How Old Is Your Church?

How Old is Your Church?
By George Kutulas

 

For 1000 years, the
Western 
Apostolic 
Church, centered in
Rome, was united with the Eastern Apostolic Churches. Unfortunately in 1054,
Rome became dogmatically separated with the Eastern Churches. In the 16th century, after 500 years of domination, Western Europeans began to rebel against
Rome’s excessive authority and the additions it had made to the original Christian Faith. This reaction was called the Protestant Reformation. Since the Reformation, many denominations have been founded in
Western Europe and the
New World. The following Western communions have rejected
Rome’s authority and most of its innovations. Yet, even though they have meant well, none have returned to the fullness of the original Christian foundations.

If you are a Lutheran, Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Church of Rome, founded your church in the 1520’s. Your church is less than 500 years old.

If you belong to the Church of England, King Henry VIII founded your denomination in the year 1534 because the Pope of Rome would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.  Your church is less than 500 years old.

If you are Presbyterian, John Knox founded your denomination in
Scotland in 1557.  Your church is less than 500 years old.

If you are a Congregationalist, Robert Brown founded your denomination in
Holland in 1582.  Your church is less than 500 years old.

If you are a Baptist, you owe the doctrine (teachings) of your denomination to John Smyth who launched it in
Amsterdam in 1608.  Your church is less than 400 years old. 

If you are of the Dutch reformed Church, Jonas Michaelius organized your denomination, in
New York, in the year 1628.  Your church is less than 400 years old. 

If you are a Unitarian, your religious beliefs began to appear in
London in the 1640’s.  Your expression is less than 400 years old.

If you are a Methodist, John and Charles Wesley founded your denomination in
England in 1738.  Your church is less than 300 years old.

If you are an Episcopalian, Samuel Seabury founded your denomination in the American colonies in 1789.  Your church, which is an offshoot of the Church of England, is less than 300 years old.

If you are a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), your religion was started by Joseph Smith in
New York in the year 1830. Your sect is less than 200 years old.

If you are a Seventh-Day Adventist, you belong to the Adventist group that was organized in 1863 by Joseph Bates and James and Ellen White.  Your church is less than 150 years old.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, William Booth started your sect in
London in the year 1865.  Your religious group is less than 150 years old.

If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religious beliefs were born to its founder, Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy.  Your sect is less than 150 years old.

If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, Charles Taze Russell organized your religion at the end of the 19th century.  Your movement is less than 150 years old.

If you belong to another Christ centered religious body founded in
Western Europe or the
New World after the Reformation, which is not mentioned here, your religious group could be up to 450 years old, but it is more likely to be less than 100 years old.
                                                _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

If you are Roman Catholic, your church shared the rich apostolic and doctrinal heritage, during the first 1000 years of Christianity, with the churches in the East. During the first millennium they were one and the same Church.  In 1054, the western center of the Church,
Rome, became separated from the eastern centers, which were in the cities of
Alexandria,
Antioch,
Constantinople and
Jerusalem.  The separation occurred because Eastern Christians would not give
Rome’s bishop an unprecedented supremacy over the whole Church and because they objected to the change made by
Rome to the ancient Nicene Creed.  (In 431, at the Council of Ephesus, the undivided Church agreed that the Nicene Creed, which concurred with Christ’s wording in the Gospel of John concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit, would never be altered).  After the separation, the Church of Rome began to introduce other innovations. There was a new concept concerning “Why Christ Came,” as well as the Doctrines of Purgatory, Indulgences and Merits and there were Eucharistic changes. Also, there were the later changes of the 19th century; new doctrines concerning the Virgin Mary (the Immaculate Conception and her Assumption) and the Bishop of Rome (Papal Infallibility). These innovations are some of the reasons why many Western Christians have rejected the faith and authority of the Church of Rome. If the Church of Rome had not become separated from the Eastern Churches, had not made changes to the Faith and had not misused its authority, it is possible that there would not have been a Protestant reaction in the West.  If you are Roman Catholic, your church is almost 2000 years old. However, the changing of the Faith in your church, which began almost 1000 years ago, makes your altered faith less than 1000 years old.

If you are an Orthodox Christian, Jesus Christ established your Church in 33AD.  This original, unchanged Church has not distorted the teachings of Christ and His Apostles. It has not altered the governing structure and experiential worship of the New Testament Church or the meaning of the original Greek text of the New Testament Scriptures. Your
Apostolic 
Church with its Orthodox Faith  (centered in God becoming Man so man could become more and more like God) is almost 2000 years old.
What did the words “orthodox” and “catholic” mean to the early Christians?

The word “orthodox” actually derives from two ancient Greek words; orthos, which translates to “right” and doxa, which translates to “glory”. To the early Christians, right glory signified the truth that the Apostles received from Jesus Christ. This term became important to the early Church, even during the time of the Apostles, when various concepts, which were contrary to their teachings and worship, began to appear.  People who lived and defended the Faith of the Apostles were “orthodox” in their Christianity. Within 300 years, the original, unchanged Faith actually became known as the Orthodox Faith.

During the early years of Christianity, the
Apostolic 
Church became known as the Catholic Church.  However, the term “catholic” did not signify Roman Catholic.  This is a term given to the Church of Rome by the English in the 19th century.  In the language of the early Church, which was Greek, “catholic” meant the true Faith believed everywhere, always and by all. By the late 4th century, Latin had become the language of the Church in
Rome and
Western Europe. After the Roman Church had became dogmatically separated with the Eastern Churches in the 11th century, the term “catholic” came to mean, in the Latin West, the universal church under Rome’s supremacy. 

Eventually, the Western Apostolic Church of Rome became known as the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Apostolic Churches became known as the Orthodox Church.

For the first 1000 years of Christianity, the united Western and
Eastern 
Apostolic 
Churches worshipped within the Orthodox Faith.  While Orthodox Eastern Christianity has preserved and continued the ancient Orthodox Apostolic Faith, “Orthodoxy” has disappeared in non-Orthodox Christianity because of man-made changes to Christianity’s original foundations.

If you would like to know more about the original Christian Faith, we would be happy to help. Come visit us at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church,

12407 E. 16^th Avenue

(16^th &

Pines Ave.

)