Who are we?

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is part of the Church of the New Testament

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, the American branch of the ancient Church of Antioch where, “the disciples were for the first time called Christians.” {Acts 11:26} Thus our Church was not organized a few hundred years ago but traces its history in an unbroken chain back to the Apostles themselves. Since its founding by the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Church of Antioch has preserved without change or alteration the teachings of Christ to His Disciples. Because we are the Church of the New Testament, we take the Bible very seriously. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are not merely human documents, but were divinely inspired and given to us by God to tell us the truth about God and our relationship with Him.

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is an Orthodox Christian Church

Orthodox means “right believing” in Greek. We do not change our beliefs to follow every doctrinal fad, but strive to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ and His Apostles. As an Orthodox Church we are united with over three hundred million Orthodox Christians all over the world, from Moscow to Johannesburg, from Hong Kong to Fort Bend County. There are almost five million Orthodox Christians in the United States. The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church, founded by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Church found in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Apostles. Because we are Orthodox, we do not change our beliefs and practices according to the fads of secular society, but strive to be faithful to the truth taught by Christ and preserved by His Holy Church for almost 2,000 years.

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is a Christ Centered Church

Members of the Orthodox Church believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God. We believe that He is the full and complete revelation of God to humanity and the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Finally, we believe that Christ is perfect God and perfect man. That is He is God who became one of us to unite what we are with God, and that He conquered sin and death by His life giving death and glorious resurrection.

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is a Church for all People

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is a family of dedicated Orthodox Christians from many different backgrounds. Some were born in the Orthodox Church. Others are part of the growing number of converts to Orthodoxy. We welcome everyone who seeks a deeper relationship with Christ through the historic Church. We welcome visitors and encourage them to learn more about the Apostolic Faith and worship of the Orthodox Church.

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is a Worshiping Church

Worship is very important to us because through worship we enter into personal communion with God. We celebrate Vespers every Saturday at 6:30 p.m., Matins at 8:45 a.m. and the Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. We also have a complete cycle of services for feast days, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. We emphasize personal involvement, and encourage congregational singing. Because the Apostles are our examples, the form and content of our services date back to the original Apostolic Church and before that to the Temple and the Synagogue. Because we take the Bible seriously, our worship is patterned after the worship of God in heaven as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste Church is an active Church

We are a very active community. In addition to our services, we have an active teen group, a women’s organization, Sunday School, and Bible Study classes.