“Most people have no idea what the Orthodox Church is. When I joined the church, my [Protestant] family was perplexed. They thought I had joined the Catholic Church, and Protestants are Rome-a-phobic,” said David Hunt. Hunt transferred to St. Anthony’s Orthodox Church from Horizon Church after he started to read church history. “I was happy in a nondenominational church, until I had a family member attend New Life Presbyterian Church and say he had found the true church. This got me thinking, maybe there is something more out there.” Hunt said he began to read Ignatius, Clement, John Chrysostom, and several other early Christian writers. “I was initially shocked and distressed.” Hunt said the shock was over beliefs he held for years without any question that were under attack. Hunt and his family began to seek a new church that reflected three truths he saw in church history. These truths included a church with Episcopal government, sacramental focus, and liturgical service. “The historical church is Episcopal in government. This means that a bishop is over the pastor and that there is a leadership structure. In typical nondenominational churches, if someone doesn’t like a pastor, he can just move on to the next church. All it takes is someone who decides to start his own church, come up with his own doctrine, and he goes off and forms his own church. That was not how it was meant to be,” said Hunt. “A church needs also to be sacramental. There should be a focus on the Eucharist and how God works through mysteries to bestow grace to us.
Full Article: St. Anthony’s Orthodox Christian Church