Welcome to St. Mark Coptic Church Website
Key Teachings of the Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church upholds the apostolic faith as delivered by Christ to the Apostles. Below are some of its core teachings:
- The Holy Trinity
The Church believes in one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal. - The Incarnation
Central to its theology is the belief that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, became incarnate for humanity’s salvation, uniting divine and human natures in one person. - The Holy Sacraments
The Church administers seven sacraments as channels of divine grace, including Baptism, Eucharist, and Marriage. - Salvation and Grace
Salvation is understood as a lifelong process, achieved through faith, good works, and participation in the sacraments. - Scripture and Tradition
The Bible is regarded as the inspired Word of God, interpreted within the framework of Holy Tradition, as preserved by the early Church Fathers. - Veneration of Saints
Saints, especially the Virgin Mary, are venerated as models of faith and intercessors before God. - Liturgical Worship
Worship in the Coptic Orthodox Church is deeply liturgical, emphasizing the Eucharistic liturgy as the centre of Christian life. - Spiritual Growth
The Church stresses the importance of prayer, fasting, and acts of charity as means of growing closer to God.
These teachings reflect the Church’s commitment to preserving the faith of the early Christian Church, while offering spiritual guidance and support to its members.
St. Mark’s, London is one of the oldest churches in the lands of the immigration and one of the first churches supported and cared for by our beloved Patriarch Shenouda III. He wrote the following about the church way back:
“St. Mark Church in London is the mother church of all Coptic Orthodox Churches in the United Kingdom. It established the church of Croydon, the church of Stevenage and recently the church of Golders Green. It was the only church in Europe which had three priests together to pastor the congregation.
Later Fr. Antonious Farag of good memory, Fr. Antonious Thabet and Fr. Bishoy Boshra. The last two of whom were the first to pastor the copts in Scotland and Ireland.
I consecrated this church in 1979 in Kensington. But it had a root ten years ago in a hired place. The first three monk priests who served this church became members of the Holy Synod of the mother church in Egypt; ie. Metropolitan Pachomious of Bohaira and Pentapolis, Metropolitan Agathon of Ismailia and Bishop Reweis the general bishop.
St. Mark’s Church was a small seed which grew up “and became a great tree so that the birds of the air came to nest in its branches” (Matt. 13:32).
Congratulations and best wishes. May God bless this church, its priests, its board of deacons and all the members of its congregation to be more and more, deeper in their spirituality and activities.”
Our Ministry Leaders
