“Prayers that are offered up to God remain behind closed doors if they do not contain love, for only love can open the doors for prayer.”

— St. Ephraim the Syrian

What is Orthodoxy?

Orthodox Christianity, often called the Eastern Orthodox Church or simply Orthodoxy, is the original, apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ and preserved through the unbroken witness of the Holy Fathers, the Ecumenical Councils, and the living tradition of the Holy Spirit.

It understands itself not as a branch or subset of Christianity, but as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church confessed in the Creed.

Orthodoxy is marked by:

Faithful continuity with the apostolic teaching safeguarded in Scripture and Holy Tradition
A sacramental and liturgical life centered on the Divine Liturgy, where believers encounter the risen Christ
The veneration of icons as windows into the Kingdom and affirmations of the Incarnation
A transformative spiritual life aimed at theosis—union with God by grace

In all things, Orthodoxy seeks to preserve the fullness of the Christian faith as it has been handed down from the beginning, unchanged in essence and alive in every generation.

What We Believe

The Nicene Creed - The Symbol of Faith

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day He arose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.
In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Who we are - The Synodikon of Orthodoxy

As the Prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers have dogmatized, as the universe has agreed, as Grace has shown forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ has awarded: thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor His Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshiping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all, and accordingly offering them veneration.
This is the Faith of the Apostles; this is the Faith of the Fathers; this is the Faith of the Orthodox; this is the Faith which has established the universe!

What is the Orthodox Church in America?

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church that traces its origins to the missionary work of Saint Herman of Alaska and other Russian Orthodox missionaries in North America in the late 18th century.

The OCA was granted autocephaly (self-governance) by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970, making it an independent church within the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

Christ the Saviour is a mission effort of the Diocese of the South.

The OCA, Diocese of the South was established in 1979 after years of operating as a missionary diocese, administered under the auspices of the national Church. Founded upon principles of evangelization and outreach by our beloved founding bishop, Archbishop Dmitri (Royster), our diocese boasts 80+ parishes and missions as well as multiple monasteries. The territory of the diocese stretches from Florida and Virginia in the east all the way to New Mexico in the west.