The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
"...On one hand, its theology is based on nothing outside the scriptures. On the other hand, the doctrines agree in all parts with those of the Early Church i.e. the tradition which has the proper interpretation and application of the teachings of our Lord and the Apostles as understood and practiced by the Christians and the leaders of the Church during the period of the One Universal Church until the division of 451 A.D."
Bishop Athanasius of Ben-Swef and Bahnassa (1977)
The Coptic Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 43 A.D. The church adheres to the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius (296-373 A.D.), the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Church effectively defended the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ's Divinity at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title; "Father of Orthodoxy" and St. Athanasius "the Apostolic".
Entrance of the St. Mark Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt
The term "Coptic" is derived from the Greek "Aigyptos" meaning "Egyptian". When the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century, they called the Egyptians "qibt". Thus the Arabic word "qibt" came to mean both "Egyptians" and "Christians".
The term "Orthodoxy" here refers to the preservation of the "Original Faith" by the Copts who, throughout the ages, defended the Old Creed against the numerous attacks aimed at it.
The Coptic Orthodox Church worships the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Oneness of Nature. We believe in One God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit three equal Co-Essential and Co-Indwelling Hypostasis (Persons). The Blessed and Holy Trinity is our One God. We Believe that Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten of the Father and Who is One with Him in Essence is the only Savior of the world; we are Miaphysites; There is a difference between the “Monophysites” who believe in just One Single Nature (Divine) of Lord Jesus Christ and the “Miaphysites” who believe in One United Nature or One Composite Nature (Divine & Human) of Lord Jesus Christ. We do not believe in just a Single Nature but we do believe in the One Incarnate Nature of the Logos. Less changes have taken place in the Coptic Church than in any other church whether in the ritual or doctrine aspects and that the succession of the Coptic Patriarchs, Bishops, priests and Deacons has been continuous.
St. Verena American Coptic Orthodox Church
St. Verena American Coptic Orthodox Church was established in January 2017 as part of a bigger initiative to bring Orthodoxy to America.
In 2015 our bishop, His Grace Bishop Youssef, envisioned the idea of a church that practiced the Coptic Rite but emphasized the deliberate spreading and keeping of the faith by Americans and American-born Egyptians. He began to open American Coptic churches in the surrounding states in the diocese when in 2016 he commissioned Father Theodore Ghaly to prepare for the first American Coptic Orthodox Church in Nashville.
Then on January 14th 2017 we celebrated our first Divine Liturgy at Church of the Redeemer who graciously who hosted us. We continued to pray at the Redeemer for the next year and a half thanks to the extreme generosity of our brothers in Christ until September 2018 at which point we moved into our current home at 5240 Edmondson Pike.
We pray that we may be faithful to our mission and in what God has granted us. All thanks and glory be to Him.
Please stop by during any of our services or contact us on the site so that we may serve you!