Bishop Angaelos
Encyclopedia
Bishop Angaelos is a general bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria consecrated by Pope Shenouda III on 14 November 1999. In this capacity, he is a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church's organisation, faith, service's order....

.

He is currently the Patriarchal Exarch for the Youth Ministry at the Patriarchal Center and the Coptic Orthodox Theological College at Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....

, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

Bishop Angaelos specialises in youth ministry and is based at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Stevenage, but also travels extensively, lecturing to Coptic youth at various youth conventions and conferences throughout the world.

Since November 1999, Bishop Angaelos has established the Joint United Kingdom Youth Committee, a national youth association, and the official Public relations office for the Coptic Church in the United Kingdom.

At the ecumenical level, Bishop Angaelos is very active at the local, national and international level.

Prior to his consecration as Bishop, Bishop Angaelos was delegated by Pope Shenouda to serve as the first permanent parish priest for Archangel Michael & Saint Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church in Stevenage, England.

Early life

His Grace Bishop Angaelos was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1967 and immigrated with his family to Australia as a young child in 1973. He spent all of his childhood and early life in Sydney, obtained his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science, Philosophy and Sociology, and went on to do postgraduate studies in law whilst working in the same field.

Conceration and Beyond
Bishop Angaelos returned to Cairo in January 1990 to join the monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi-El-Natroun. He became a novice (by the name of Brother Arsenius) of the monastery, and was subsequently consecrated a monk (Fr. Angaelos) on 31 October 1990 by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
Father Angaelos remained at the monastery of Saint Bishoy, being administrator of the Papal Residence and Conference Centre there, and was secretary to His Holiness Pope Shenouda for a period of six years.

With the blessing and guidance of His Holiness, Fr. Angaelos commenced the publication the official internationally-circulated English magazine of the Coptic Church, ‘El-Keraza' and remains the editor of this magazine, working with an international youth editorial and distribution committee that he established specifically for this purpose.

In June 1993 Fr. Angaelos was ordained a priest and continued his responsibilities in Egypt. In December 1995, he was delegated by His Holiness to serve as the first permanent parish priest for Archangel Michael & Saint Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church in Stevenage, England, while at the same time paying particular attention to youth ministry.

Fr. Angaelos developed and expanded his youth ministry in the UK as well as his local parish. He also established the Saint Athanasius Coptic Theological College at the Coptic Centre in Stevenage in 1997, which was officially inaugurated by His Holiness the pope.

Through the service of the past years, the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre is now also home to a number of activities including: ‘Saint Athanasius the Apostolic Coptic Theological College', Coptic Orthodox Church U.K. Press and Public Relations Office, C.O.P.A. (Coptic Orthodox Publishers Association), ‘Saint Athanasius Papal Publication Centre', ‘El-Keraza English Magazine', as well as other local and general activities. The Centre also acts as the focal point for official and ecumenical relations between the Coptic Church and other bodies in the UK and abroad.

On 14 November 1999, Fr. Angaelos was consecrated as General Bishop, and Bishop Angaelos returned to the United Kingdom, whereupon he has continued to expand his ministry.

Youth Service & Other Services

Since November 1999, His Grace has established the Joint U.K. Youth Committee, a national youth association, and the official Public relations office for the Coptic Church in the United Kingdom. He has also been nominated by His Holiness to oversee Archangel Michael and Saint Marys Church in London, as well as matters at other churches that may arise from time to time.

Bishop Angaelos continues to specialise in youth ministry and is based at the Coptic Centre in Stevenage, but also travels extensively, lecturing to Coptic youth at various youth conventions and conferences throughout the world. In 2001, His Grace established graduate conventions in the United Kingdom, as well as on the East and West Coast of the United States, in New York (‘Kononia') and Los Angeles respectively. His annually-attended conferences include:

UK Coptic Youth Conference for Secondary School
UK Coptic Youth Conference for College students & Undergraduates
Graduate UK Coptic Youth Conference
European Youth Conference
UK Annual Young Coptic Youth Conference
‘Koinonia' Graduate Youth Conference - East coast of the USA
ECCYC - East Coast Coptic Youth Convention, USA
CCYC - Capital Coptic Youth Convention (Washington DC)
SSCYC - Southern States Coptic Youth Convention, USA
The Bay Area Youth Convention, San Francisco, USA
The LA Coptic High School Convention
The LA Coptic College and Graduate Convention
The LA Young Coptic Professionals Convention
Coptic Youth Conventions, Ontario, Canada
The Eastern Canada Coptic Youth Convention
Western Canada Youth Convention
Winter Youth Convention, Melbourne
COYA Youth Convention, Sydney
Coptic Youth Convention of the Netherlands
Mid-West US Coptic Youth Convention
North California Coptic Youth Convention
Besides established annual conferences and conventions, he also travels to conduct local retreats and seminars in various Coptic dioceses and communities.

To support students a series of FOCUS (Fellowship of Coptic Christian University Students) has been established of various university campuses, and as part of his service for the youth and the community, Bishop Angaelos has established the ‘Coptic City Mission', a group of youth who visit the homeless on the streets of London every week, distributing food, clothes and a comforting word.

To assist in active youth ministry, Bishop Angaelos writes a series of short spiritual publications and is the author of ‘The Altar in the midst of Egypt', a brief introduction to the Coptic Church, a book published as an introduction to the Coptic Church, especially aimed at Coptic Youth and those of no previous interaction with the Church. In keeping with the needs of his ministry, Bishop Angaelos also personally oversees the maintenance of an up-to-date website for all service at the Centre in Stevenage www.CopticCentre.com and a website dedicate to youth ministry in the UK www.CopticYouthMission.com.

Bishop Angaelos was actively involved in a national multi-denominational conference for Christian youth workers called ‘Youthwork: The Conference' in 2003, and has been the force behind the first broadcast of a series of interviews at prime morning time on Premier Christian Radio in the UK, introducing the Faith and History of the Coptic Church.

Ecumenical Service

At the ecumenical level, His Grace is very active at the local, national and international level, commencing with his positive role in Churches Together in Stevenage even as a parish priest. Bishop Angaelos also headed the successful application for official membership of the Coptic Church into Churches Together in England and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, ant currently sits on the Faith and Unity Group, the Enabling Group for Youth Work, and various other committees of Churches Together in England. With his membership of and presence in the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches, His Grace has bee very active, and arranged and hosted a special Oriental Orthodox Liturgical Celebration and luncheon at the Coptic Centre.

At the international level, in 2001 Bishop Angaelos accompanied His Holiness Pope Shenouda on his official visit to the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey, and has also internationally officially represented the Coptic Church in the United Kingdom, Russia, Armenia, and on various other occasions, and he continues to do so. His Grace also attended the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury as official envoy of His Holiness the Pope, and is on the official Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Theological Commission.

At the official level, His Grace represents the Coptic Church in the United Kingdom at public and official occasions, and has been the guest of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip at official occasions, and at their Windsor Castle residence. He has also been host the The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury during the archbishop's special visit to the Coptic Centre in May 2004.

See also

  • The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
    The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
    The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church's organisation, faith, service's order....

  • Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe
    Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe
    The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has many churches and congregations in Europe and on 2 June 1974 Pope Shenouda III has received in the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria a native Orthodox Church in France known as the French Orthodox Eparchy, along with their Primate, who in turn...

  • List of Copts

External links

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