...And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch... (Acts 11:26)

The Patriarchate of Antioch was one of the five great Patriarchates of the early Church. Today the Patriarchate has parishes throughout the world and is one of the leading Patriarchates of what is now known as the Orthodox Church. The Patriarch of Antioch has an unbroken apostolic succession from Saint Peter.

The Orthodox Church is the New Testament Church, still living amongst us. It is ancient but contemporary, permanent yet eternally new. Within the Orthodox Church, the Church of Antioch is where you have the opportunity to worship with those people who are the inheritors of the name "Christians".

The Church of Antioch has had a presence in New Zealand for over a hundred years. It is the only Orthodox jurisdiction in New Zealand which holds its services primarily in English - though Arabic, Old Slavonic, Romanian and Greek are also used as required by the congregations.

New Zealand Deanery, Antiochian Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines - 2018