Our Church
Welcome to St. Mary and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, a warm and welcoming place of worship located in Concord, California. Our church is dedicated to serving the spiritual needs of the Coptic Christian community in the East Bay area. We believe in the teachings of the Holy Bible and the traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Our goal is to provide a spiritual home for all our members, where they can grow in their faith and feel the love of Christ. We offer daily prayers, Sunday liturgy, and various spiritual and social activities for all ages. Join us and become part of our community today!
The Coptic Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 43 A.D. The church adheres to the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius (296-373 A.D.), the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Church effectively defended the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ's Divinity at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title: "Father of Orthodoxy" and St. Athanasius "the Apostolic."
Our Priests
Fr. Anthony Hanna started his service as the Priest of St. Mary and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church on February 12th 1999. In addition to praying liturgies and conducting both English and Arabic Bible studies, he has prepared numerous presentations that have introduced various spiritual, theological, and social topics. He has visited many churches throughout the United States and Canada and has led many youth discussions and retreats. The congregation of St. Mary and St. Mina are fortunate to have Fr. Anthony serving the church and may God Bless him and his service for many years to come.
Our Mission
We exist to renew lives through teaching, discipleship, worship, community and service, as experienced in the apostolic tradition of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Our Vision
We believe that it is in the living body of Christ – which is the Church – that true healing of the whole person can be realized. It is for this reason that our aim is to be the Link to Christ.
“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” (Matthew 15:30)
As our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ healed humanity of the effects of sin, we seek to be a link to the healing work of Christ by continuing the ministry He entrusted to His disciples. We welcome each person with loving hospitality and seek to equip members through sharing in the mystical life to continue the work of Christ by getting others linked to His Body.
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
We do all of this by remaining connected to an early Christian witness, while at the same time engaging our contemporary world.
“But beyond these [Scriptural] sayings, let us look at the very tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, the Apostles preached, and the Fathers kept.” (Athanasius, Four Letters to Serapion of Thmuis, 1:28).
Our Core Values
1. Hospitality: We believe the Church is a hospital where people come to experience the healing work of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. Our service of welcoming, receiving and entertaining guests is a sacred work we find scattered throughout scripture.
2. Transparency: We believe transparency is essential for personal and communal growth. Whether it is in ministry decision-making, the financial health of the church, or in one’s spiritual condition, transparency creates an environment where trust is nourished and accountability is valued.
3. Purposeful Giving: We believe God has called us as individual members in the Body of Christ and as a community at-large to be purposeful about giving of ourselves. We based our model of giving on the life of Christ, who intentionally came to seek out each of us using all that He is.
4. Integrity: We believe in a community who lives in integrity. When we do what we say we are going to do, this honors God and builds trust amongst church family members.
