The Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. The historic faith has been handed down in unbroken continuity for 2000 years.
During the first 1000 years of Christianity there was only one, undivided Church. However, in 1054, the Church experienced a major split. The Church in Western Europe separated itself from the rest of the Church and thus formed the Roman Catholic Church. This unfortunate split with the Western Church led to an even further division of the Orthodox Church of the East during the Crusades. The separated Western Church eventually had a split within its own ranks when Marin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Church in Wittenburg in 1517. This started what is now known as the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation produced numerous divisions with the new doctrines, dogmas and denominations. In the meantime, the Orthodox Church has remained true and undivided even to this day. We are unified, faithful, universal and trace our historical lineage back to Christ and the Apostles. In other words, a Church that is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic!
