What is The Orthodox Church

 

The Orthodox Christian Church, also called the "Eastern Orthodox" Church, or simply "the Orthodox Church," is the oldest Christian Church in the world, founded by Jesus Christ and with its beginnings chronicled in the New Testament. (The Mother Church of our Diocese, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, one of the most ancient of Orthodox churches, was originally founded in A.D. 38 by the Apostle Andrew) All other Christian churches and groups can be traced historically back to it.

Orthodoxy, with approximately 225 million members worldwide,  is second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church.  However, in spite of its size, relatively few Americans are aware that it exists.

The Orthodox Church has deep and lasting roots in Christian antiquity and is steeped in rich Biblical tradition. It has been the context of Christian living for millions of Christians for almost twenty centuries.  Learn More