By Lesroy W. Williams
Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts)—Father Shenouda Newman, Kittitian and Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Priest is very proud of his Church in St. Kitts, St. Mark and St. Bishop Coptic (Egyptian Orthodox Church). He has every reason to be because the Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Church has a very long and rich history, albeit, not very known by most in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Father Shenouda grew up in McKnight, Basseterre. He is married to Debra Newman and has five children. He received his ministerial training for the priesthood in Jamaica, Ethiopia and Egypt. He was an Ethiopian Orthodox priest for seven years and has been a Coptic Egyptian Orthodox priest for the past 17 years.
Fr. Shenouda was ordained priest in St .Kitts in 1982 by Archbishop Isaac Mandefo. He was ordained in the Methodist Church. In 1992, he was elevated to an Archpriest in Egypt by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
According to Fr. Shenouda, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Church are only different in terms of administration.
Fr. Shenouda is a very humble and holy man, deeply rooted in the tradition of his Church. He told me that many local people think that they are a cult and as a result they distance themselves from the Church.
However, this is as a result of ignorance.
The Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Church was established as a faith in St. Kitts in 1980. Back then, they congregated at the Boy’s School on Victoria Road and have moved to four other places to house their services. In 2006, they were able to build their official Church which is located at Limekiln Commercial and Institutional Park in Basseterre. Fr. Shenouda is very proud of this accomplishment. When I went to his Church to interview him, he invited me to take my shoes off. This was a reminder that I was about to enter holy ground, just as Moses in the story of the Burning Bush had to take his shoes off in the presence of God.
The Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Church has as its leader, His Holiness Pope and Patriarch Shenouda III, who is located in Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt. The Church has around 15.4 million adherents worldwide. They are located in several countries including the Middle East, United States, Canada, Great Britain, Western Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean Islands.
Because of its worldwide stature, several languages are spoken including Coptic, Greek, Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, English, French, German, Swahili, Afrikaans, and several other African languages.
The Egyptian Church, which, is now more than nineteen centuries old, regards itself as the subject of many prophecies in the Old Testament. Isaiah the prophet, in Chapter 19, Verse 19 says “In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.”
The official name of the Church is the Egyptian Orthodox Church of Alexandria and it is the largest Christian Church in Egypt. The Coptic Church is based on the teachings of St. Mark who brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero in the first century. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in C.E. 451.
At the Council of Chalcedon the Coptic Church took a different Christological position from that of the Eastern Orthodox and Western Churches. Although the Coptic Church believes in Jesus’ perfect humanity and perfect divinity, they claim that His Divinity and His
Humanity were united in one nature called “the nature of the incarnate word”. This was to set them at loggerheads with the Eastern Orthodox and Western Churches who to this day has maintained that Jesus had two distinct natures, human and divine. Jesus was not two persons. He was not a human person at one time and a divine person at another time. His humanity and divinity were not fused into one nature. He was one person, human and divine. He had two natures distinctly separate. This is the fundamental difference between the Coptic Egyptian Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox and Western Churches. The difference may seem small but it is highly technical and fraught with Christological implications.
The Coptic Church has contributed immensely to Christendom. The Church has played an important role in Christian Theology especially in the early stages by protecting it against the Gnostic heresies. The Bible was translated to the Coptic language in the second century. The Coptic Church has a long history in religious teaching. The Catechetical School of Alexandria is the Oldest Catechetical School in the world with its inception around 190 C.E. It was founded by the Christian scholar Pantanaeus. Many Bishops from many areas of the world were instructed in that school under scholars such as Athenagoras, Clement, Didymus and the great Origen, who was considered the Father of Theology.
Monasticism was born in Egypt and was instrumental in the formation of the Coptic Church’s character of submission and humbleness, thanks to the teachings and writings of the Great Fathers of Egypt’s Deserts.
Monasticism started in the last years of the third century and flourished in the fourth century. Saint Anthony, the world’s first Christian monk was a Copt from Upper Egypt. Saint Pachomius, who established the rules of monasticism, was a Copt. And, Saint Paul, the world’s first anchorite was also a Copt.
Under the authority of the Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople (as opposed to the western empire of Rome), the Patriarchs and Popes of Alexandria played leading roles in Christian theology. They were invited everywhere to speak about the Christian faith. Saint Cyril, Pope of Alexandria, was the head of the Ecumenical Council which was held in Ephesus in the year 430 A.D.
Fr. Shenouda said he has a membership of about eight families. He is assisted by Deacons and Assistant Deacons. Women can be Deaconesses. As a deacon one can marry but if ordained priest before marriage, one has to remain celibate. Bishops must be celibate but priest can be married men.
His Church engages in Bible Study, liturgical training and choir practice since a lot of chanting of the Psalms are done. He said that serious preparation takes place for Sunday morning Mass at 9 a.m. The preparation includes Matins before Mass to prepare the altar and the people in a spiritual manner so that they can enter fully into the liturgical celebration. Vespers or evening prayer takes place on Saturday evening to help prepare the members for Divine Worship on Sunday.
Fr. Shenouda believes that the Coptic Church here in St. Kitts has not had the impact on the society that it should have mainly because of misunderstanding of the Church who many perceive to be eccentric and cultic.
He also said that there are many people who see the Church as a place of entertainment rather than as a place of worship.
With respect to the rising crime and violence in the Federation, Fr. Shenouda strongly believes that our people, especially the young need to turn to Christ.
They are lacking in spiritual values.
“It’s really appalling, the escalating of violence. It seems to me that there is a spirit of Satan that is permeating our youths. It’s not just something to do with poverty. The devil is unleashing its fury. Young people are caught up in this. This is the trend now, violence, heartlessness, mercilessness, no compassion, lack of love for their fellowmen. It is a cycle of destructiveness. It is very sad,” Father Shenouda lamented.
With respect to A.I.D.S. / H.I.V. in the Federation and the sexual promiscuity exhibited by our people, Fr. Shenouda had this to say:
“Our sexuality is a gift from God. Human beings abuse their human sexuality because they are only seeking pleasure. People need to understand God’s will for their sexuality. Because we do not understand this, we are suffering the consequences.”
With regards to Politics, Fr. Shenouda believes that as a Church we have to set an example. We cannot take sides but the Church should work with those on the side of betterment and furthering of our people. The Church’s role is spiritual and the Church cannot lose sight of that he said.
“Politicians should work together for the betterment of their communities, especially in these difficult times. This is not the time for division. They need to put their resources, abilities and intelligence together in working for the betterment of the community and move away from self-interest and self- development,” Fr. Shenouda stated.
Fr. Shenouda has found his ministry rewarding because according to him people need to hear the Gospel and to have spiritual direction. He feels that this is ever more urgent in an age of secularism and materialism that are taking the place of God for so many.
His personal challenges he said are to make himself a model, an example of Christ. However, he said, “By God’s grace, you can do all things if you are willing. Challenges can be met by faith.”
Fr. Shenouda said that his Church is unique because they administer the Body and Blood of Christ every week so that people can receive the spiritual nourishment and strength to go about their daily life.
The Church is also special because it has maintained the Apostolic Succession. The Church is very special in the sense that the Coptic Church in St. Kitts is the first Church in the entire West Indies region to have been built.
Fr. Shenouda’s motto is short and deep: “Spread the Gospel of Jesus in season and out of season.”
