that many youth, once drawn to Eastern religions in search of mysticism, are now finding that same depth within Eastern Christianity itself. “Youth admire the authenticity, dignity, and spirituality they find in Orthodoxy," Met. Saba said. "They discover an ascetic and moral seriousness that offers them an alternative to the relativistic, fragmented culture they experience in society."

Challenges of Rapid Growth

Met. Saba cautioned that the Church must be prepared to care for and form the growing number of converts properly. “I do not visit a parish without meeting catechumens there; in some parishes, they number more than one hundred," he said. "This raises a very serious question about the Church’s ability to receive them, form them properly, and provide spiritual accompaniment."

He acknowledged that many parishes face overcrowding, overworked clergy, and a shortage of spiritual mentors. “Some of our church buildings are so full on Sundays that they exceed the fire code, and parking lots cannot fit any more cars," he said. "How many inquirers have turned around and left because they could not fit into the temple? How many of our existing faithful have been neglected because their priest must now ration his time and pastoral care? And how many clergy marriages and families are strained under this pressure? We must respond to this urgent challenge both prudently and swiftly, recognizing it as not only a problem but also a great opportunity."

The Metropolitan also called for renewed attention to pastoral care and discipleship, as the Orthodox Faith is not an idea but a lived experience of repentance and communion with God. Conversion is not an event — it is a journey. 

"Teaching without practice produces converts who are easily fragile," he said. "True formation must join both knowledge and lived experience. Attendance at services, fasting, confession, serving others, reading Scripture and the lives of the saints, and having a personal prayer rule under the guidance of a spiritual father — these disciplines must be the foundation of parish life for all the faithful (new and old alike), rather than being replaced by programs or organizational activities."

A Call for Pastoral Renewal

The Metropolitan emphasized that many converts struggle to acquire the Orthodox phronema — the Orthodox mind — without sustained guidance. Acquiring this mind does not come from books but from life in the Holy Spirit, and so there is a need to translate doctrine into pastoral care. Orthodoxy is not a set of rules but a way of life.

He urged parishes to become “eucharistic communities that heal,” rooted in prayer, service, and personal relationships.

“Now Is the Acceptable Time”

In closing, Met. Saba called the present moment a providential opportunity for the Orthodox Church in America.

“The hardships of history forced us, as Orthodox, to forget the basic commandment: 'Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all people' (Mark 16:15). But the Holy Spirit reminds us today that, in this blessed land, we now have the freedom and the means to accomplish what the Lord asked of us—what centuries of persecution prevented us from doing."

He concluded with a call to action and gratitude, quoting St. Paul: "Behold, now is the acceptable time." (2 Cor. 6:2) Let us not squander this moment of grace.

Previously, UOJ reported that the annual Assembly of Bishops meeting had concluded in Colorado.

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