The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is an Archdiocese of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. We trace our roots to first century Antioch, the city in which the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts. 11:26).

Sometimes called the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church is the first Christian Church, the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and described in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Twelve Apostles. For twenty centuries, she has continued in her undiminished and unaltered faith and practice. Today her apostolic doctrine, worship, and structure remain intact. The Orthodox Church maintains that the Church is the living Body of Jesus Christ.

The Church of Antioch was established by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas in AD 42, with St. Peter serving for the next eight years as its first bishop. The Church of Antioch is one of the five ancient Patriarchates of the Christian Church, along with Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome.

We are in full communion with our brothers and sisters in various other Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Orthodox Church in America. Together we work to nurture the Orthodox Christians of this land—whether immigrants or native-born, cradle Orthodox, or converts—and to bring America to the ancient Orthodox Christian Faith.

Our Archdiocese currently includes nine dioceses spanning the continent and is led by His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH and six diocesan bishops.

(updated April 2020)