Our History
Exploring Christian Orthodox Church Of America
The Christian Orthodox Church of America embraces a 1st‑Century intention with 21st‑Century expression. Our roots reach back to the Early Church, flowing through the St. Thomas Christians outside of India, and into various indigenous Orthodox streams in America.
Our lineage connects to the St. Thomas Christians, an apostolic tradition believed to have been established by the Apostle Thomas in India. Their American extension continued through Mar Timotheos (Timothy René Vilatte) in the late 19th century, a pioneer in sacramental and episcopal independence in North America.
On August 26, 1963, Mar Hourdas consecrated Rev. Dr. Joseph L. Vredenburgh as Mar Narsai, a scholar and former Dutch Reformed minister, ushering in an Orthodox recovery of the St. Thomas tradition in America. He served across the U.S. and abroad, and helped found the Federation of St. Thomas Christians, and fostered unity among independent Orthodox churches.
In 1996, Pastor Veron Ashe, known for his dynamic Pentecostal ministry, joined the St. Thomas Christian Federation and was ordained by Mar Narsai as a bishop on January 25, 1997. Later known as Mar Enoch, he was a prophetic voice for Orthodoxy in North America. ++Archbishop Veron Ashe, our traveling bishop, formally introduced Orthodox worship and tradition to our community in Denver in 2000, bridging resurrection power and sacramental life.
In 1989, ++Archbishop P. Gregory Schell and his wife Sunny began their ministry in the Denver intercity community. Their work was rooted in a strong evangelical and Pentecostal ethos.
By 2000, with the influence of + +Archbishop Veron Ashe, the ministry became firmly Orthodox, blending evangelistic fervor with liturgical tradition and apostolic order.
🔥 Today — A Convergence Church
The Christian Orthodox Church of America is a convergence community:
- Sacramental, in genuine mystery and sacrament;
- Evangelical, in biblical authority and the call to conversion;
- Pentecostal, in the Spirit’s power and gift;
- Orthodox, in liturgy, theology, and apostolic succession.
Our episcopal lineage includes Mar Timotheos (Vilatte) → Mar Narsai (Vredenburgh) → Archbishop P. Gregory Schell, preserving an unbroken succession through St. Thomas and Antiochian lines. We are a people shaped by ancient tradition and Spirit‑empowered renewal, carrying the flame of the early Church into our present moment, committed to Christ and apostolic continuity.
