The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom launches a new ministry in the City of London

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers…and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common…” Acts 2:42-44

His Grace Bishop Angaelos announced the launch of The St. Paul Ministry, a new initiative of the Church in the United Kingdom. Held in the beautiful and historic St. Mary-le-Bow church in London, monthly services will be offered in the English language while maintaining the traditional Coptic spirituality and hymnology. Services will be followed by a fellowship meal and a contemporary Bible study and discussion. The first service will be held on Sunday 4^th March at 10am.

His Grace, who with a dynamic and dedicated steering group established the ministry, said:

“While this is a new and exciting ministry for the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, it follows an ethos that has been at its core for centuries; introducing people to our Lord Jesus Christ through the lived perspective of the Church in a real and relevant way. The words of Acts 2:42 have always been especially pertinent to me, and it is exciting to see them presented in a fresh 21^st Century expression.”

Mission Statement

The St Paul Ministry is founded on a novel and fresh approach to fellowship, with the aim of encountering Christ through the life and practice of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Christian Church of Egypt. This Ministry aims to make the ancient apostolic Faith practical, reachable and tangible within a Western context. Our goal is to enable the enrichment of lives through the fellowship of the Church, the manifest Body of Christ.

Aims and Objectives
In line with Acts 2:42, the St Paul Ministry aims to achieve this by: 

1.  Providing opportunities for greater knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures and teachings of the Fathers. 
2.  Creating a safe and familiar space for interaction with like-minded people along their spiritual journey. 
3. Making manifest the Faith and practice of the Church through its Sacraments.
4. Having a time of focused collective prayer and worship.

Read more here

First Service: Sunday 4^th March at 10am in St. Mary-le-Bow church.

Schedule:

10am-11am    Eucharistic Liturgy

11am-12pm    Fellowship Brunch

12pm-1pm      Bible Study and Discussion

Resources:

St. Paul Ministry Website:www.StPaulMinistry.com

On Twitter: @StPaulMinistry , www.twitter.com/StPaulMinistry

E-mail: Contact@StPaulMinistry.com 

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK: Prayer Day for Egypt

Following the success of last year's day of prayer for Egypt with Egyptian Christians from all denominations, a similar day will be held this year on Saturday the 3rd of March at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK. This will be an all day event starting with Liturgy, brunch, and then meet in the hall to pray together. Everyone is invited to attend. Visit www.CopticCentre.com or e-mail VisitUs@CopticCentre.com

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Press Release from the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK

For immediate use

Date:  9^th January 2012  

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre

Media and Public Relations Office

Representatives of Her Majesty The Queen, the Prime Minister, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as numerous Ecumenical, Inter-Religious and Civil representatives attended the Alexandria Memorial Service at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in the UK, Sunday 8^th January.

A memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the bombing in Alexandria of the Church of Saints Mark & Peter in Egypt, as well as the victims of Atfih, Imbaba and more notably Maspero, was held on Sunday 8th January at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre, UK. In attendance was The Countess of Verulam, Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire representing Her Majesty The Queen, Ms Anne Aichroth, Egypt Desk Office representing the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Downing Street, The Revd Canon Jonathan Goodall representing The Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury,  as well as many Ecumenical, inter-religious and Civil representatives.

The service was led by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom who spoke about the Feast of the Nativity, being celebrated by the Coptic Orthodox Church on January 8 this year, and that the birth of Christ was for transformation and change, calling for an Egypt that is also transformed to be for every Egyptian citizen, stating the following in his address:

“We must move on from bitterness, but we must also move on from old ways that have fragmented a community and brought a death sentence, albeit unofficial, upon many...we stand and we pray today, we raise our hearts in confidence, and we place ourselves before the Incarnate Word, that as He sacrificed and as those we commemorate today sacrificed, as He reconciled the world, reconciliation may also come to every part of the world, to Egypt, to Nigeria, and to every part that is suffering now.”

The personal message from The Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury said the following:

“I write to assure you once again of the love and prayer that the Church of England extends for you. We are all deeply conscious of the spiritual gifts poured out upon the Coptic Church and our prayer at the moment is that those gifts will be used in a peaceful new Egypt, where the very best of your history of tolerance and co-operation between communities of faith may be honoured. We pray very earnestly for the good of the whole nation...”

For more information and resources please contact:

Media and Public Relations Officer

Media@CopticCentre.com  

or by telephone 0207-193 7076

Resources

Memorial Service: Address by His Grace Bishop Angaelos

http://www.youtube.com/user/CopticMediaUK

www.BishopAngaelos.org

Transcript: available upon request

UK Press Conference RE: Maspero Incident, Westminster Central Hall, 20/10/2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drRjFb85pTw

House of Lords Debate: Situation of Christians in the Middle East, 9^th December 2011

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=9536

Hansard from the House of Lords Debate

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/index/111209.html

Media and Public Relations Office

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre
Shephalbury Manor
Broadhall Way, Stevenage
Hertfordshire SG2 8NP
England, United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 (0)207 1937076
Fax: +44 (0)1438 313879
Office Email: Media@CopticCentre.com
Website:   www.CopticCentre.com
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CopticMediaUK

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/CopticMediaUK 

Press Release from the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK

For immediate use

Date:  4^th January 2012  

                                                                                                           

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre

Media and Public Relations Office

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in the UK holds a Memorial Service for victims of the Alexandria bombings in Egypt, Sunday 8^th January 2pm.

A representative of Her Majesty the Queen, heads of churches, as well as Ecumenical, inter-religious and Civil representatives are due to attend a memorial service on Sunday 8^th January, to mark the first anniversary of the bombing in Alexandria of the Church of Saints Mark & Peter in Egypt. The service will be held in the Coptic Cathedral of Saint George, at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre under the care of His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK. Many will gather to remember and pray for those who have lost their lives in Egypt, who were injured, who have lost loved ones, and the whole community that has been touched by these events.

The service will also commemorate victims of Atfih, Imbaba and more notably, Maspero.

Press and members of the public are invited to attend.


Sunday 8 January, 2012 from 2pm
The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre Shephalbury Manor
Broadhall Way, Stevenage  Hertfordshire SG2 8NP

RSVP Friday 6 January 2012

to  Media@CopticCentre.com 

or by telephone to 0207-193 7076.

Media and Public Relations Office

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre
Shephalbury Manor
Broadhall Way, Stevenage
Hertfordshire SG2 8NP
England, United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 (0)207 1937076
Fax: +44 (0)1438 313879
Office Email: Media@CopticCentre.com

Website:   www.CopticCentre.com

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CopticMediaUK

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HG Bishop Angaelos on BBC 'Thought for the Day'

Radio 4

Tuesday 27 December, 2011

The landscape of the Middle East has been changing significantly, and in the midst of revolutions, uprisings, terrorist attacks and general social unrest, there is a small but significant group of individuals trying to live an increasingly difficult situation.

It is often forgotten that Christianity actually started in those lands that are now overtaken by conflict. Whether following the Western calendar celebrating Christmas on 25 December or, as we do in the Coptic Orthodox Church, following the Julian calendar celebrating it on 7 January, Christians in the Middle East are experiencing this year’s Nativity Feast in an uncertain and volatile climate. The place that was to be the springboard to “peace on earth and goodwill towards men”, as proclaimed by the angels at the birth of Christ, has unfortunately become a fertile ground for conflict and fragmentation.

On 9 December of this year, a House of Lords debate on Christians in the Middle East gave an inspiring and encouraging message of overwhelming consensus that Christianity was an essential and integral part of the Middle East, and that the decreasing presence of Christians and Christian communities is a sad loss for that region, and indeed for the whole world.

Focusing on Egypt, home to the Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Christian denomination in the Middle East, and an indigenous Church since the first Century, we see an increasingly uncertain time ahead, not only for Christians, but for the whole nation. Egypt is now living a state of unprecedented political freedom, which has ironically lead to greater instability and the appearance of radical and conflicting political and religious ideologies.

While this may indeed be a healthy sign in more democratically-developed nations, in a country like Egypt, currently economically devastated, with a vulnerable electorate hampered by extreme poverty and illiteracy, this creates an uneasy climate and gives rise to the potential manipulation of that electorate.

Having said that, we have not in the past, and do not intend now, to live with the spirit of defeat or self-pity. The Christian message is one of power and hope; overcoming evil with good, and uncertainty with the knowledge of, and trust in, a true and faithful God.

As we all celebrate these festive days, let us remember our brethren in the Middle East, hoping that all has not been in vain, but actually leads to a greater understanding and practice of true democracy and respect for the rights of every individual.

We must also remember that for many millions of Christians in the Middle East, along with their brethren in Nigeria who on Christmas Day experienced such tragedy at what should have been a time of sacred celebration, these days commemorate the birth of the Incarnate Word, Who is still the source of the hope, courage and resilience with which they live till today.

A Christmas message from HG Bishop Angaelos on Premier TV