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History of the African Orthodox Church
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INTERNATIONAL CHANCERY
HOLY CROSS PRO-CATHEDRAL
122 WEST 129TH STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10027 (516) 485 0616
The African Orthodox Church Inc., (History)
The African Orthodox Church owes its Episcopate and Apostolic Authority to the Syrian Church of Antioch where there disciples were first called Christians, and of which the Chair (See) of St. Peter the Apostle was the first Bishop.
In a Bull issued by Ignatius Peter III, Patriarch of Antioch and the East, permission was given for the Consecration of the Priest Joseph Rene Vilatte as Archbishop - Metropolitan of the arch diocese of America, namely, for churches adhering to the Orthodox Faith; and, on May 29th, 1892, Archbishop Vilatte was duly consecrated in Ceylon by Archbishop Julius Alvarez, assisted by the Syrian Bishops George Gregorius and Paul Athanasius, all three being under obedience of the PAtriarch of Antioch.
On September 28th, 1921, in the City of Chicago, George Alexander McGuire was consecrated first Bishop and Primate of the African Orthodox Church by Archbishop Joseph Rene Vilatte, assisted by Bishop Carl A. Nybladh who had been consecrated by Vilatte.
On September 10th 1924 The Conclave, or House of Bishops of the African Orthodox Church, was duly organized, following which the first Bishop, George Alexander McGuire, was unanimously elected Archbishop, and enthroned with the title of "Archbishop Alexander". Archbishop George Alexander McGuire after many years of service as Chaplin broke with Marcus Garvey, who wanted to locate the UNIA headquarters in the West Indies, and devoted himself to the development and extension of his church, founding the Endick Theolgical Seminary, and order of deaconesses, and the Negro Churchman, which he edited. The African Orthodox church attracted mostly Anglican West Indian immigrants. It spread to the South in 1925 when McGuire started a parish in West Palm Beach, Fla. Two years later he consecrated an African as Primate Archbishop William Daniel Alexander of South Africa and central and southern Africa province. At the time McGuire was elected as Patriarch with the title of Alexander I. His church then spread to Uganda where it grew to about 10,000. Its greatest strength, however, was in New York City where on Nov 8, 1931, he dedicated Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral, a remodeled house purchased by McGuire from funds obtained by mortaging his own home. In 1934 the church had about 30,000 members, about fifty clergy, and thirty churches located in the United States, Africa, Cuba, Antigua and Venezuela. McGuire died on Nov. 10 1934. He was survived by his wife, Ada Robert McGuire, a native of Antigua, and a daughter. You may find additional information (See Arthur C. Thompson's The History of the African Orthodox Church (1956), Byron Rushing's "A Note on the Origin of the African Orthodox Church" (JNH, Jan. 1972), and Gavin White's" Patriarch McGuire and the Episcopal Church"
Pastoral Team
M Rev. Peter Brennan, DD
Canon Nicholas Acres
Deacon Denise Randolph
Deacon Barry Randolph
Counselor Denise Fowler
Other Churches
The Churches of the African Orthodox Church Inc.
The INTERNATIONAL CHANCERY
HOLY CROSS PRO CATHEDRAL
122 West 129th Street
New York City, New York 10027
Dr. Rev. Sister Irene King, OSB, Deaconess
ST SIMON THE CYRENIAN AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH INC.
Suitland, Maryland 20746
ST. PETERS AFRICAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL
4841 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33127,
305 759 0314, Fax 305 759 0353 t
Archbishop Metropolitan George Walter Sands, OSB., M.Div., Primate Rector
Reverend Father Dereck Sands, OSB., M.Div., Curate,
Reverend Deacon James McPhee, OSB., L.Th, Deacon
Reverend Sister Virginia Scholastica, OSB., L.Th., Deaconess
Reverend Sister Gloria Angelica, OSB., L.Th., Deaconess
Reverend Brother Florence LaSalle, OSB., Brother
Mr. Donnie Brown Senior Master of Ceremony
Mrs. Bullard-Jordan, Senior Warden.
ST. ANNE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
2485 N.W. 65th Street, Miami, FL 33147
305 693 0777
Reverend Father James Barr, OSB., M.Div., Rector
Mr. George Barr Jr., Senior Warden
ST. THERESA/ST.ENID AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
St. Michaels Barbados, West Indies,
Bishop Seth Skeete, OSB., M.Div., Rector
Reverend Father Jones, OSB., M.Div. C
ST. AUGUSTINE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
5831 South Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Phone 312 324 1096
Reverend Father Doctor Peter Fowler, OSB, M.Div., Rector
Reverend Sister Watts, OSB., Deconess
ST. JAMES AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
50 Cedar Street, Roxbury, MA.
Reverend Father Cecil Cozier, OSB., M.Div. Priest in Charge
ST. AUGUSTINE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
137 Allison Street, Cambridge, MA
517 427 3946
Most Reverend George H. Turner., OSB., M.Div., Rector
Reverend Father Girdwood E. Lowe, OSB., Curate
ST. PHILLIPS AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
ST. JOHN THE DIVINE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (INACTIVE)
ST. JOHN COLETRAIN.
San Francisco, California
The Most Reverend Franzo King, OSB., Recto
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ST. PATRICK AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
729 Siwela Road Unite 13, Imbali, South Africa 3219
Phone 333-322-2809 Country Code 27
Archbishop M.P. Mkhize, Rector and Bishop of South Africa
THE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Cala Branch St. Mary)
THE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Port Elizabeth St. Christ the King) The African Orthodox Church (Qumbu branch, St. Luke)
THE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Tsomo branch, St. Mark)
THE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Queenstown branch, St. Cyprian)
THE AFRICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Mzimkhulu branch, St Patrick.)
THE ENDICH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY and THE GEORGE ALEXANDER MCGUIRE HOUSE OF STUDIES (fatrherbrennan@aol.com)
HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL
122 West 129th Street
New York City, New York 10027
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