The True Church

[stephendaniel]

Hello. My name is Stephen Bennett. I'm a 22-year old young man trying to find information about the Orthodox Church...

Can any of you provide me with some very straight-forward answers? I do not wish to incite an argument. I simply want the truth. Which church must I join to save my soul? I know that it is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of truth.

Which church consistently follows the Canons, follows the Traditions of the Holy Fathers, and retains the Mysteries as they are meant to be? Please do not attempt to sell me on World Orthodoxy - the Canons are clear in showing World Orthodoxy to be in extreme error. The calendar, the prayer and communion with heretics and unbelievers, etc. (Not a condemnation - God is the Judge)

I seek the True Church of Christ. His Church. Where the Holy Spirit is truly present. Where the bread and wine are truly His Body and Blood. Where I can know for sure that this is it - this is where salvation is.

Please forgive me for not wording these questions and requests properly. I do not know how to say it. Please help me.

[Mark Templet]

Well, Stephen, I am sure you could get any number of answers on your seemingly simple question. The fact is we are all full of sinners and people who are disobedient. However, the True Church must exists. Many of us on here scuffle back and forth, but the truth is that I think most of us are trying to do this correctly. I, like many other on here, am not trying to join in a fight between parties, I found a bishop who I feel is a true confessing bishop and a synod that I see no reason to believe does different-- so that is where I serve and where I will stay.
In my OPINION (I am not speaking in an official capacity), You would be fine in ROAC, RTOC, GOC, Matthewites, etc. Anyone not confessing Cyprianism.

Try reading this, it is clear as a bell: http://www.roacusa.org/believe.html

[stephendaniel]

Hey Fr. Mark. Thank you for responding. I hope you understand why I posted this question in the first place. I'm just trying to make sure this is the right direction...

It strikes me that you would be the first to respond. ROAC has captured my attention, primarily because if its willingness to post that statement of faith and its willingness to post the Canons, to compare against. Please, all of you, forgive me for possibly opening a door for a fight.

[stephendaniel]

What are the Apostical Injunctions?

I read this in a listing of the Canons:

The 1st Canon - Let a bishop be ordained by two or three bishops.

"The Apostolical Injunctions (Bk. VIII, ch. 27), on the other hand, command that anyone ordained by a single bishop be deposed from office along with the one who ordained him, except only in case of persecution or some other impediment by reason whereof a number of bishops cannot get together and he has to be ordained by one alone, just as was Siderius ordained bishop of Palaibisca, according to Synesius, not by three, but by one bishop, Philo, because of the scarcity of bishops in those times."

I was under the impression that a Bishop can only be ordained by two or three others. How many churches claim their ecclesiology from a single Bishop? What constitutes an impediment by which a single Bishop is allowed to ordain another?

This is getting really tricky and I apologize. I'm just trying to sort all of this out. Thank you all so much.

[searn77]

I'm not sure where you are located but here's a map of all the TOC's in America:
http://trueorthodoxdirectory.blogspot.com/
This site has links to all of the different TOCs who have a presence in America. Just click on the little church icon next to the name of any of the TOCs. If you search the different TOC websites I'm sure you can find on most of them what their confession of faith is, like the one Fr. Mark showed you for ROAC.

[Mark Templet]

Stephen I will call you tonight and explain how canons work.