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The early history of the Church of Antioch is detailed in the [[Acts of the Apostles]], where in Acts 11:26 the [[Apostle Luke]] records that it was in that city that the disciples of Christ were first called [[Christian]]s. Due to the importance of Antioch as a major center in the ancient [[Roman Empire]], many of the missionary efforts of the [[apostles]] were launched from that city. In the early centuries of the Church's history, it was natural that the Church sojourning in Antioch would come to be traditionally regarded as one of the centers of world Christianity. The territory that came to be associated with the [[bishop]] of Antioch was that of the Roman Diocese of the East (a [[diocese ]] was originally an imperial governmental division before it became an ecclesiastical one).

The [[schism ]] greatly weakened the Antiochian church, and in 637 when Antioch fell to the [[Islam|Muslim]] Arabs, the "Greek" church was perceived by the invaders as allied to the Romano-Byzantine enemies of the Arabs. During the subsequent period, Antiochian Orthodox Christians underwent a lengthy period of persecution, and there were multiple periods of either vacancy or non-residence on the Antiochian patriarchal throne during the 7th and 8th centuries. In 969, the Roman Empire regained control of Antioch, and the church there prospered again until 1085, when the Seljuk Turks took the city. During this period of more than a hundred years, the traditional West Syrian [[liturgy]] of the church was gradually replaced by that of the tradition of the Great Church, [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia]] in Constantinople. This process was completed sometime in the 12th century.

The [[St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)|St. John of Damascus Patriarchal Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)]] was established by the patriarchate in 1970, and in 1988 it was fully incorporated into the University of Balamand. The Institute functions as the primary [[seminary ]] for theological schooling for the patriarchate's [[clergy ]] and [[laity|lay ]] leaders.

The [[Holy Synod]] of Antioch includes the [[patriarch]] and all the ruling [[bishop]]s. Meetings are held each year in Spring and Autumn at the patriarchate to consider church-wide issues, and to elect the patriarch and other [[bishop]]s bishops as needed. The patriarch and holy synod govern the Church of Antioch to preserve the true faith, to maintain ecclesiastical order, and to carry out the commandments of Christ. In addition to the synod itself, a general conciliar body meets twice a year to see to the financial, educational, judicial, and administrative matters of the patriarchate. It is composed of members of the synod and of lay representatives. When a new patriarch is to be elected, this body selects three candidates from whom the holy synod chooses the new patriarch.

The current [[patriarch ]] is His Beatitude Patriarch [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] and all the East, elected in 1979. Patriarch Ignatius has been particularly active in strengthening ties with other Christian communions, but particularly with those whose roots are in Antioch. His Beatitude and the [[holy synod ]] of Antioch were enthusiastic for the Church of Antioch to participate in general talks between representatives of all the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches.