One Lord, One Church
We believe in the essential unity of all baptized into Christ who teach and practice the faith of the undivided Church. There is no scriptural support for “denominations”.
One Lord
Jesus prayed: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (Gospel of St. John 17:21). Because the Church believes that Christ is God incarnate, His words must be regarded as the revealed will of God. Thus, it follows that anything contrary is heretical and sinful in nature. For this reason, we regard the denial of the sacraments to believing and practicing Christians as heretical and sinful.
Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Gospel of St. Mark 2:27). We may conclude: The Church was made for man, and not man for the Church. The Church itself does not save, but only our Lord Jesus who can save and empower through the Holy Spirit to help us live a life in Christ through faith and in our neighbor through love.
History of the Church
The Church, referred to in Holy Scripture as “The Kingdom of God” and “The Body of Christ”, was founded by Jesus who is its only head and high priest. He empowered the Holy Apostles to carry it into the entire world, led by the Holy Spirit (the “Holy Comforter”), whom he sent to “guide you into truth” (Gospel of St. John 16:13). In the early years, the Church grew up around five historic Church centers or Patriarchates, whose Bishops were honored and given “precedence” as “first among equals”. Thus, the Church did not develop as a monarchial institution, but as collegial community of believers. The government of the Church has always been conciliar, as evidenced by the Seven Ecumenical Councils which help to define the faith of the Church between the years 325 and 787 A.D.
The unity of the Church was first broken by several fractions that did not accept the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils; and again in the eleventh century, when the Patriarch of Rome (Pope) attempted to exercise jurisdiction over all the Church. This led to the Great Schism in the 11th century dividing the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy from that of what was known since as the Roman Catholic church in the west. The Eastern Churches were primarily national jurisdictions. When their people joined the great flood of immigrants who came to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, they brought their faith and communities with them. This led to the multiplicity of Eastern Orthodox branches in America: Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc. – Though they vary in cultural and ethnic traditions, all hold to the undivided faith of the Seven Great (Ecumenical) Councils.
Types of Orthodox Church Structure
There are several types of dioceses in the Orthodox Church:
(1) Eparchy: a general term for an ecclesiastical province or diocese, though often used technically to refer to the territory over which the primate, often referred to as Eparch, has immediate jurisdictional authority.
(2) Exarchate: often a missionary diocese, though traditionally referring to a diocese, in which there is only one bishop (or other cleric) with authority, who is then referred to as an Exarch.
(3) Metropolis (or Metropolia, Metropolitanate): an ancient diocese (especially in Greece) or a set of dioceses with a Metropolitan as the ruling bishop or primate. A Metropolis may have constituent dioceses.
(4) Archdiocese: a large or important diocese or set of dioceses whose primate or ruling bishop is an archbishop. An archdiocese may have constituent dioceses.
These terms have shifted somewhat over time and in different regions. Thus usage is not consistent in historical or contemporary sources, whether primary or secondary. Most of these terms also have their origins in the Roman civil administrative realm.
One Lord
Jesus prayed: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (Gospel of St. John 17:21). Because the Church believes that Christ is God incarnate, His words must be regarded as the revealed will of God. Thus, it follows that anything contrary is heretical and sinful in nature. For this reason, we regard the denial of the sacraments to believing and practicing Christians as heretical and sinful.
Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Gospel of St. Mark 2:27). We may conclude: The Church was made for man, and not man for the Church. The Church itself does not save, but only our Lord Jesus who can save and empower through the Holy Spirit to help us live a life in Christ through faith and in our neighbor through love.
History of the Church
The Church, referred to in Holy Scripture as “The Kingdom of God” and “The Body of Christ”, was founded by Jesus who is its only head and high priest. He empowered the Holy Apostles to carry it into the entire world, led by the Holy Spirit (the “Holy Comforter”), whom he sent to “guide you into truth” (Gospel of St. John 16:13). In the early years, the Church grew up around five historic Church centers or Patriarchates, whose Bishops were honored and given “precedence” as “first among equals”. Thus, the Church did not develop as a monarchial institution, but as collegial community of believers. The government of the Church has always been conciliar, as evidenced by the Seven Ecumenical Councils which help to define the faith of the Church between the years 325 and 787 A.D.
The unity of the Church was first broken by several fractions that did not accept the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils; and again in the eleventh century, when the Patriarch of Rome (Pope) attempted to exercise jurisdiction over all the Church. This led to the Great Schism in the 11th century dividing the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy from that of what was known since as the Roman Catholic church in the west. The Eastern Churches were primarily national jurisdictions. When their people joined the great flood of immigrants who came to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, they brought their faith and communities with them. This led to the multiplicity of Eastern Orthodox branches in America: Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc. – Though they vary in cultural and ethnic traditions, all hold to the undivided faith of the Seven Great (Ecumenical) Councils.
Types of Orthodox Church Structure
There are several types of dioceses in the Orthodox Church:
(1) Eparchy: a general term for an ecclesiastical province or diocese, though often used technically to refer to the territory over which the primate, often referred to as Eparch, has immediate jurisdictional authority.
(2) Exarchate: often a missionary diocese, though traditionally referring to a diocese, in which there is only one bishop (or other cleric) with authority, who is then referred to as an Exarch.
(3) Metropolis (or Metropolia, Metropolitanate): an ancient diocese (especially in Greece) or a set of dioceses with a Metropolitan as the ruling bishop or primate. A Metropolis may have constituent dioceses.
(4) Archdiocese: a large or important diocese or set of dioceses whose primate or ruling bishop is an archbishop. An archdiocese may have constituent dioceses.
These terms have shifted somewhat over time and in different regions. Thus usage is not consistent in historical or contemporary sources, whether primary or secondary. Most of these terms also have their origins in the Roman civil administrative realm.
