Eastern Orthodox Church in Texas Expands Membership by Attracting Men Seeking Traditional Christianity

Father Moses McPherson, rector of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church in Georgetown, Texas, describes himself as a 220-pound “Orthodox priest, husband, father” who can lift a total of 1,664 pounds in the squat, bench and deadlift. He claims to hold the Texas bench record. As part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), McPherson has seen his church grow significantly in recent months, with more than 75 “catechumen” or baptismal conversions. The church now draws about 170 people on Sundays, tripling its membership in the last year.

McPherson attributes this growth to a shift in appeal among men who feel traditional Christianity is being overshadowed by what he describes as “woke” churches that support gender equality, LGBTQ rights, pro-choice and Black Lives Matter. Some members have reportedly cited Russia as a Christian nation amid the invasion of Ukraine. McPherson told the BBC that the church’s focus on traditional beliefs has resonated with those seeking a more masculine, emotionally grounded faith.

In an effort to expand, McPherson secured a loan from “a generous donor” to purchase a $2 million mansion and property to build a new church and Orthodox center in Hutto, just north of Austin. While the church’s numbers remain small compared to Catholic and non-denominational congregations statewide, its growth has largely come from Catholics and Protestants converting to ROCOR beliefs. Men make up about two-thirds of the converts in the historically male-dominated, patriarchal religion.

McPherson, raised in California, entered the Eastern Orthodox community in 2007 and began serving at Holy Mother in 2020. He and other Orthodox leaders in Texas and throughout the U.S. have used social media platforms and podcasts to reach younger men. This strategy has helped the church tap into a demographic seeking traditional values and a more emotionally grounded faith.

The church’s emphasis on masculinity and emotional strength aligns with broader trends among some conservative Christians who feel the modern church has become too emotionally expressive or feminized. McPherson argues that traditional Orthodoxy offers a more stable and masculine framework for faith, contrasting with what he perceives as the emotional excesses of contemporary worship.

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