The Orthodox Church is the oldest Christian Church in the world, founded by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. The Apostle Peter founded the Church in Antioch in A.D. 34 which exists to this day as the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In addition, the early Apostles established the Church in Jerusalem, Alexandria and Cypress. Later, the Gospel, the "Good News" of Jesus Christ was brought by the Orthodox missionaries into Russia, the Ukraine, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and other neighboring countries. The Church has continued in these places to this day with unaltered faith and practice. The Apostolic doctrines, worship and structure remain intact.

The Orthodox Church came to America as early as the late 1700's through missionaries and emigrants from Russia, Greece, and other Eastern Countries. Today, with more than 225 million members worldwide, the Orthodox Church is the second largest body in Christendom. In North America, there are about six million members. Nevertheless, in spite of its size, many Americans until recently, have been unaware of the existence of the Orthodox Church. Over the past 25 years, a growing number of Americans have been turning to the Orthodox Church. An example of this movement occurred in 1987. A large number of individuals from the Evangelical Orthodox Church, many who were converts from Protestantism, were received into the Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.

The Orthodox Church is the legitimate, genuine, and historical continuation of the early Church. Through Apostolic Succession, that is, the unbroken chain of handed-down traditions, teachings and doctrines, today's Orthodox Church can be traced directly back to the Apostles and through them to Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church holds an unbroken link with Jesus Christ, the founder of the Faith. The Orthodox Church maintains a living connection with the early Church Fathers, the Holy Martyrs and Saints of the Church.

The Orthodox Faith is active and strong today. In the Twentieth Century alone, more than twenty million Orthodox Christians have given their lives for the faith, primarily under communism. History bears out the strong conviction and defense of the Holy Faith made by Orthodox Christians which is why the Orthodox Church is given the name, "the Church of the Martyrs."

Whether you have heard about the Orthodox Church or not, we invite you to come and find out what the Church has to offer. Our 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.