Everything about The African Orthodox Church totally explained
The
African Orthodox Church is a primarily
African-American denomination in the
Anglican tradition, founded in the
United States in 1919. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members.
The AOC is known for having
beatified the late
jazz saxophonist
John Coltrane as a
saint. The
St. John Will-I-Am Coltrane Church
in
San Francisco was founded in 1971, and joined the AOC in 1982.
Beliefs
The AOC holds to the historic three-fold ministry of
bishops,
priests, and
deacons, and lays strong emphasis on
apostolic succession. The church celebrates the seven
sacraments of the
Roman Catholic Church. Its worship is
liturgical, blending elements of Eastern and Western rites. The
Nicene,
Apostles', and
Athanasian creeds are affirmed.
History
The African Orthodox Church (AOC) was founded in the belief that black
Episcopalians should have a denomination of their own. Episcopal rector
George Alexander McGuire was consecrated a bishop on September 28th, 1921, in
Chicago, Illinois, by Archbishop
Joseph Rene Vilatte, assisted by Bishop Carl A. Nybladh who had been consecrated by Vilatte. This placed Bishop McGuire in apostolic succession, which was something he'd greatly desired.
The new denomination was originally called the Independent Episcopal Church, but at its first Conclave, or House of Bishops, meeting on September 10, 1924, the denomination was formally organized as the African Orthodox Church. Bishop McGuire was unanimously elected Archbishop and enthroned with the title of "Archbishop Alexander".
McGuire served for several years as Chaplain of the
Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA), founded and led by
Marcus Garvey. When Garvey decided in 1924 to relocate UNIA headquarters to the
West Indies, McGuire left the UNIA and began to devote himself to the development and extension of his church. Soon Endick Theological Seminary was founded, as well as an order of
deaconesses, and the
Negro Churchman magazine began publication, with McGuire as its editor.
The African Orthodox church originally attracted mostly Anglican West Indian immigrants. It spread to the South in 1925 when McGuire started a parish in
West Palm Beach,
Florida. Two years later he consecrated an African as
Metropolitan William Daniel Alexander of
South Africa and central and southern Africa. At this time McGuire was elected as
Patriarch with the title of Alexander I. The 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, McGuire dedicated Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral, a remodeled house purchased by McGuire from funds obtained by mortgaging his own home.
McGuire died on November 10 1934. He was survived by his wife, Ada Robert McGuire, a native of
Antigua, and a daughter. At the time of his death the church had about 30,000 members, about fifty clergy, and thirty churches located in the United States, Africa, Cuba, Antigua and
Venezuela.
Further Information
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