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History of Coptic Evangelism

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Introduction

Who was the first Coptic evangelist ?

Who is the last Coptic evangelist ?

Mention 2-3 places in our liturgy where church encourages us to evangelize?

Mention 2-3 things the Coptic church presented to Christianity

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Part 1: �Coptic Evangelism till the 6^th Century

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Factors behind the spread of Christianity

Direct Preaching

Apologies

Martyrdom

Monasticism

For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the more do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God through the name of Jesus. ( St. Justin Martyr)

Church History

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The See of St. Mark

When St Mark preached in Egypt, he spoke about the one Christ; and the Egyptians worshipped through their culture but in true apostolic spirit.

(Fr. Tadros Yacoub)

Let the ancient customs in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis prevail, that the Bishop of Alexandria have jurisdiction in all these, since the like is customary for the Bishop of Rome also “ (Nicea 325 AD law number 6)

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The Catechetical School of Alexandria

Our study of the School of Alexandria has in fact, revealed to us that the early Church of Egypt is a church of evangelism.

(Fr. Tadros Yacoub)

Pantaenus

St. Clement of Alexandria

Origen

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

Pantaenus (June 22 in the Coptic tradition died around 200 AD

As early as the second century the great Pantaenus (d. ca. 190), who

presided over the Catechetical School of Alexandria, was chosen by

Demetrius I, the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria to preach the Gospel in

India38. After accomplishing his mission, he visited Arabia Felix (the modern

Yemen) where he must have continued his missionary enterprise.

St. Pantenius, with his disciples, in the

second century, translated the bible it into Coptic. He wrote

commentaries on almost all the books of the Bible.

St. Clement

روبه من الإسكندرية:

في أيام الاضطهاد القاسي الذي أثاره سبتيموس سويرس حوالي عام 202 م.، اضطر القديس إلى مغادرة الإسكندرية والالتجاء ربما إلى فلسطين وسوريا.

على أي الأحوال كان هروب القديس إكليمنضس من الإسكندرية نافعًا للكنيسة، كما يظهر من الرسالة التي بعث بها القديس ألكسندروس أسقف أورشليم إلى كنيسة إنطاكية حوالي عام 211 م.، إذ جاء فيها: "هذه الرسالة أبعث بها إليكم يا أخوتي الأعزاء، على يد إكليمنضس الكاهن الطوباوي، الرجل الفاضل المبارك، الذي سمعتم عنه وستعرفونه أيضًا، والذي بحضوره إلى هنا بفضل عناية الله وتدبيره قد ثبت كنيسة الرب وأنماها". تنيح حوالي عام 215 م

Origen

Origen, the great theologian, was invited to Bostra to arbitrate in doctrinal differences.

“If you want to receive Baptism,”

Origen said2, “you must first learn about God’s

Word, cut away the roots of your vices, and correct

your barbarous wild lives and practice meekness

and humility. Then you will be fit to receive the

grace of the Holy Spirit.

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St. Maurice & St. Verena

Martyred 287 AD

Died 320 AD

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

St. Maurice 285

To Switzerland a mission

from Thebes, Upper Egypt, according to local legend or tradition, arrived in

the year 287 with the Theban legion. It was led by St. Mauritius, who seems

to have earned the crown of martyrdom for refusing to sacrifice to the

heathen gods. His statue stands today in one of the public squares of Saint-

Moritz, and his body was enshrined in what later became the chapel of an

abbey of Augustinian canons at Saint Maurice in the Valais.

His companions, a legionary named Felix, his sister Regula, and a third called

Exuperantius hid themselves in the dreary wastes of the land of Glarus and

ultimately reached the Lake of Zurich, where they baptized converts until

they were seized by the emperor's men and led before Diocletian, the Roman

governor of the region. On refusing to sacrifice to the gods, they were

tortured. Legend says that as they were beheaded a voice from heaven

called to them: "Arise, for the angels shall take you to Paradise and set upon

your heads the martyr's crown." Thus the bodies arose, and, taking their

heads in their hands, walked forty ells44 uphill to a prepared ditch, where

they sleep underneath what is now the crypt of the Zurich Grossmunster.

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St. Athanasius the apostolic

His own conversion

Evangelism in Ethiopia

Evangelism in Nubia

First & second exile

The new Testament canon

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

IN Nubia Recent archaeological excavations in the lower Sudan prove that Christianity had struck root

in those distant regions by the fourth century.

In the fifth century, good relations are recorded between the monastic order of the great St. Shenute whose monasteries still stand

at Suhag and the Nubian and Baga tribes of the south.

Ethiopia Convertion

Two brothers, Frumentius and Aedesius, residents of Tyre but originally from

Alexandria, boarded a trading ship going to India and were shipwrecked on

the Red Sea coast near the shores of Erythria, now known as Eretria. They

were picked up by men of the Ethiopian monarch, probably King Ella Amida,

who took them into his service. Aedesius became his cup-bearer, and

Frumentius his secretary and tutor to the young crown prince, Aeizanas

(Ezana), to whom he doubtless gave a Christian education. When Aeizanas

became king, he and his courtiers and retainers were converted, and

Christianity was declared the official religion of the state.

Afterwards Aedesius was allowed to return to Tyre, while Frumentius went

to Alexandria to convey the news to the Patriarch Athanasius and to plead

with him to consecrate a special bishop to watch over the spiritual welfare of

those distant Christians. The meeting with Athanasius was presumably

between 341 . The patriarch appointed Frumentius himself under

the name of Anba Salama, that is, “the father of peace”3

Exile of Athanathius

The role of the Copts in Europe may be illustrated from the first two exiles of

the great Alexandrine patriarch, Athanasius. The first exile began in

Constantinople and ended in Trier, where the saint spent parts of 336 and

337, and it is difficult to believe that he did not preach during all that time in

his new environment. Most of the second exile, from 339 to 346, was at the

Roman curia as the guest of Julius I. Apart from establishing good relations

between Alexandria and Rome, Athanasius carried out some missionary

work by introducing into Roman religious life the highly developed monastic

rule of the Fathers of the Egyptian deserts

For when

Copts evangelized Ethiopia in the Fourth century, they did not impose on

Ethiopians any Coptic ecclesiastical melodies or music. Neither, they

imposed on them certain liturgies or the Coptic language or Coptic culture

products. The result was significant. The Ethiopian church grew to have its

own liturgies (about 15), their own music which expresses the feelings of

the Ethiopian person, their own musical instruments, and their own

heritage.

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The Seven Coptic Monks in Ireland

“I pray to the seven Egyptian monks in the desert of Uilaigh to be in my help”

(Litany attributed to Óengus of Tallaght)

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Part 2: �Coptic Evangelism starting the 20^th century

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Pope Youssab II�( 115^th Patriarch)

Service in South Africa starting 1948

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Pope Cyril VI �( 116^th Patriarch)

Service in North America starting 1963

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Pope Shenouda III�( 117^th Patriarch)

1971 only 7 Coptic churches were outside Egypt , by 2012 they were more than 700 churches

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Bishop since 1976

Bishop since 1990

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Coptic Evangelism

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Service started since 2004

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Service started since 2000

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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St. Paul Service (Formerly CCCA)

Service started since 2009

Church History

Coptic Evangelism

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Finally

“The word of the Lord shall grow , multiply , be mighty and be confirmed in the Holy Church of God “

Amen

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Coptic Evangelism

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Church History

Coptic Evangelism