The Orthodox Church did not begin in the 20th Century, or the 19th, or even with Martin Luther in the 16th Century. Our Church began when Jesus Christ established it more than 2,000 years ago through His apostles, and promised that the gates of hell would never prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
In the East, where Christianity began, there was no need for Reformation. This Church came to be called Orthodox because it has held fast to what it was given and has remained true—Orthodox—since the beginning, 2,000 years ago.
Many Orthodox churches in America were established to serve the needs of an immigrant population, and to faithfully transmit and preserve the rich cultural heritage, traditions and language of a specific nation of origin. We at St. John the Merciful, however, are a diverse American community of ordinary people from many different ethnic and cultural groups, and our services are entirely in English.
We are a very warm and open community and we welcome all visitors.
