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About Orthodoxy:
Our Faith
» About Orthodoxy
The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is Orthodox, but not Jewish.
It is catholic, but not Roman Catholic. It isn't non-
The word “ortho” means straight, or true; and the word “dox” means worship. Orthodox therefore means true worship. Orthodox worship is authentic, timeless, and sacramental. The Sunday worship service follows an order established and experienced in the New Testament era. The Orthodox Church has not strayed from the Apostolic foundation, but has remained true to what was taught and practiced from the beginning. There is an unbroken continuity of faith, worship, doctrine, and government established by Jesus Christ that is still present today.
In our Western Hemisphere, the Orthodox Church has been developing into a valuable presence and distinctive witness for more than two hundred years. The first Greek Orthodox Christians arrived in the New World in 1768, establishing a colony near the present city of St. Augustine, Florida.
The Orthodox Church in this country owes its origin to the devotion of so many immigrants from lands such as Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In the great wave of immigrations in the 19th and 20th centuries, Orthodox Christians from many lands and cultures came to America in search of freedom and opportunity. Like the first Apostles, they carried with them a precious heritage and gift. To the New World they brought the ancient faith of the Orthodox Church.
Today, Orthodox Christianity constitutes the second largest Christian faith community in the world, with over 250 million adherents, located largely in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Brought to America by missionaries, emigrants and political refugees, Orthodoxy has roughly three million members.