for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom 3:23)

But You Are Loved!

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (John 14:23)

WELCOME TO

义乌科普特东正教

St. Mark Coptic Church in China

Truth

YOU ARE
NOT ALONE

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (which means ‘God is with us’).” ~Isaiah 7:14

Who We Are

The Coptic Orthodox Church: A Brief History

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the first Christian church in Africa. It was founded by St. Mark, one of the seventy apostles of Christ and one of the four Gospel writers. St. Mark came to Alexandria, Egypt, in 48 AD and was martyred in the same city in 68 AD. The Coptic Church recognizes him as its first pope. St. Mark ordained the first bishop, Anianus, who later became the second patriarch of the Coptic Church. Since then, the Church has continued to ordain bishops, priests, and deacons, with each generation passing down the apostolic tradition to the next.

The ancient school of Alexandria founded by Saint Mark. In the early years of the church, it gave rise to numerous spiritual leaders both in Egypt and abroad. As it is, it’s program has served as a model for today’s seminaries and theological institutes all over the world.

What does the word ‘Coptic’ mean?

Egypt’s Pharaonic name was Hik-Ka-Ptah. Over time, this evolved into the Greek name Aigyptos, then the Arabic Gypt, and eventually Egypt and Copt. Therefore, the words Coptic and Egyptian are synonymous. However, over time, Copticand Christian have also become interchangeable.

What Does “Orthodox” Mean?

The word “Orthodox” literally means “straight opinion” or “correct belief.”

The Orthodox Church was founded by the apostles.
It preserves the same Christian faith and teachings that the apostles received from Jesus Christ.
Its clergy come from an unbroken chain of succession that traces back to the early Christian Church.

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Q & A

How could the teachings of the apostles be preserved till now?

Lord Jesus Christ told His apostle’s: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you (Matthew28:19,20). -St. Paul the apostle said:”For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” (1 Corinthians 11:23) “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 timothy2:2).

What are the sources of the orthodox teachings?

The teachings of the Orthodox Church are derived from several key sources:

The Holy Bible
The Tradition passed down by the early Church Fathers, including ancient liturgies, rites, and prayers
The decisions of the Ecumenical Councils

Thus, these teachings have been faithfully transmitted from generation to generation, both through oral and written tradition, and through the living life of the Church, until they are received by us today.

Our

FAITH

The preservation of the true Christian faith Since the early days of its existence, the Fathers of Coptic Church fought against heresies and ideas that deviate from the proper understanding of Faith. Among those fathers is St. Athanasius. He wrote the creed, the statement of faith, still used by all the Apostolic churches today. He endured many hardships during his lifetime and spent more than 17 years in exile. His well-known expression “I am against the world” defined his commitment to guarding the faith.