A Brief History

The story of the Orthodox Church is the story of the Christian faith itself — continuous, living, and unbroken from the time of the Apostles.

The Orthodox Church does not begin in the Middle Ages or at the time of the Reformation. It begins at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and the Church was born.

From Jerusalem the faith spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The great cities of the early Church — Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome — were all centers of Orthodox Christianity. The churches shared the apostolic faith and sacramental life, while local forms of worship developed in different places.

Over the centuries the Church faced many challenges: persecution under the Roman emperors, theological disputes, and political pressures. Through it all, the Orthodox Church sought to remain faithful to what had been received from the Apostles. The decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils (from the 4th to the 8th centuries) helped clarify and protect the core teachings of the faith — especially the truth about who Christ is.

Long before the division associated with 1054, the faith was spreading among many peoples. In the ninth century Saints Cyril and Methodius carried their mission to the Slavic lands.

The separation between East and West unfolded over centuries; 1054 became a lasting marker of that division. In the centuries that followed, the Orthodox Church continued its life of faith and worship. Monasteries remained centers of prayer, learning, and spiritual life. Even under difficult circumstances, including centuries of Ottoman rule and later communist persecution, the Church endured.

Today the Orthodox Church is a worldwide family of local Churches that share the same faith and sacraments. It remains rooted in the ancient tradition while living fully in the present. For many people in the West, discovering Orthodoxy feels less like finding something new and more like coming home to something that has always been there.