Resources
This page provides verified contact information for organizations and tools referenced throughout the transition pathway. Some entries are marked [verify before publish], these are organizations whose existence and current operations the author has high confidence in but which should be directly confirmed by the project before public publication, to prevent stale or misdirected referrals.
The categories follow the five-stage pathway: support communities for people in transition, parish locators for entering the Eastern Orthodox tradition, safety tools for online and personal security, and asylum/legal resources for high-risk contexts.
Eastern Orthodox parish locators
Section titled “Eastern Orthodox parish locators”These are the official parish finders for the major Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions in North America, the UK, and Europe. The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese is the recommended first option for Muslim-background converts, particularly Arab-background, due to Arabic liturgy availability and the long history of receiving converts from Muslim backgrounds.
| Jurisdiction | Parish locator | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America | https://www.antiochian.org/find-a-parish | First recommendation. Arabic liturgy in many parishes. The See of Antioch is one of the four ancient apostolic patriarchates, founded by the Apostle Peter. Strong MBB experience. |
| Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America | https://www.goarch.org/parishes | Second option. Greek liturgical tradition; primarily English in North America with Greek elements. |
| Orthodox Church in America (OCA) | https://oca.org/parishes | English-language services; strong English-speaking convert community. American-rooted but in canonical Orthodox communion. |
| Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) | https://www.eadiocese.org/parishes (Eastern American Diocese; check the broader synod site for other regions) | Slavonic and English; more traditional liturgical practice. |
| Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America | https://easterndiocese.org/parishes/ | Serbian and English. |
| Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (under OCA) | https://www.roea.org/parishes/ | Romanian and English. |
| Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland | https://www.antiochian-orthodox.co.uk/parishes | First recommendation for UK / Ireland readers. |
| Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain | https://www.thyateira.org.uk/ | UK and Ireland Greek Orthodox. |
| Antiochian Orthodox Patriarchate (worldwide directory) | https://antiochpatriarchate.org/en/page/parishes-of-the-patriarchate-of-antioch/ | For readers outside North America and the UK; the global directory of the Antiochian See. |
If you do not see a parish in your country listed here, search for “Eastern Orthodox parish [your city]”, the official Orthodox jurisdictions in most countries maintain parish locators. The major canonical jurisdictions all recognize each other’s baptisms and sacraments; you do not need to attend an Antiochian specifically if a different canonical Orthodox parish is closer or more accessible. The Antiochian recommendation reflects cultural-continuity considerations, not a hierarchy of Orthodox legitimacy.
How to vet a parish before visiting
Section titled “How to vet a parish before visiting”Before your first visit:
- Check that the parish is in canonical communion with one of the major Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions listed above. There are small breakaway groups that use “Orthodox” in their name but are not in canonical communion; these are not the same.
- Look at the parish website for an “about” page and check the priest’s name. A simple search (“Father [Name] [Parish]”) will confirm he is a real priest with a real ordination.
- If possible, email or call the parish before your first visit. Mention that you are a visitor from a Muslim background interested in learning about Orthodoxy. Most parishes will respond warmly. A parish that responds with hostility, demands rapid commitment, or pressures you to convert immediately is not where you want to begin.
Ex-Muslim support communities
Section titled “Ex-Muslim support communities”These are organizations that provide community and practical support to people leaving Islam, without religious pressure to convert to anything specific. They are appropriate first contacts for readers in Stages 1-4 who need community and safety support before considering Christianity specifically.
| Organization | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) | https://exmuslims.org | Secular ex-Muslim community in the US and Canada. Provides peer support, advocacy, and a network of local meetups. Does not push conversion to anything. Confidential intake. |
| Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain | https://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/ | UK equivalent. Founded by Maryam Namazie. Same general profile. |
| Atheist Republic, Ex-Muslims of Atheist Republic | https://atheistrepublic.com/ | International network with significant ex-Muslim community. Atheist orientation; not for everyone but a real community. |
If you are not in North America, the UK, or a major Western country, the international ex-Muslim community is significantly more underground. EXMNA and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain maintain quiet contacts in other countries; reaching out to either as a first step can be useful.
Christian organizations supporting Muslim-background converts
Section titled “Christian organizations supporting Muslim-background converts”These are Christian organizations with specific experience supporting MBBs (Muslim-Background Believers). Most are Evangelical in orientation; Eastern Orthodox-specific MBB ministry is a smaller field but growing.
| Organization | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Antiochian Archdiocese, Department of Convert Ministry | https://www.antiochian.org/convertministry [verify before publish] | The Antiochian Archdiocese’s specific work with converts. Inquire through the main archdiocese contact line if this specific department page has changed. |
| Orthodox Christian Mission Center | https://www.ocmc.org | The mission arm of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the US. Not MBB-specific but Orthodox-specific. Useful for general Orthodox formation. |
| Frontiers | https://www.frontiers.org | Evangelical mission to Muslim-majority nations; substantial experience supporting MBBs in difficult contexts. Not Orthodox; may provide referrals or interim support. |
| Pioneers, Muslim Ministries | https://www.pioneers.org | Same general profile as Frontiers. Evangelical orientation. |
| Faith to Faith International [verify before publish] | Search current contact information | The name “Faith to Faith” is used by several organizations supporting MBBs; verify the specific organization and contact information directly before publishing. |
The Evangelical MBB ministries are listed because they have decades of practical experience with the specific challenges of leaving Islam, safety, family, community, even if their theological endpoint (Evangelical Protestantism) is not the project’s recommended endpoint. A pragmatic path for some converts is to receive interim support and discipleship from an Evangelical MBB ministry while moving toward Eastern Orthodox reception. Other converts find direct Orthodox reception is feasible from the start.
Online safety tools
Section titled “Online safety tools”| Tool | URL | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Tor Browser | https://www.torproject.org | Anonymous browsing. Use this for accessing this site, MBB ministry sites, or any conversion-related content if you have reason to believe your network is monitored. |
| Signal | https://signal.org | End-to-end encrypted messaging and voice/video calls. Use for any private communication with people supporting your transition. Open source, trustworthy. |
| ProtonMail | https://proton.me | End-to-end encrypted email. Use for any email account related to your transition that should not be visible to a family or community email service. |
| VeraCrypt | https://www.veracrypt.fr | Encrypted file containers for any documents related to your transition. |
Legal and asylum
Section titled “Legal and asylum”| Resource | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UNHCR Religious Persecution Asylum Guidance | https://www.unhcr.org | The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees publishes guidance on asylum claims based on religious persecution. Country-specific risk assessments are available. |
| Persecuted Christians ministries | Various | Open Doors (https://www.opendoors.org), Voice of the Martyrs (https://www.persecution.com), Barnabas Aid (https://www.barnabasaid.org) all work with persecuted Christian converts including MBBs. They can provide referrals to immigration lawyers and protective relocation support. |
| Tahirih Justice Center | https://www.tahirih.org | US-based legal advocacy for immigrant women facing gender-based violence, including religious-persecution components. |
| Karma Nirvana | https://karmanirvana.org.uk | UK-based, supports survivors of honor-based abuse and forced marriage. Not religion-specific but heavily Muslim-community context. |
If you are in a Muslim-majority country with formal apostasy laws, an asylum claim in a country that accepts religious-persecution claims (the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, several others) may be your safest path. Consult an immigration lawyer in the destination country before taking any irreversible action. The Persecuted Christians ministries listed above maintain lawyer referral networks.
Mental health support
Section titled “Mental health support”Leaving a religion in which you were raised is among the most psychologically demanding things a person can do. Many converts benefit from therapy specifically familiar with religious deconstruction and apostasy contexts.
| Resource | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recovering from Religion | https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org | Secular support for people leaving high-control religious traditions. Therapist directory. Not Christian-specific; useful for the deconstruction phase. |
| Therapy that understands Christian conversion | Search “Christian counselor” + “Orthodox Christian counselor” in your area | Conversion is also a positive transition, not only deconstruction. A Christian counselor (Eastern Orthodox where available) can support the integration of Christian identity. |
A note on what is not on this page
Section titled “A note on what is not on this page”You will not find here:
- Specific imam contacts for “Christianity vs. Islam” debates. The project’s debate index serves that need; in-person debates with imams who are unprepared to engage substantively are usually not productive and can be dangerous in some community contexts.
- Specific testimonies of named converts. Public testimony is meaningful, but the converts whose stories are public have made that decision deliberately; this page does not link to them because reading specific stories can pressure readers toward an emotional acceleration of their own timeline that may not match their safety situation.
- Crisis hotlines. If you are in immediate physical danger, contact local emergency services. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (in the US) is also a resource if you are in mental health crisis. International equivalents are available in most countries.
If something here is broken, out of date, or you have a verified resource that should be added, the project welcomes corrections.