Brief History of the Orthodox Christian Church
Since the day of Pentecost, the Church established by Christ through His Apostles has been engaged in worship and evangelism, bringing nations, families, and individuals into the Christian faith. For the first 300 years, the Church faced severe persecution, with many becoming martyrs under the Pagan Roman government. After Constantine the Great ended the persecution of Christians, the Church began to thrive, leading to the convening of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
These Councils were called “Ecumenical” because they gathered clergy and laity from nearly every diocese of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to contribute their perspectives. The first two Councils resulted in the formation of the Orthodox Christian Creed, which remains our core statement of belief. The subsequent Councils addressed key theological issues: the third and fourth clarified the Orthodox understanding of Christ’s human and divine Natures, the fifth confirmed the teachings of the first four, the sixth addressed the nature of Christ’s Will, and the seventh restored the veneration of icons.
From Pentecost until 1054, the Eastern and Western Churches remained united as One. The Church of Christ was governed by a Pentarchy, a structure of five major Churches: the Church of Rome, the Church of Constantinople, the Church of Alexandria, the Church of Jerusalem, and the Church of Antioch. Each of these Churches was led by a high-ranking bishop, known as a “Patriarch.” The title “Pope” derives from the term “Papa,” meaning father. Throughout the first millennium, these Patriarchs regarded one another as ecclesiastical equals, with no Church claiming superiority over the others. However, in 1054, the Western Church separated from the four Eastern Churches of the Pentarchy, asserting that its Patriarch—the Pope—held supreme authority not only over the Roman Church but over the entire Church of Christ on Earth.
Since the Great Schism of 1054, the Eastern and Western Churches have diverged significantly. The Eastern Churches became known as the “Eastern Orthodox Church,” maintaining their traditional practices and teachings unchanged from the first thousand years. In contrast, the Western Church evolved, especially following the Protestant Reformation, which caused a profound schism, leading to wars, heresies, and the establishment of numerous non-Apostolic denominations. The Roman Catholic Church also introduced new dogmatic teachings, departing from the Orthodox faith, most notably with doctrines such as the Immaculate Conception and the authority and infallibility of the Pope.
Central Points of Orthodox Christian Doctrine
The beliefs of the Orthodox Christian Church can truly be summed up by the Creed (statement of beliefs) which was developed in the First and Second Ecumenical Councils:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day He arose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.
In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) traces its origins to 1794, when eight Orthodox missionaries from Russia arrived in Kodiak, Alaska. Their work led to the conversion of many native Alaskans to Orthodoxy. The Church grew in North America through the 19th and 20th centuries, with the establishment of parishes by immigrants from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southern Europe.
In the early 1900s, Orthodox communities in North America unified under the Russian Orthodox Church. However, following the Russian Revolution in 1917, communications with Russia were disrupted. In the 1920s, the Church in North America gained autonomy. Over time, ethnic groups organized separate dioceses under their mother Churches, leading to the current situation of multiple overlapping jurisdictions in North America.
In 1970, the OCA achieved autocephaly (administrative independence) from the Moscow Patriarchate and was renamed the Orthodox Church in America. It has since expanded to include various dioceses and has grown significantly, establishing over 220 new parishes in the past two decades. The OCA is committed to the unity of Orthodoxy in North America and works with other Orthodox jurisdictions through the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops. The OCA elects its own Primate, currently Metropolitan Tikhon, and continues to support pan-Orthodox initiatives.
The history above was summarized from the website of the Orthodox Church in America.