with Rev Dr Chris Walker
The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Churches
On 10 September I was privileged to represent the Uniting Church at the Coptic New Year celebration “El-Nayrouz” at Parliament House. It was interesting to read their information booklet and find out more about the Coptic Orthodox Church and its calendar.
The Coptic Orthodox Church traces its history to St Mark who they say was martyred in 68 AD after he was tied to a horse and dragged by the Romans on the streets of Alexandria in Egypt until his death. St Mark is remembered as the founder of the Coptic Church and thus is counted as the first Pope of Alexandria. The current Pope, Tawadros 11 (Theodore), is the 118th successor of St Mark. He is Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark. An unbroken link between the incumbent head of the Coptic Church to the age of the Apostles and those who witnessed the words and deeds of Jesus is affirmed. To mark the 1900th anniversary of the martyrdom of St Mark a large cathedral was opened, St Mark’s Coptic Cathedral, in Cairoon June 25th 1968. Among those present were Egyptian President Gamal Nasser, Vice President at the time Anwar Sadat and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. The Roman Catholic Church allowed a collection of St Mark’s remains to be sent back to the country of his martyrdom and buried in a small reliquary below the main altar of the newly inaugurated cathedral.
The feast of El Nayrouz marks the first day of the Coptic New Year. It was celebrated during the inundation of the Nile, the life source for the region. Our 11 September is the first day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Egyptian year. The date comes from the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian in 284 AD. That is the start of their Coptic calendar. Diocletian’s reign was marked by an attempt to eradicate Christianity from the Eastern Roman Empire. Egyptian Christians were especially targeted. They call this period of their history the martyrdom era. Hence the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A. M. (Anno Martyrum) or “Year of the Martyrs”. The heritage of martyrs is deeply etched on the Coptic psyche. Earlier this year 21 Coptic young men were beheaded in Libya by members of IS. They are seen as modern martyrs. The Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia has dioceses in Melbourne and Sydney. Bishop Daniel is an impressive person in Sydney. He is a deeply spiritual person. The Coptic Church with its icons and liturgy is very different from my own Uniting Church but we recognise them as authentic and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
The Uniting Church is a Protestant Church that comes from Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist Churches, so we have both a Reformed and a Methodist heritage. We look back to the 16th century Reformation and the 18th century Methodist movement as our influential traditions. We also have our Basis of Union and documents written since union on 22 June, 1977. We identify ourselves as catholic, in the sense of going back to the beginning of the church, Reformed and Evangelical or Methodist, with a living tradition that continues to develop.
The surprising new development in the 20th century was the beginning and growth of the Pentecostal movement and churches. The Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles at the beginning of the 20th century is identified as the start of the Pentecostal movement which rapidly spread else where. Pentecostal churches continue to grow especially in Africa, Asia and South America. In Sydney Hillsong, which is an Assembly of God church, is now the largest single church in Australia. It has planted churches not only in Australia but also overseas such as in London. Its music and songs are very influential. The Pentecostal movement has led to the development of many new churches as well as had an influence on other churches.
The Christian movement world-wide consists of Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals. We are all part of “the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church” as the Nicene Creed puts it but “do” church in different ways. Roman Catholics are known for their Pope and hierarchical church. The Orthodox have their icons and distinctive liturgy. Both regard the Eucharist as the central act of the church. Protestants give special attention to the Word, as do Evangelicals. Whereas historic Protestants now emphasise justice and social service, Evangelicals continue to emphasise conversion. Word and deed are both seen as important but given different weight. Pentecostals renewed an emphasis on healing and the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. There are valuable statements on Mission and Evangelism from both the World Council of Churches and the Lausanne movement. A joint statement on “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World” has been published by the World Council of Churches, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the World Evangelical Alliance.
We have moved from antagonism between Catholics and Protestants, and criticism of Pentecostals and Pentecostals putting down historic churches, to a much greater appreciation for one another. Many of us who are not Roman Catholics nevertheless appreciate the witness of the current Pope Francis. We can admire and learn from the spirituality and faithfulness of the Orthodox who have had to endure much persecution and continue to do so. The enthusiasm and faith sharing of Pentecostals is something all churches could have more of, but they might express it in different ways. Historic Protestants have been concerned about having an informed as well as personal faith.
All churches are called to move and adapt in appropriate ways towards the future God intends for them. The future as I see it is not to become one super church but rather to be a collection of churches respecting, appreciating and acknowledging one another. That does not mean we have to agree on everything. We do so seeking to bring the good news of Jesus Christ and the love of God to the people with whom we are able to connect.
Chris Walker
(National Consultant Christian Unity, Doctrine & Worship)