In the tranquil surrounds of ‘The Hayes’ Conference Centre at Swanwick in Derbyshire eighty two delegates assembled for a Pan-Orthodox Conference organized by Orthodox Christianity UK.  Deacon Christopher Barnes and I arrived in the early afternoon to be greeted by Mourad Habid, his wife, and Reader Keith Bailey (another member of the British Orthodox Church, but worshipping with the Copts in Birmingham), organizers of the event. We were given a folio of facts sheets and shown to our rooms.  After we were settled into our comfortable accommodation we met the rest of the delegates over a cup of tea.   We then made our way to the conference hall for the introduction by Mourad Habid who told the story of how a meeting at St.Bega in Cumbria the previous year discussed how the full communion of all the Orthodox families within one Church could be brought about.   To be an Icon of the Holy Trinity and the true Body of Christ was reflected in the  video  sermon on ‘The Church’ given by Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), who was unable to attend himself.

Following an enjoyable dinner, Father Mark Aziz, Hegumenods of St.Mark’s Church, Kirkcaldy in Scotland, spoke about ‘The Grace of the Only Begotten Son’.  His theme was that being drawn by Christ, we set out on an inward journey, Who draws all things to Himself at the appointed time.  Our lives are transformed into a new life with Him and all humanity is reconnected with the Holy Trinity in the Eucharist through His Grace.  The power of salvation grants co-operation of God’s power and our acceptance, especially at every liturgy.  The evening finished with hymns followed by a workshop consisting of five groups of delegates discussing Father Mark’s talk.

After breakfast the following morning, an hour was spent in the chapel reciting the ‘Jesus Prayer’.  In the Conference Room, after the coffee break, Professor Dr.Joseph Fallas’ (University of Athens) talk was entitled ‘Love of God the Father’ He reminded us that God is our true father for those who accept Jesus Christ as His son and we can pray to Him as His child.  One of God’s names in Greek means’ stick’ – as in straight the way of Orthodoxy, the essence of God is leading us to the Trinity by Grace. The soul is created in the image of God which is in the bosom of the Father through His Son.  Following this talk a presentation was made by the charity ‘Coptic Orphans’ and then we the broke for lunch. In the afternoon everybody divided into their group for a workshop on Dr.Fallas’s talk followed by the tea break.  Our next speaker was Father Maximus who after studying in Athens, Cambridge and London, spent fourteen years as a monk on Mount Athos and finally became an Orthodox chaplain in Cambridge for seven years before retiring.  His theme ‘The Revelation of God’ was an in-depth theological explanation of how every human being is good, even someone who has committed the most heinous of crimes.  He went to on to talk about ‘Raptures or Visions’ such as are received by the Saints. which are out of time and space, passing through three stages.  The final stage being the union with God, which St.John of the Cross tells us is ‘nothing, nothing, nothing’, when the light of God so blinds us that there is utter darkness.

After the usual break for tea the workshop for this talk was enjoyed outside in the pleasant surroundings of ‘The Hayes’.  Later in the  chapel, before the hour of the ‘Jesus Prayer’, Julia Pasco, a ‘Jews for Jesus’ supporter, gave a fascinating presentation on the ‘Passover Meal’ and the significance of the various rituals that are enacted and their meaning.  There is more to the meal than bread and wine, many of these signs and symbols are understood by Christians, but hidden from the Jews. Following dinner, we returned to the Conference Hall for Father Stephen Freeman, M.A of Duke University, a priest of St Ann’s church at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A., who gave the evening talk on ‘The Communion of the Holy Spirit’.  The Spirit changes us inside and enables us to understand the hidden meanings in the Gospels and the Old Testament, as happened to the disciples who had not fully understood the sayings of Jesus Christ until the Spirit came at Pentecost.   He calls us into a timeless remembrance of the encountering of Christ, His self sacrifice and self-emptying, Who being made sin, takes evil upon Himself.  The crucifixion is a single event before the creation, it reveals who He is and always has been.  This God means us no harm and true life is found in giving-up of self.  Dying for a cause is not martyrdom, only dying for love.  The Spirit is not of this world and not of this time, Who reveals who was, Who is and is to come.  Reality transcends, time the outcome of history has already come.  The work of God is to redeem us with the love of the crucified Christ.   After hymns, the question and answer session went on late into the night.

On the final morning, breakfast and checking-out, the ‘Jesus Prayer’ was said for an hour for the last time in the chapel.   We returned to the Conference Hall being refreshed with coffee to hear Father John Musther of St.Bega church in Keswick, Cumbria, talk on the theme ‘Love of God in the Fathers’ Tradition’.   The mystery of God is the gift of Christ to God of the life of the Church, Scripture, Church Fathers and the Saints.   The Saints are our living friends and fathers who help us in our journey.  We should ask our Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse us and make us like Him.  The ‘Jesus Prayer’ has the capacity to change our lives and become ‘the undistorted image’.   The living tradition of the Saints is continuous and the Desert Fathers the lynch-pin of a holy life.  God’s work is that we all are one-in-Christ and the world is scandalized by our disunity and the two traditions of Byzantine and Coptic who are the earliest of the living traditions.  Pope Shenouda III in 1989 at St Bishoy’s monastery during a meeting of the World Council of Church, signed a document which started the process of unity.  His successor, Pope Tawadros II, is continuing this work by sending a deputation of Coptic monks to visit their brothers in Christ at the Greek monastery on Mount Athos. After a presentation by ‘Coptic in Need’ a charity helping the poorest of the poor, lunch was served and final ‘Goodbyes’ said.  All delegates were filled with joy seeing God working for the unity of the Church and the fervent prayer of all attending this conference is that we may soon be one as God and His Son are one.  

Jackie-Sarah Morrallee

St Felix & St.Mary’s British Orthodox Church Babingley, Nr. King’s Lynn.

In the prayerful setting of St Peter’s Church of England, Wrecclesham, Farnham, the Orthodox Way of Prayer ecumenical study day was presented for the second time by Father Peter Farrington. The beautiful little Church was made available to us thanks to the hospitality of the Revd, Anne Gell, Dean of Farnham, and the other clergy and people of St Peter’s.

The study day began with Morning Prayer from the Daily Office of the British Orthodox Church, our edition of the Agpeya of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. A series of short talks complemented by discussion and the practical experience of prayer led the participants through a reflection of some aspects of Orthodox spirituality. These included: What is Prayer? The Prayer of the Heart, Praying with Icons, and Developing a Prayer Rule.

A buffet lunch was provided for those attending the event, which gave an opportunity for warm and friendly conversations and Christian fellowship. Chris Hunter and Bronwyn Holder are to be commended for the efforts they put into making the day a success and their constant attention to the practical details of the event. It was a wonderful surprise to be able to welcome Father Simon and Sheila Smyth who supported the day and who helped to bear witness to our British Orthodoxy in all their conversations with the other participants.

The day concluded with Afternoon Prayer from the Daily Office of the British Orthodox Church. Everyone who attended seemed to have appreciated the opportunity to spend a day in thoughtful consideration of the spirituality of the Orthodox Church. This is the first activity of the British Orthodox Church in Farnham and has hopefully served as a useful introduction to our community and our mission among the people of our own British Isles.

Following reports of the threats against Christians in the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which has led to their flight from a city with a continuous Christian presence for more than 1,600 years; the Iraqui Christian community in the UK organised a demonstration outside Parliament on 26 July. Among its leaders were His Eminence Archbishop Mar Athanasius Touma, Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Vicar for the United Kingdom; Mgr. Nizar Semaan of the Chaldean Catholic Church and Archdeacon Yonan Yonan of the Assyian Church of the East. They were joined by clergy of many other churches, including Abba Seraphim and the Suffragen Bishop of Warwick and some Muslim leaders anxious to stand in solidarity with their suffering brethren. Following similar demonstrations in the Middle East this past week, several Muslim speakers declared, “I am Iraqi, I am Christian” After several speeches addressing the large crowd which filled Old Palace Yard opposite the Victoria Tower at Westminster, the clergy processed to Downing Street, where the leaders presented an appeal for support to the Prime Minister.

You are warmly invited to The Orthodox Way of Prayer, an ecumenical study day being organised by the British Orthodox Church within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.

This interesting event will take place at St Peter’s Church of England, Beales Lane, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey. GU10 4PY on Saturday 26th July.

Registration and coffee begins at 9:30, a light lunch will be provided, and the event will conclude at 15:30.

The programme will include:

Orthodox Morning Prayer
What is Prayer?
The Prayer of the Heart
Buffet Lunch
Prayer with Icons
Developing a Prayer Rule
Afternoon Coffee Break
Orthodox Afternoon Prayer

You are most warmly invited to this event, and we would be grateful if you shared it with any others who might be interested including members of your congregation. 

To allow us to plan for refreshments and teaching materials it would be very helpful to us if you replied to this invitation indicating that you intend to participate. The event is free but donations on the day to help cover costs would be appreciated.

Please RSVP to [email protected]

Your Holiness,

Kissing your holy hands and asking for your blessing.

In expressing my heartfelt thanks for the kind message which you sent by the hands of H.G. Bishop Kyrillos, to mark the 20th anniversary of the union of the British Orthodox with the Patriarchate of Alexandria, I do so on behalf of all our clergy and faithful who look to you as their spiritual father. The inspired choice of Bishop Kyrillos as the Papal Exarch for all Europe has already begun a process of deeper co-operation between the churches here, and the presence at our celebration of my brothers, Bishops Pavlos of Greece and Louka of Geneva, eloquently manifested that same fraternal spirit.

Over these two decades we have worked zealously, endeavouring to fulfil our commission for the restoration of Orthodoxy among the British people and to provide a powerful witness to the Orthodox Faith and Tradition in an increasingly secular society. Equally, we have sought to draw strength and inspiration from the profound spiritual riches of the Coptic Church as well as our wider Oriental Orthodox family. Her saints have become our saints; her faith has become our faith.

Twenty years ago, the late Pope Shenouda welcomed the union of the British Orthodox, saying it would mean more people to pray for him and it was our joy and privilege to do so while he was among us, as it is now to commemorate him in the heavenly realm. For us he will always be a deeply venerated and loved figure.

We pray daily for Your Holiness that our Heavenly Father will use you to pour out His blessings to the faithful and to grant you good health, strength and wisdom in discharging your duties as Pope & Patriarch. On the occasion of this Anniversary we take the opportunity to renew in love our commitment to the Holy Orthodox Faith, to the Alexandrian Patriarchate and to Your Holiness’s person.

Asking that you will continue to remember the British Orthodox in your holy prayers.

Your affectionate and devoted son-in-Christ,

+ Seraphim

Metropolitan of Glastonbury