about us
Welcome to the official website of The Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of London & Great Britain, with its headquarters located in the London, Great Britain. We are part of the OCA-UAOC \ Apostolic Orthodox Church Holy Synod of Bishops headed by His Eminence Metropolitan +MICHAL, Primate, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the USA.
We are united in beliefs and doctrine with the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. The Archdiocese serves as a beacon, carrier, and witness of the message of Christ to all people through divine worship, preaching, teaching, and living of the Orthodox Christian Faith.
The Archdiocese is headed by a Metropolitan Archbishop, serving Great Britain & the Arabic Diaspora.
A BRIEF HISTORY:
ORTHODOXY was the first Christian Faith to arrive in the Americas nearly 1,000 years ago! The Vikings in Newfoundland came with Missionaries from the "Old World" years before the Great Schism between East & West - when the Church was still the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church..."Orthodox" in Faith and "Catholic" in Communion." This fact contradicts the often held belief that Roman Catholicism was the first to arrive when Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies. However one may look at it, the fact remains that the first Christians in North America came from Scandinavia at a time when Scandinavian Christians were an integral part of Orthodox Christendom.
It is up to us to take up the mission that begun in this land by Leif Ericsson and his Orthodox descendants! Diverse spiritual heritages were planted throughout North and South America with a team of Russian Missionaries arriving on Kodiak Island. Father Herman of Alaska became America's first Glorified Orthodox Saint while St. Innocent was consecrated as first Orthodox Bishop for the New World. The Orthodox Faith was further planted throughout North America by missionary efforts of St. Tikhon (Bellavin), who later became the Patriarch of Russia; He called for the establishment of an "American Orthodox Church." Great cities from New York to Chicago, Toronto to San Francisco were blessed by holy Bishops such as St. Raphael (Hawaweeny) of Brooklyn and St. John (Maximovitch) of San Francisco; everywhere, Communities abounded, rich in Faith and ethnic traditions, by Greeks, Lebanese, Ukrainians, Serbians, Macedonians, Albanians, Romanians, Russians and many more.
In the mid 1920's, at the request of Ukrainian Bishop Palladios (Rudenko), seminarists were summoned to New York to serve the Faithful, among them was the energetic, Peter Andreas Zhurawetzky, ordained to the Priesthood by Greek Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou), who later became the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Accompanying Father Peter were his Ukrainian classmates Andrei (Kuschak), Bohdan (Shpylka) and Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), who later became the Patriarch of Kyiv in Ukraine.Through the brotherly efforts of Archbishop Peter (Zhurawetzky), with that of Bishops Christopher (Contogeorge) & Arsenios (Saltos) for Alexandria, Theophanies (Noli) for Albania, Joachim (Souris) & Konstantin (Jaroshevich) for Greece, and Nicholas (Kedroffsky) & Joseph (Klymowycz) for Russia... the foundation of a unified organization to serve the Americas began to flourish. By 1951, as reported in The New York Times, the Hierarchs met, and, although wanting to establish an American Patriarchate, their efforts eventually evolved into what the Russian Patriarch St. Tikhon (Bellavin) had envisioned decades earlier while serving as a bishop in America...the Orthodox Church of America. Many theologians and church historians today would describe the Church of the early Christians not as a single, unified structure, but as a communion or family of local churches...having their own local customs and distinctive ways of worshiping. They did not insist on uniformity, but at the same time they were insistent and united in their sacramental life--above all in Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.Though scattered throughout the world, they regarded themselves as making up the same, ONE, BODY OF CHRIST, which they demonstrated whenever they received Holy Communion in the Holy Eucharist. They were also united in the same Apostolic Faith & valid Canonical and Apostolic Succession, which meant that they claimed to hold the same True Faith that was preached by the Apostles, the men whom Jesus Christ had appointed to be witnesses to His saving work. With the establishment of the SEC, Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops, in 1951, we are an integral part of that same Body, comprising many difference ethnic cultures and traditions, but sharing a common Faith, a common way of life, and, to a high degree, a common history that distinguishes us from other Christians. Now, in 2023-2025, the Orthodox Church of America reaches, with its Dependencies throughout all the world, via our Provinces in Africa, Europe and in America with its Dependencies...and, we also continues to welcome Brothers & Sisters embracing the authentic Orthodox Western Rite through our USA based Western Rite Vicariate and Anglican Rite Metropolia and Brethren of the Syro Malabar Rite in Catania, Italy...all "holding fast" to the same Apostolic Doctrine and Faith of the Early Undivided Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils...holding Sacred Traditions from before the Great Schism...being "Orthodox" in Faith and "Catholic" in Communion...witnessing Jesus Christ into all the world. It must also be noted, regarding the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, of which the OCA-UAOC \ Apostolic Orthodox Church is a Canonical part, that on 2 November 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate declared that it recognized the sacraments as performed by the UOC-KP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate) and UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) as valid. It was further stated from this meeting that "when there is some talk about the non-canonicity of the Holy Sacraments celebrated by the clergy of these churches, the Holy Mother Church has answered. These Sacraments and clerical actions are canonical!"
Our Eastern Christian Tradition places us within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of God. We hold as sacred the Holy Scriptures, the ancient Creeds of the Church, the Seven Sacraments and governance through valid Episcopal Orders. Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition and to build bridges among all Christians. The Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of London & Great Britain considers that it sanctifies the faithful through divine worship, especially the Holy Eucharist and other sacraments, building the spiritual and ethical life of the faithful in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, Sacred Tradition, the doctrines and canons of the Ecumenical and local Councils, the canons of the Holy Apostles and the Fathers of the Church and of all other Councils recognized by the Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church of America is a missionary arm of the Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church (Holy Synod in North America) an independent Self-Governing association of bishops, clergy and laity, having preserved intact the grace of the Canonical Valid Apostolic Succession and based their existence on the canonical foundation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Regulations 1917- 1918 Decree of His Holiness Patriarch St. +Tikhon of 7/20 November 1920, as well as the ancient (doimperskoy) tradition of church government based on the principle of autocephaly (self governance) of each bishop. The Apostolic Orthodox Church officially became "autocephalous" from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.To further enrich the Rus-Ukrainian heritage of the OCA-UAOC, the Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops is blessed to be under Canonical Protection of the Apostolic Orthodox Church in Russia.
The Apostolic Orthodox Church (APC), and all those of it's Historic Federation, grew from a true "Revival of Russian Orthodoxy" which began organizing in 1992, under the name Apostolic Orthodox Church, to unite people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - The Saviour of the world. And, to be free from the influence of the secular state, free from any and all government control or manipulation, free from hypocrisy and free from simony (buying) ecclesiastical positions!The Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church professes the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, and Orthodox Faith, based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition (the teaching of the Apostles, the Holy Fathers, the Holy Seven Ecumenical Councils and Local Councils). We profess Seven Sacraments (Holy Mysteries), we do not recognize obligatory or forced celibacy of the clergy, we commune the laity under both forms and allow the practice of the traditional Western Rite Liturgy (Mass) with addition of the essential Orthodox Epiclesis, proper commemorations and removal of the "filioque" clause from the Creed. We are not in communion with Rome and do not recognize the dogma of infallibility ex cathedra...but believe and accept what existed before the separation of the Eastern and Western Churches. From the beginning, the Pope of Rome, Patriarch of the West, enjoyed universal Primacy over the other Eastern Patriarchates of the Church...being "First Among Equals"... but NEVER universal jurisdiction.We try to follow the path that we have received from Our Blessed Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ: the way that elected His closest Disciples - the Twelve Apostles. His life and that of the Apostles left us an example to be followed by every Christian to spread the Gospel "...into all the world." (St. Mark 16:15)The One True Church, the Orthodox Church, is "Apostolic" because all she has: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and her Life of Grace - all this, she received from Christ through the Apostles. Our Church encourages its members to continue to live as Christ lived with the Apostles, in humility, simplicity, holiness, joyful, confident and with the unconditional love of God for all His people.The Deposit of Faith, the Faith of the Apostles, the Apostolic Doctrines held by all the Hierarchs, Clergy, Religious and Faithful of our Blessed Jurisdiction, were not invented by people, but literally heard from the lips of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, and preached by them, due to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost.We cherish the Orthodox Faith and the tenets of the first Seven Ecumenical Councils, but allow valid changes & interpretation of the Holy Canons and ritual diversity...if it is for the best preaching of the Gospel and, ultimately, for the salvation of souls.Recognizing both the Western and Eastern Christian heritage, the richness of theological thought and liturgical traditions, we are ready to work together and to pray with other Christian churches, to welcome them and build up the Body of Christ!True unity of the Church cannot be found in organizational structures, but in the spirit of brotherly love and unity in AUTHENTIC FAITH and the SACRAMENTS.The Apostolic Orthodox Church is built on Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Holy Canons of the Universal Church and interpreted for the pastoral needs of today. In the event of a conflict between the Holy Canons and the Word of God and between any Sacred Traditions and the Proclamation of the Gospel in terms of modernity, the APC considers it absolutely necessary and permissible to change the Holy Canons and develop a tradition strictly liable to the spirit and letter of Divine Revelation.Our Bishops, priests and laity, in observance of Our Lord's words, saying, "Who wants to be great among you, shall be servant of all" (St. Matthew 20:26) consider it necessary to build a Christian life with respect for the needs of Orthodox believers and all Christians and to safeguard the Bishop and Priest, in their obligations, to preserve and teach the truths of the authentic and genuine Orthodox Faith; with prayer and with viable, organized congregations, unconditional love for all, showing mercy and service to others.Both the Apostles and the very words of Sacred Scripture confirm, that, "no doubt there will be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval" (1 Corinthians 11:19); therefore, the Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church permits and encourages diversity of liturgical structure and principles of community life...while maintaining unity and a spirit of brotherly love...calling for the spread of ecumenical communion among all Brothers & Sisters with Faith in Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We are united in beliefs and doctrine with the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. The Archdiocese serves as a beacon, carrier, and witness of the message of Christ to all people through divine worship, preaching, teaching, and living of the Orthodox Christian Faith.
The Archdiocese is headed by a Metropolitan Archbishop, serving Great Britain & the Arabic Diaspora.
A BRIEF HISTORY:
ORTHODOXY was the first Christian Faith to arrive in the Americas nearly 1,000 years ago! The Vikings in Newfoundland came with Missionaries from the "Old World" years before the Great Schism between East & West - when the Church was still the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church..."Orthodox" in Faith and "Catholic" in Communion." This fact contradicts the often held belief that Roman Catholicism was the first to arrive when Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies. However one may look at it, the fact remains that the first Christians in North America came from Scandinavia at a time when Scandinavian Christians were an integral part of Orthodox Christendom.
It is up to us to take up the mission that begun in this land by Leif Ericsson and his Orthodox descendants! Diverse spiritual heritages were planted throughout North and South America with a team of Russian Missionaries arriving on Kodiak Island. Father Herman of Alaska became America's first Glorified Orthodox Saint while St. Innocent was consecrated as first Orthodox Bishop for the New World. The Orthodox Faith was further planted throughout North America by missionary efforts of St. Tikhon (Bellavin), who later became the Patriarch of Russia; He called for the establishment of an "American Orthodox Church." Great cities from New York to Chicago, Toronto to San Francisco were blessed by holy Bishops such as St. Raphael (Hawaweeny) of Brooklyn and St. John (Maximovitch) of San Francisco; everywhere, Communities abounded, rich in Faith and ethnic traditions, by Greeks, Lebanese, Ukrainians, Serbians, Macedonians, Albanians, Romanians, Russians and many more.
In the mid 1920's, at the request of Ukrainian Bishop Palladios (Rudenko), seminarists were summoned to New York to serve the Faithful, among them was the energetic, Peter Andreas Zhurawetzky, ordained to the Priesthood by Greek Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou), who later became the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Accompanying Father Peter were his Ukrainian classmates Andrei (Kuschak), Bohdan (Shpylka) and Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), who later became the Patriarch of Kyiv in Ukraine.Through the brotherly efforts of Archbishop Peter (Zhurawetzky), with that of Bishops Christopher (Contogeorge) & Arsenios (Saltos) for Alexandria, Theophanies (Noli) for Albania, Joachim (Souris) & Konstantin (Jaroshevich) for Greece, and Nicholas (Kedroffsky) & Joseph (Klymowycz) for Russia... the foundation of a unified organization to serve the Americas began to flourish. By 1951, as reported in The New York Times, the Hierarchs met, and, although wanting to establish an American Patriarchate, their efforts eventually evolved into what the Russian Patriarch St. Tikhon (Bellavin) had envisioned decades earlier while serving as a bishop in America...the Orthodox Church of America. Many theologians and church historians today would describe the Church of the early Christians not as a single, unified structure, but as a communion or family of local churches...having their own local customs and distinctive ways of worshiping. They did not insist on uniformity, but at the same time they were insistent and united in their sacramental life--above all in Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.Though scattered throughout the world, they regarded themselves as making up the same, ONE, BODY OF CHRIST, which they demonstrated whenever they received Holy Communion in the Holy Eucharist. They were also united in the same Apostolic Faith & valid Canonical and Apostolic Succession, which meant that they claimed to hold the same True Faith that was preached by the Apostles, the men whom Jesus Christ had appointed to be witnesses to His saving work. With the establishment of the SEC, Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops, in 1951, we are an integral part of that same Body, comprising many difference ethnic cultures and traditions, but sharing a common Faith, a common way of life, and, to a high degree, a common history that distinguishes us from other Christians. Now, in 2023-2025, the Orthodox Church of America reaches, with its Dependencies throughout all the world, via our Provinces in Africa, Europe and in America with its Dependencies...and, we also continues to welcome Brothers & Sisters embracing the authentic Orthodox Western Rite through our USA based Western Rite Vicariate and Anglican Rite Metropolia and Brethren of the Syro Malabar Rite in Catania, Italy...all "holding fast" to the same Apostolic Doctrine and Faith of the Early Undivided Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils...holding Sacred Traditions from before the Great Schism...being "Orthodox" in Faith and "Catholic" in Communion...witnessing Jesus Christ into all the world. It must also be noted, regarding the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, of which the OCA-UAOC \ Apostolic Orthodox Church is a Canonical part, that on 2 November 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate declared that it recognized the sacraments as performed by the UOC-KP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate) and UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) as valid. It was further stated from this meeting that "when there is some talk about the non-canonicity of the Holy Sacraments celebrated by the clergy of these churches, the Holy Mother Church has answered. These Sacraments and clerical actions are canonical!"
Our Eastern Christian Tradition places us within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of God. We hold as sacred the Holy Scriptures, the ancient Creeds of the Church, the Seven Sacraments and governance through valid Episcopal Orders. Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition and to build bridges among all Christians. The Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of London & Great Britain considers that it sanctifies the faithful through divine worship, especially the Holy Eucharist and other sacraments, building the spiritual and ethical life of the faithful in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, Sacred Tradition, the doctrines and canons of the Ecumenical and local Councils, the canons of the Holy Apostles and the Fathers of the Church and of all other Councils recognized by the Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church of America is a missionary arm of the Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church (Holy Synod in North America) an independent Self-Governing association of bishops, clergy and laity, having preserved intact the grace of the Canonical Valid Apostolic Succession and based their existence on the canonical foundation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Regulations 1917- 1918 Decree of His Holiness Patriarch St. +Tikhon of 7/20 November 1920, as well as the ancient (doimperskoy) tradition of church government based on the principle of autocephaly (self governance) of each bishop. The Apostolic Orthodox Church officially became "autocephalous" from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.To further enrich the Rus-Ukrainian heritage of the OCA-UAOC, the Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops is blessed to be under Canonical Protection of the Apostolic Orthodox Church in Russia.
The Apostolic Orthodox Church (APC), and all those of it's Historic Federation, grew from a true "Revival of Russian Orthodoxy" which began organizing in 1992, under the name Apostolic Orthodox Church, to unite people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - The Saviour of the world. And, to be free from the influence of the secular state, free from any and all government control or manipulation, free from hypocrisy and free from simony (buying) ecclesiastical positions!The Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church professes the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, and Orthodox Faith, based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition (the teaching of the Apostles, the Holy Fathers, the Holy Seven Ecumenical Councils and Local Councils). We profess Seven Sacraments (Holy Mysteries), we do not recognize obligatory or forced celibacy of the clergy, we commune the laity under both forms and allow the practice of the traditional Western Rite Liturgy (Mass) with addition of the essential Orthodox Epiclesis, proper commemorations and removal of the "filioque" clause from the Creed. We are not in communion with Rome and do not recognize the dogma of infallibility ex cathedra...but believe and accept what existed before the separation of the Eastern and Western Churches. From the beginning, the Pope of Rome, Patriarch of the West, enjoyed universal Primacy over the other Eastern Patriarchates of the Church...being "First Among Equals"... but NEVER universal jurisdiction.We try to follow the path that we have received from Our Blessed Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ: the way that elected His closest Disciples - the Twelve Apostles. His life and that of the Apostles left us an example to be followed by every Christian to spread the Gospel "...into all the world." (St. Mark 16:15)The One True Church, the Orthodox Church, is "Apostolic" because all she has: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and her Life of Grace - all this, she received from Christ through the Apostles. Our Church encourages its members to continue to live as Christ lived with the Apostles, in humility, simplicity, holiness, joyful, confident and with the unconditional love of God for all His people.The Deposit of Faith, the Faith of the Apostles, the Apostolic Doctrines held by all the Hierarchs, Clergy, Religious and Faithful of our Blessed Jurisdiction, were not invented by people, but literally heard from the lips of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, and preached by them, due to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost.We cherish the Orthodox Faith and the tenets of the first Seven Ecumenical Councils, but allow valid changes & interpretation of the Holy Canons and ritual diversity...if it is for the best preaching of the Gospel and, ultimately, for the salvation of souls.Recognizing both the Western and Eastern Christian heritage, the richness of theological thought and liturgical traditions, we are ready to work together and to pray with other Christian churches, to welcome them and build up the Body of Christ!True unity of the Church cannot be found in organizational structures, but in the spirit of brotherly love and unity in AUTHENTIC FAITH and the SACRAMENTS.The Apostolic Orthodox Church is built on Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Holy Canons of the Universal Church and interpreted for the pastoral needs of today. In the event of a conflict between the Holy Canons and the Word of God and between any Sacred Traditions and the Proclamation of the Gospel in terms of modernity, the APC considers it absolutely necessary and permissible to change the Holy Canons and develop a tradition strictly liable to the spirit and letter of Divine Revelation.Our Bishops, priests and laity, in observance of Our Lord's words, saying, "Who wants to be great among you, shall be servant of all" (St. Matthew 20:26) consider it necessary to build a Christian life with respect for the needs of Orthodox believers and all Christians and to safeguard the Bishop and Priest, in their obligations, to preserve and teach the truths of the authentic and genuine Orthodox Faith; with prayer and with viable, organized congregations, unconditional love for all, showing mercy and service to others.Both the Apostles and the very words of Sacred Scripture confirm, that, "no doubt there will be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval" (1 Corinthians 11:19); therefore, the Autonomous Synod of Bishops - Apostolic Orthodox Church permits and encourages diversity of liturgical structure and principles of community life...while maintaining unity and a spirit of brotherly love...calling for the spread of ecumenical communion among all Brothers & Sisters with Faith in Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.