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The '''British Orthodox Church''' is a small autonomous [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Church of Alexandria]] in Great Britain.
The first hierarch of the Church is the '''Metropolitan of Glastonbury'''. The current Metropolitan is Seraphim (William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton).
The '''British Orthodox Church''' is a small [[Oriental Orthodox]] jurisdiction, canonically part of the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox Church 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]]. It is a missionary community seeking to promote the Orthodox Faith in every region of the British Isles.
Originally established in 1866 when a Frenchman, [[w:|Jules Ferrette]], was consecrated as a bishop by the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)|Syriac Orthodox Church]] with the purpose of re-establishing [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] to the West.
==Relationship with the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]]==
Over the years this mission lost touch with its Eastern origins, but in 1994, under the leadership of the present bishop, discussions with the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]] 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, [[Archbishop|Abba]] Seraphim was ordained a Metropolitan by His Holiness [[Shenouda III (Gayyid) of Alexandria|Pope Shenouda III]], and the British Orthodox Church became a constituent of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate and the current head of theBritish Orthodox Church is [[Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury]].
[[Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury]] is a full member of The [[Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria]].
The British Orthodox today comprises parishes and missions throughout the British Isles. All its services are in English and it [[Veneration|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".
Although the British Orthodox Church is a small community at present, it is committed to evangelism and wider ministry.
==Publications==
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 [http://www.orthodoxunity.org/ website].
Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox churches and the Anglican Church takes place in the [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ecumenical/dialogues/oriental/index.cfm Anglican Oriental Orthodox International Commission].
==See also==
*[[Coptic Orthodox Church in UK]]
*[[Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe]]
==External links==
* [http://www.britishorthodox.org/ British Orthodox Church - Orthodoxy in Britain]
* [http://www.orthodoxunity.org/ Orthodox Unity - Supporting the Joint Commission]
* [http://www.orthodoxmedway.org/ British Orthodox in Medway, Kent]
[[Category:Oriental Orthodox churches]]
[[Category:Orthodox Churches in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Oriental Orthodox|Alexandria]]
[[Category:Jurisdictions|Alexandria (Coptic)]]
[[Category:Christianity in Europe]]
[[ar:الكنيسة البريطانية الأرثوذوكسية]]
[[fr:Église orthodoxe britannique]]
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==External links==
