We are a small mission of the Orthodox Church in Cullman,AL. Our mission is blessed under his His Eminence Nicholas Metropolitan of Eastern America. Our mission is under direct guidance of Archimandrite Fr. John Townsend of St. Mary of Egypt in Atlanta. Currently we have bi-weekly Compline services in Cullman, on Thurday evenings. Liturgy is held on every couple of months. For location information, or general questions, you can reach us at info@cullmanorthodox.com
Many Orthodox Church services in America are still served in their native language such as Greek, Aramaic, Slavonic, etc. Services in Cullman are served in English, with a small amount of Greek and Slavonic. We welcome all visitors to come and see the ancient Orthodox Christian Church! Experience the ancient hymns, prayers, chant and worship. There are many things about Orthodox worship that may surprise you. Come and See!
Most of us in Cullman are converts to the ancient Eastern Orthodox Church. We began our journey with a deep desire to know more about ancient Christianity, Church history and a deeper spiritual life we all knew had to be apart of the ancient Church and had somehow been lost in the West. The Orthodox Christian Church is not Protestant (1500's AD), nor Roman Catholic (1054 AD), but the ancient Christian Church of the East (Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria 33AD) which have defended and preserved the ancient theology, worship and traditions of ancient Christianity now for nearly 2,000 years.
German Princess Elizabeth (February 24, 1864 – July 18, 1918), was the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia. Elizabeth coming from Darmstadt Germany, and being born into a Lutheran home, was unfamiliar with the ancient Orthodox Christian faith. However she quickly became curious and devoted much time into learning about the ancient Orthodox Church. Converting completely on her own, with a desire to be closer to Christ and His original Church, she was baptized, and began a new and deeply spirit filled life.
After the assassination of her husband by communist, Grand Duchess Elizabeth became a nun, giving away her jewelry and selling her most luxurious possessions. With the proceeds she opened the Martha and Mary Home in Moscow to foster the prayer and charity of devout women. For many years she helped the poor and orphans in this Moscow home. Here there arose a new vision of a diaconate for women, one that combined intercession and action in the heart of a disordered world. In 1918, the Communist government exiled her to Yekaterinburg and then to Alapaevsk, where she was violently killed by the local Bolsheviks on July 18, 1918
In 1981 Elizabeth was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Located on the Mount of Olives, directly across the Kidron Valley from the Temple Mount and near the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, you will see 7 bright shining onion domes atop the Church of St Mary Magdalene, one of Jerusalem’s most picturesque sights. The relics of two martyred saints, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and her fellow nun Varvara Yakovleva, are located here in this beautiful church.
You may contact us by email info@cullmanorthodox.com
& what to expect on your visit.
The original Christian Church, founded by our Lord Jesus Christ, was well established early in the first centuries. All of its five major centers (Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Rome) each having their own Bishop/Patriarch, were united for more than 1,000 years. From Ethiopia to Ireland, as far as parts of India, the Church was united under one God, one Faith, one Holy Spirit, one theology, one Church! In 1054, the Great Schism divided Rome from the other four in the East (Time line). The other four major centers (Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria) began to be called as Orthodox. From that point in history, the ancient and original Church in the East began to be called Orthodox Christian, which means in the Greek, Ortho-(True) Doxy-(Teaching). They have remained true the to traditions and worship for nearly 2,000 years. The ancient Orthodox Church continued to grow in the East, adding other Patriarchs as regions matured spiritually. Not long after Rome was separated from the East (and even before), many changes began to take place in the West. Many of these changes that brought about the Great Schism eventually brought about another division, the birth of Protestantism in Prussia (current Germany) in the 1500's. (A schism and division that came only from the Roman Church in the West, not the East) Sadly, in the West, so many things about Christianity has been changed, been lost, and continues to be changed and be lost. The East has remained rooted in it's Apostolic teachings and traditions. There are Orthodox Churches built in the 300's still providing services today. Most of us in America know very little about the ancient Christian Church in the East, simply because our heritage is mostly from Western Europe. As it's not possible to explain nearly 2,000 years of Eastern Christian history in a short paragraph, feel free to contact us. info@cullmanorthodox.com
Most Americans have not heard of the ancient Eastern Orthodox Church. Why? Simply put, most Americans heritage is from Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain etc. The majority of Americans settlers were from Western Europe. At one time, these Western European countries were all united with the ancient faith from the East and were all Orthodox. At one time Rome was united with the East and Orthodox as well. Somewhere in your Christian family heritage, someone was more than likely Orthodox. Because of the Great Schism in 1054AD, all the West was now considered Roman Catholic. Protestantism did not exist until around the 1500's, and is purely a Western event and purely a product of the Roman Catholic Church and the events with Rome that lead up to this second schism known as the Reformation, that turned into thousands of divisions for Prostantism. Upon America's founding, the Western Church, that is to say Rome had been separated from the Eastern Orthodox Church for more than 500 years before Catholics and Protestant settlers who were already divided in many denominations, from Western Europe came to America. Likewise Protestantism was still a fairly new branch / division of Roman Catholicism when America was settled. Most Americans however have heard the term or word Greek Orthodox. So that is to say that eventually immigrants from Greece and other Orthodox countries did settle in America, bringing the ancient Orthodox faith with them. Most of us in Alabama don't have personal friends from Greece, Jordan, Syria, Asia Minor,Bulgaria,Egypt and the other countries Orthoddox Christians come from. If you did, they would for sure talk about their ancient Faith not long after meeting them.
No. There is no such thing as an infallible Pope in the ancient Eastern Orthodox Church. The concept of one bishop/ (Pope in this case), that would rule all the other Bishops, was actually part of the reason for the Great Schism and separation of Rome from the East (Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople). The Orthodox Church leadership is identical today as it was in the beginning and even talked about in the New Testament. There are Patriarchs and Bishops, Elders, etc, but no single Patriarch or Bishop to rule them all. Each major Christian center has had a Patriarch/Bishop from the very begining since our Lord established the ancient Church. For example, St. Mark was the first Bishop of Alexandria. St. James was the first Bishop of Jerusalem. St. Peter was the first bishop of Antioch for 12 years, later going to Rome to the be first Bishop of Rome. St. Andrew was the first bishop of Constantinople. This apostolic leadership and lineage has been continued, recorded since the beginning and still carries on to this day. The current Patriarch of Jerusalem is Patriarch Theophilos III The current Patriarch of Antioch is John X Patriarch The current Patriarch of Constantinople is Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew The following is an example of how The Orthodox Church of Antioch has continued from 33AD till the present and all of it's Patriarch's. List of Patriarchs of Antioch from 33AD till Present Including the ancient Patriarchs linage that still exists to this very day, there are now in total nine Orthodox Patriarch's, including other Eastern countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Georgia and others.
Ancient Christian worship is Liturgical. That is to say, it has order. Just as the Jews were given instruction on how to worship in Deuteronomy,
This same Liturgical order has been kept since the beginning in the East. The Apostles did not set out to create a new form of worship.
They taught all early Christians how to worship, and that worship was, and still is the ancient Liturgical way of worship.
The only change to say, is that the Messiah had come! So even though worship is still mainly focused on our Holy Father, the worship has been fulfilled by the coming of Christ!
Thus the service is filled with ancient hymns of His Glory and presence of the Holy Spirit. You will notice incense and candles in the Church as described in the Old and New Testament
Whether you are in Greece, Isreal, Egypt or an Orthodox Church in America, it's the same service. An American Greek Orthodox priest once described an experience of serving in an Armenian Orthodox Church built in the 300's and still in use today. Alhtough he did not know their language, he was able to serve his parts of the service in English, following along with no difference between the service in America. There is much to learn about ancient worship. Inquirers classes are given within the surrounding Orthodox Parrishes in Birmingham and Huntsville, and is a great place to also ask questions.
|