What is Orthodox Christianity?

The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian religious body on Earth, but one of the smallest in America— in fact, there are more Muslims in the U.S. than there are Orthodox Christians (at just under 1% of the population). We are one of the oldest surviving religious institutions in the world, with origins dating back to the first century A.D.— to churches still standing today, first established during St. Paul's first and second missionary journeys, or by another one of the Holy Apostles. We are hierarchical yet decentralized, a living communion of ancient autocephalous and self-ruling Churches. We see Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ not only as the head of our Church, but also as its Founder. 

Guided by the Holy Spirit over the course of about twenty centuries, each self-governing Church has independently maintained doctrinal and ritual unity with all of the other local autocephalous Churches.  We are deeply rooted in the traditions of the ancient Christian Church, and our beliefs and worship practices still reflect those from the earliest periods in Church history, as confirmed by Sacred Scripture and the writings and consensus of the Early Church Fathers.

The word "Orthodoxy" comes from two words in Ancient Greek:«ὀρθός», meaning "right" or "correct"; and «δόξα», meaning "glory" or "belief." Thus Orthodoxy refers to the concept of "right belief" and correct worship. The Orthodox Church of today claims to be identical with the undivided Christian Church of the first millennium.

As the saying goes:

- 'The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant'

- 'It is Orthodox, but not Jewish'

- 'It is Catholic, but not Roman'

- 'It isn't non-denominational— it is pre-denominational'

- 'It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2,000 years ago.'

St. Polycarp's is a canonical "Greek Rite" parish of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the omophorion of our ruling bishop, His Eminence Metropolitan HILARION of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR). Services are conducted primarily in the English language, and most of our parishioners are converts to Orthodoxy. Our mission is named after St. Polycarp, the second bishop of Smyrna (AD 69-155), one of the principal Apostolic Fathers of the primitive Church, and the earliest known martyr outside the pages of the New Testament.

If you've never seen an Orthodox service before, we hope you will consider paying a visit to our mission, and joining us in prayer and fellowship.

In line with more ancient Church discipline, Holy Communion is only available to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves by prayer, fasting, and recent confession of sins. If you are a seeker, inquiring into Orthodoxy, or wish to commune at St. Polycarp's, please introduce yourself to the rector. Non-Orthodox Christians and other visitors are welcome to join us in prayer, as well as to receive some of the holy antidoron— or "blessed bread"— in lieu of the Eucharistic Mysteries.