Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black Holds 24th Annual Ancient Christianity Conference

Fr. Alexii Altschul moderates the Young Orthodox Preachers Panel at the St. Moses Conference.Watch video of the Conference on Facebook

On October 6–8, 2017, the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black held its 24th annual Ancient Christianity Conference at the Mother of God Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church in Princeton, New Jersey. The Brotherhood is a pan-Orthodox organization which has desired through its efforts to make the Orthodox faith available to the African American community, and help the Church itself in realizing this goal. Over 100 people attended, including His Grace Bishop Thomas and His Eminence Archbishop Michael of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). The theme, "Growing Closer to Christ, Growing Closer Together," featured the scripture: "...speaking the truth in love" (Eph 4:15).

Over two thousand years ago, a young virgin and her child found refuge in Africa from threatening forces. Since that time, Christianity has developed extensive roots in Africa. Saint Anthony and the Desert Fathers kept the Church from worldliness and preserved the mystical gifts. Saint Athanasius helped write the Creed. Saint Cyril kept the Church from dishonoring Christ and His mother. The African Martyrs gave the Church courage. The African Mothers gave the Church philosophers like St. Katherine. The hermitesses such as St. Mary of Egypt and St. Sarah of the Nile demonstrated the path of contrition, redemptive suffering, and repentance.

In modern times, there is a renewed fountain of this ancient Orthodox Christianity. It is flowing throughout the entire world. This flow of spiritual life does not negate the rich tradition already developed in the crucible of suffering and the triumphs of character in America. Rather, it beckons all Americans to row into deeper waters – the waters of the ancient Christian movement. This has been kept alive in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The lectures are available on the Brotherhood's Facebook page. (Visit the St. Moses the Black website.)