After 45 years in Orthodox Christianity — serving as a subdeacon, deacon, and ultimately a parish priest — David Gould experienced a transformation that reshaped his entire life. His sincere prayer for guidance led him to embrace Islam, take the shahada, and find the spiritual peace and truth he had been searching for throughout decades of faithful Christian service. Now known as Abdulrahman, the servant of the Most Merciful, his conversion story is a powerful testament to what happens when a person of faith sincerely asks God to reveal the truth.
A Lifetime of Searching Within Christianity
David became Orthodox Christian in 1978 at the age of 16 and dedicated his life to the church community at Holy Cross in Tasmania, Australia. When his bishop suggested he become a priest, he undertook theological studies that forced him to examine the Bible and church history at a deeper level. What he discovered troubled him — centuries of doctrinal additions, the contested formation of the biblical canon, and the doctrine of the Trinity that was not supported by scripture in the way the church taught it. Even before entering the priesthood, he had explored Buddhism and other branches of Christianity, yet Islam was the one faith he had never seriously considered.
The Moment Everything Changed: A Sincere Prayer for Truth
I prostrated and asked God — show me the absolute truth, show me whether Islam is true or false, whether Christianity is right or wrong. I sat up and I read the Quran and I realized intuitively, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually that this was the actual word of God. I instantly knew that this was the absolute truth and that I could no longer ignore it.
During a trip to Perth for a family funeral, David found his hotel just steps from the city’s historic masjid. He felt a powerful call to visit. After meeting the Imam and receiving a copy of the Quran, he returned to his hotel room, fell into prostration, and made the most important prayer of his life. When he opened the Quran this time, everything was different — the words spoke directly to his heart with a clarity he had never experienced in decades of Christian worship.
Why an Orthodox Priest Could Not Turn Back
Upon returning to Tasmania, David knew he could not stand behind the pulpit and preach what he now understood to be incomplete. He wrote to his bishop, declared the shahada in that very letter, and formally resigned from the priesthood. He then took shahada over the phone with the Imam in Perth and publicly declared his faith at Friday prayers in Hobart. Here is what convinced him that Islam is the truth:
- Pure monotheism (Tawheed): God is One, not three. The Trinity was a later doctrinal development, not the teaching of Jesus himself, who prayed in prostration to the One God.
- Preservation of the Quran: Unlike the Bible — assembled by church councils centuries after Jesus, with unknown authors and disputed books — the Quran has not changed a single word since it was revealed.
- Jesus in his proper place: Islam honors Jesus and Mary deeply, but places them in correct relationship to God Almighty rather than elevating a prophet to divinity.
- Personal accountability: Every human being is responsible for their own salvation and will be judged by their Creator on the Day of Judgment — a straightforward, just, and empowering concept.
- The beauty of simplicity: The five pillars of Islam provide a clear, unshakable foundation that has not been altered by changing cultural trends or liberal theology.
- Brotherhood and community: The sense of belonging and love among Muslims surpassed anything he experienced in decades within the church.
Islam Is the Completion, Not a Contradiction
Islam is the completion of what God delivered to Moses and to the prophets, to the prophet David, to Prophet Elias, and of course to Jesus, peace be upon him. There is a continuity between us going back to Adam. We pray as Jesus prayed. We love and respect Jesus and his mother. Muslims are not a community to be feared — Muslims are a community you should be curious about.
Advice for Those Seeking the Truth
- Get a copy of the Quran and read it with an open heart.
- Ask God sincerely, with humility and love, to show you the truth.
- Look at Islam as the completion of what Jesus taught — not as something foreign or frightening.
- Visit a mosque. You will find converts and born Muslims standing side by side as one community united by faith, not by nationality or culture.
- Do not let islamophobia, media stereotypes, or politics stand between you and the guidance of your Creator.
David Gould’s journey from Orthodox Christian priest to devoted Muslim is a reminder that guidance belongs to God alone. When a person prays with sincerity, studies with honesty, and follows the truth wherever it leads, Islam stands as the clear, undeniable answer. His story — like that of Dr. Gerald Dirks and countless other former clergy — proves that the closer you look at the evidence, the stronger the case for Islam becomes. As Abdulrahman himself chose for his name: he is now a servant of the Most Merciful, and he has never looked back.
