In that day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the country of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign forever to the Lord in the country of Egypt, for they will cry to the Lord because of their oppressors, and the Lord will send them a Man who will save them. He will judge and save them. Then the Lord will be known to the Egyptians, and in that day the Egyptians will know the Lord and offer sacrifices. Yes, they will make vows to the Lord and pay them.
(Isaiah 19:19-21, Septuagint)
The Coptic Orthodox Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 60 A.D. The Church adheres to the Nicene Creed.
The term Coptic is derived from the Greek Aigyptos, which comes from the ancient Egyptian title Ha-ka-Ptah (House of the god Ta). Gypt became Copt. Thus Coptic means Egyptian. All Egyptians were called Copts until the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century; after this, the term came to mean both Egyptian and Christian.
The term Orthodoxy here means the correct way to glorify God and refers to the preservation of the original faith – established by the Lord Jesus Christ – by the Copts who, throughout the ages, defended the Faith against numerous attacks aimed at it.
The Coptic Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Trinity – God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit – are equal to each other in one unity, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world. Less changes have taken place in the Coptic Church than in any other church, whether in ritual or doctrine, and the succession of Coptic clergy has been continuous since St. Mark.
To learn more about the Coptic Orthodox Church, click here
