St Andrew’s O.C.C.: Britain Was Always Orthodox
Celebrate the Daily Liturgy at CelticOrthodoxy.com
St Andrew’s O.C.C.: Britain Was Always Orthodox
www.CelticOrthodoxy.com
Headlines vs. Memes
Recently, headlines and even internet memes have suggested that Britain’s churches are “converting to Orthodoxy.” Some jokingly say the entire Anglican Church has now become Eastern Orthodox, complete with Byzantine vestments.
But this framing ignores the deeper truth: Britain was already Orthodox — from the first century onward.
A Real Example: Halifax
In August 2025, an evangelical congregation in Halifax celebrated its first Divine Liturgy as the new Orthodox Community of St Hilda. While reported as something new, it actually reflects an older continuity: the same Orthodox faith once held across the British Isles before Rome ever sent Augustine to Canterbury.
At St Andrew’s O.C.C., we carry forward that same Western Orthodox heritage, not as a novelty but as the ancient identity of Britain.
Britain’s Ancient Orthodoxy
Gildas (542): Recorded that Christ’s light came to Britain as early as 37 AD, in the reign of Tiberius Caesar.
Council of Arles (314): Attended by Celtic bishops from Britain and Gaul — centuries before Augustine the Roman arrived.
St John Chrysostom (402): Declared that the British Isles were full of churches, altars, and people expounding the Scriptures.
St Aristobulus, companion of the Apostle Andrew, is universally commemorated as the first Bishop of Britain.
St David of Wales (6th c.): Was acclaimed archbishop at the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi, even recognized by the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
This is the Celtic and British Orthodox Church: flourishing with saints, bishoprics, and synods long before Rome attempted to “convert” Britain.
Recognition from East and West
Even the Eastern Orthodox world has repeatedly affirmed the validity of the Western Orthodox rites:
Moscow Synod (1904–1907): Under Bishop Tikhon (later Patriarch and saint), declared the English liturgy and Sarum Rite theologically and liturgically Orthodox.
Russian Synod (1907): Affirmed that the Book of Common Prayer, as derived from Sarum, was canonical and Orthodox in content.
Ecumenical Patriarchate (1882) and Patriarchate of Alexandria (1978): Issued recognition of Western Orthodox liturgies and consecrations.
These decisions prove that “Orthodoxy” was never limited to Slavic or Byzantine forms.
Correcting the Modern Bias
The idea that only the Eastern Patriarchates define Orthodoxy is a modern distortion—largely entrenched in the 20th century by geopolitical pressures (such as the World Council of Churches, often influenced by Eastern Bloc and Bolshevik agendas).
By contrast, Western Orthodoxy—from the Celtic saints, to the Sarum Missal, to the Reformation era Lutherans and Anglicans who still called themselves “orthodox”—always saw itself as the true continuation of Apostolic Christianity.
Why St Andrew’s O.C.C. Matters
At St Andrew’s Orthodox Catholic Church we:
Celebrate the Western Orthodox identity of the British and Celtic Church.
Honor over 1,000 Celtic saints who kept the Orthodox faith before Rome’s 7th Century arrival.
Preserve the Sarum Missal and Celtic Rite, worship forms affirmed by East and West as fully Orthodox.
Stand firm that Britain was not “converted to Orthodoxy”—Britain was always Orthodox.
Closing
“Amid a sea of headlines and memes, St Andrew’s O.C.C. stands on firm ground — not surrendering the word ‘Orthodox’ to others, but living it as Britain’s own inheritance. From the Apostles to the Celtic saints, from Sarum to today, Western Orthodoxy remains alive and flourishing.”