African Orthodox Church

The African Orthodox Church (AOC), is a predominantly African-American Christian denomination

which was founded in the United States in 1918 by the joint collaboration of its first patriarch, George
Alexander McGuire, and Marcus M. Garvey.

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, of Eastern and Western rites. The Nicene, Apostles', and Athanasian
creeds are affirmed.[1]

History
The African Orthodox Church was founded on the belief that black Episcopalians should have a
denomination of their own. Episcopal rector George Alexander McGuire was consecrated a bishop on
September 28, 1921, who had served as Chaplain-General of the Universal Negro Improvement
Association (U. N. I. A.), in Chicago, Illinois, by an episcopus vagans, 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 had greatly desired.[1]

The United States Census Bureau's Religious Bodies, 1926 edition, first reported one denomination "which
now has a thriving organization of congregations" derived from Vilatte, that "aspires to ultimate association
with Eastern Orthodox Churches as a racial or national unit" and "does not desire any association with Old
Catholic Churches"—the AOC.[2]: 1070 It had its episcopal see in New York City but incorporated in
Florida. It claimed 13 organizations, with a membership of 1,508 without a church edifice. There was no
organization reporting a parsonage. The number of ministers identified with the church was 30.[2]: 46–47

Another denomination first reported in Religious Bodies, 1926 edition, named the African Orthodox
Church of New York (AOCoNY) also had its episcopal see in New York City and incorporated in New
York. The AOCoNY was in a fellowship "strictly one of spiritual communion" with the AOC and a distinct
organization with "absolute independence." It claimed three organizations, with a membership of 717 with
one church edifice. There was one organization reporting a parsonage. The number of ministers identified
with the church was not reported.[2]: 49

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, Daniel William Alexander, as Primate of the Province 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 British Uganda and British Kenya, where it grew to about 10,000. A congregation also developed in
Nassau, Bahamas.[3]: 37

In 1932 a bishop of the church went to Uganda and ordained Ruben Spartus Mukasa and one of his
associates there priests of the African Orthodox Church. However, a few years later, Mukasa and his
followers decided to align with the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Mukasa went to Alexandria and
was ordained by the patriarch there, while the African Orthodox Church lost its connection in Uganda.[4]
The St. John William Coltrane Church in San Francisco was founded in 1971 and joined the AOC in
1982.[5]

Relationship to the Oriental Syriac Patriarchate

A notice from the Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East concerning schismatic bodies and
episcopi vagantes, dated December 10, 1938, states that "after direct expulsion from official Christian
communities" some schismatic bodies exist, including "all the sects claiming succession through Vilatte,"
that claim "without truth to derive their origin and apostolic succession from some ancient Apostolic
Church of the East" and

[...] some of these schismatic bodies have with effrontery published statements which are
untrue as to an alleged relation "in succession and ordination" to our Holy Apostolic Church
and her forefathers, We find it necessary to announce to all whom it may concern that we deny
any and every relation whatsoever with these schismatic bodies and repudiate them and their
claims absolutely. Furthermore, our Church forbids any and every relationship, and above all,
intercommunion with all and any of these schismatic sects and warns the public that their
statements and pretensions [...] are altogether without truth.[3]: 70

The notice named the AOC specifically as an example of such schismatic bodies.[3]: 70

See also
Christianity portal
United States
portal

Evangelical Orthodox Church

Harlem Renaissance
Raphael Morgan

References
1. Mead, Frank S., Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 10th edition, Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1995, pp. 128-129
2. United States. Bureau of the Census (1929). "Religious bodies: 1926" (http://hdl.handle.net/
2027/mdp.39015002601345?urlappend=%3Bseq=1087). Religious bodies. Vol. 2
(1926 ed.). Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. pp. 45–49, 1070.
hdl:2027/mdp.39015002601345 (https://hdl.handle.net/2027%2Fmdp.39015002601345?url
append=%3Bseq=1087). OCLC 628203882 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/628203882).
Retrieved 2013-04-24.
3. Brandreth, Henry R. T. (n.d.) [1947]. Episcopi vagantes and the Anglican Church (http://angli
canhistory.org/england/hrtbrandreth/vagantes1947.pdf) (PDF). Northumberland, Great
Britain: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
4. "history of Orthodoxy in Uganda" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200903/http://www.
cnewa.org/mag-article-bodypg-us.aspx?articleID=3211). Archived from the original (http://w
ww.cnewa.org/mag-article-bodypg-us.aspx?articleID=3211) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved
2009-10-29.
 5. Freedman, Samuel G. (December 1, 2007). "Sunday Religion, Inspired by Saturday Nights"
(https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/us/01religion.html). The New York Times.

Works cited
Alexander, D. W. Constitution and Canons and Episcopate of the African Orthodox Church
Beaconsfield 1942
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)
Gavin White. "Patriarch McGuire and the Episcopal Church" in Historical Magazine of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. No. 38. — 1969. — P. 109—141.

External links
NetMinistries - African Orthodox Church, Inc. (http://netministries.org/see/churches.exe/ch26
904)
A Place For The Soul To Sing: The Church Of St. John Coltrane (http://www.mtv.com/news/2
862125/a-place-for-the-soul-to-sing-the-church-of-st-john-coltrane/), Carvell Wallace, 5 April
2016, MTV.
Worldwide Anglican Church (https://www.worldwideanglicanchurch.org/) of Uganda and
Nigeria (African Orthodox Church of Africa)

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