The British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction, canonically part of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. Its mission is to the people of the British Isles, and though it is completely Orthodox in its faith and practice it remains British in its ethos and in its appreciation of the Orthodox heritage of these islands. The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keep the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Christ - Coptic Art Coptic Orthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately AD 60). ... The Coptic Orthodox Church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox churches, not to be mistaken with the Eastern Orthodox group of churches. ... Ethos (ήθος) is a Greek word originally meaning the place of living that can be translated into English in different ways. ...

The British Orthodox Church was originally established in 1866 when a Frenchman, Jules Ferrette, was consecrated as a bishop by the Syrian Orthodox Church with the purpose of re-establishing Orthodoxy to the West. The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keep the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ...

Over the years this mission lost touch with its Eastern origins, but in 1994, under the leadership of the present bishop, discussions with the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate bore fruit and the British Orthodox Church was reunited with the Oriental Orthodox churches from which it had come. At the feast of Pentecost in 1994, at Saint Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, Abba Seraphim was ordained a Metropolitan by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, and the British Orthodox Church became a constituent of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Metropolitan Seraphim is a full member of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Patriarchate. The Coptic Orthodox Church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox churches, not to be mistaken with the Eastern Orthodox group of churches. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keep the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... HH Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria and of the Apostolic See of St Mark His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, (August 3, 1923 – ), born Nazeer Gayed, is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of the Holy See of Saint Mark of the Coptic Orthodox Church. ... In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod. ...

The British Orthodox today comprises parishes and missions throughout the British Isles. All its services are in English and it venerates the Orthodox saints of the British Isles as well as those of the wider Orthodox Church. It uses the ancient Liturgy of Saint James as its normal liturgy, together with all the traditional services of the Coptic Orthodox Church, such as the morning and evening "Raising of Incense". (Latin veneratio, Greek δουλια dulia) In traditional Christian churches (for example, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy), veneration, or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion, and through them honoring God who made them and...

Although the British Orthodox Church is a small community at present, it is committed to evangelism and wider ministry. Through the church press it publishes the 'Glastonbury Review', the only English language journal committed to regular reporting about the activities of the Oriental Orthodox churches and it has also begun to republish some important theological works. Through the internet, it maintains a number of international and ecumenical email discussion groups, as well as promoting the work of the Joint Commission for the Dialogue between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches through an important website.

Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox churches and the Anglican Church takes place in the Oriental Orthodox International Commission.

See also

• Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch
• Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ...

External links

• British Orthodox Church - Orthodoxy in Britain
• Orthodox Unity - Supporting the Joint Commission