| Its General History |
| African Orthodox Church |
The African Orthodox Church is a primarily African-American Church in the Anglican tradition, founded in the United States in 1919. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members. Faith and Order Summarised The African Orthodox Church 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. 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 had 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 organised 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. |
| The Late Archbishop Joseph René Vilatte Born January 24, 1854 – Died July 1, 1929 |
“Archbishop Joseph René Vilatte’s life was full of interest from the outset, particularly that large part of it which was given to and spent in the United States of America. No more loyal American could there be, and the institutions of America became almost an old session, so deep and fervent was his interest in strengthening and supporting them. His love for his native France never abated and his mind was set on returning there for many years. Eventually he returned not only to France, but also to the surprise of everybody who knew him, he also returned to the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of his young manhood. |
| The Vatican authorities received him as an Archbishop of the Catholic Faith granted him large considerations and favours, and accorded him the courtesies due to the noble office he held, but which derived from the Syrian Patriarch. It was ordered at the 1929 General Synod that July First in each year, with its Octave, be observed as a Festival of this Church in joyful Thanksgiving for the labour of this Apostle through whom we received our glorious heritage in the Catholic Episcopate. Let all the Clergy and Congregations observe this Festival. Editor’s Note: - Patriarch James I orders the above to be strictly observed. Archbishop Joseph René Vilatte was consecrated in Colombo, Ceylon by Archbishop Alvares, assisted by the Syrian Metropolitan-Archbishops Gregorius and Athanasius in accordance with an edict issued by His Holiness Ignatius Peter III of Antioch, the City where the Apostles and their followers were first called Christians (Acts 11: 26). On November 18, 1923 the second Bishop, the Priest William E. Robertson, was consecrated. In September, 1924, the Priest Arthur Stanley Trotman, was consecrated and Bishop McGuire was elected Archbishop and Primate. “Thus has come to us in the most direct, unquestionable and provable line of Apostolic Succession to be found in any branch of the Western Church of today, and in its original authority and power, that old commission of Jesus Christ: “As my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” On Sunday, September 11, 1927, at 11 a.m., the Priest, Daniel William Alexander, of British South Africa, elected to be Archbishop an Primate of the Province of South Africa, was consecrated in the Church of Saint Michael, Boston, Mass., in the presence of an overflowing congregation. Certain events of the day made great impression on the audience. The beginning of the Gospel for the day was: “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see; for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see them, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” As the Consecrator sang those words, the congregation was visibly moved. Again, later during the ceremony, at the moment when the Consecrator and his two assistants laid their hands upon the head of the Bishop-Elect, and uttered the words: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” nature seemed join with men in the solemn act, for a peal of thunder instantly broke forth followed once by a copious shower, which spectators state, fell in direct vertical sheets to the earth.” Thus, the African Orthodox Church “lengthened her cords” reaching out to the millions of our brethren across the seas. As we write these words we have before its application from other parts of Africa from a Church with similar Orders to ours seeing unification so that there be One Church and one Patriarch. However, our progress has not been free from upheavals. Like the Church in earlier years, besides external oppositions, internal strives occurred. The lust for power is not less among our people than it is among other races, and so we had to face the sad experience of schisms. Notwithstanding these unfortunate events, which our greatest opponent uses at all times against the Church of Jesus Christ, the African Orthodox Church steadily moves onward, looking upward to and relying on Him who promised that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church.” Today, starting without “purse or script”, the African Orthodox Church shows stability and progress. Congregations in Canada, Boston, New York, New Bedford, Florida, Cuba and Africa have acquired property. Our brethren from the Gold Coast are seeking union. Panama has also welcomed the call, and so the leaven gradually leavens the lump. We celebrate this twenty-fifth anniversary with joyfulness and praise to Almighty God for His blessings, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. We look with great expectations and hope towards the future. Our needs are many, so we must work towards bringing them into being. We hope that the monetary response during this Twenty-fifth Anniversary will make possible the securing of a residential Seminary. We raise our hands to God in supplication beseeching Him for Wisdom, Understanding and Guidance in the future. We hail the future with Hope and implicit Faith in the Blessed and Glorious Trinity, we step forward with confidence which faith alone can inspire; and as we march forward with our banners unfurled, fluttering in the breezes, we hail our brethren everywhere and we say “Come with us, and here, under our own banner and fig tree we will do you good.” Archbishop Philippe Laurent De Coster, B.Th., D.D. likes to add a testimony taken from an article written for Internet, “The Origin of Orthodoxy in East Africa” (The AOC in Kenya), by Metropolitan Makarios (Tillyrides) of Zimbabwe, and of the Orthodox Research Institute: “…This bishop was Rene Vilatte, titled Mar. Timotheos, Old Catholic Archbishop of North America and First Primate of the American Catholic Church. He was one of the occasional individuals who have valid Episcopal orders, but was never recognised by any of the established churches.” For further reading go on Scribd at "Oremus": The African Orthodox Church |
| Archbishop George Alexander McGuire Nomen: + Alexander. |
| AOC Apostolic Sussessions: + Ph.L.De Coster +Jean Frémont |
| Biography Arch. J.R.Vilatte |