26 May 2026
Ep. 415 - Leaving Evangelicalism for the Ancient Church, with Fr. David Hovik
Counterflow with Buck Johnson
About
What happens when an Evangelical pastor begins seriously studying the early Church — and realizes modern Christianity looks very different from ancient Christianity?
In this episode, I chat with Father David Hovik to discuss his remarkable journey from Evangelical ministry into the Orthodox Church, and how that journey ultimately brought much of his congregation with him. This story is truly captivating.
We talk about the spiritual hunger that exists beneath modern life, the limits of contemporary Christianity, and why more people are searching for something ancient, rooted, and sacramental.
Fr. David reflects on the risks, resistance, and transformation that came with leaving behind familiar forms of Christianity in pursuit of what he became convinced was the historic Church founded by Christ and preserved through the centuries.
This conversation explores:
- Fr. David's path from Evangelical pastor to Orthodox priest
- The role of Church history in his conversion
- Why modern Christianity can feel spiritually fragmented
- The difference between "personal faith" and historic Christianity
- Liturgy, sacraments, and the ancient Christian worldview
- Bringing an entire congregation into Orthodoxy
- Spiritual formation in a distracted modern age
- Why people are increasingly drawn to the ancient faith
Fr. David brings a calm, pastoral, and deeply grounded perspective to questions many modern Christians are quietly wrestling with.
In this episode, I chat with Father David Hovik to discuss his remarkable journey from Evangelical ministry into the Orthodox Church, and how that journey ultimately brought much of his congregation with him. This story is truly captivating.
We talk about the spiritual hunger that exists beneath modern life, the limits of contemporary Christianity, and why more people are searching for something ancient, rooted, and sacramental.
Fr. David reflects on the risks, resistance, and transformation that came with leaving behind familiar forms of Christianity in pursuit of what he became convinced was the historic Church founded by Christ and preserved through the centuries.
This conversation explores:
- Fr. David's path from Evangelical pastor to Orthodox priest
- The role of Church history in his conversion
- Why modern Christianity can feel spiritually fragmented
- The difference between "personal faith" and historic Christianity
- Liturgy, sacraments, and the ancient Christian worldview
- Bringing an entire congregation into Orthodoxy
- Spiritual formation in a distracted modern age
- Why people are increasingly drawn to the ancient faith
Fr. David brings a calm, pastoral, and deeply grounded perspective to questions many modern Christians are quietly wrestling with.
FOLLOW FR. DAVID / ST. ANDREW ORTHODOX CHURCH:
St. Andrew Orthodox Church
St. Andrew Orthodox Church
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