Recently I listened to an interview with Romy Skates on the Raised and Redeemed Podcast. While every conversion story is unique, I found many parts of her journey surprisingly familiar. Although our paths differed in important ways, many of the questions that eventually led her to Orthodoxy were the same questions that troubled me for years.

In this interview, Romy shares her journey from a charismatic Protestant upbringing, through a period of New Age spirituality, and ultimately into the Orthodox Church.

Raised in an Assemblies of God family, she grew up immersed in the world of speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing ministries, and revival culture. After experiencing church hurt as a young adult, she stepped away from active Christian practice and began exploring New Age spirituality through meditation, yoga, music festival culture, and various spiritual practices.

Over time, she became convinced once again of the truth of Christianity through study, apologetics, and Scripture. However, her return to Christianity led to new questions. She found herself wrestling with concerns about spiritual manifestations, authority, worship, discernment, and the emphasis many charismatic circles placed on extraordinary experiences.

As she and her husband searched for deeper answers, they eventually encountered Orthodoxy through church history, Orthodox literature, and their first experience of the Divine Liturgy. There they found a vision of Christianity centered on reverence, sacramental worship, repentance, and spiritual transformation.