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“The Church was erected in 1677”15 and was dedicated to the Assump-
tion of the All-holy Mother of God. The costs for the new Orthodox
Church were assumed by King Charles II, the Duke of York, the Bishop
of London and other bishops and nobles.

During the same century, another great project was achieved, i.e.
the establishment of a Greek College for Greek students. Its objectives
were principally religious. This was realised with the help of the Bishop
of London, “who seemed to be a special patron for the Greeks.”16 But,
due to the irregular provision of Orthodox students from the East and
numerous misuses owed to propaganda, the Greek College had a short
life (1699-1705). This issue produced a letter, written by the Registrar of
the Greek Church in Constantinople claiming that, “the irregular life of
certain priests and laymen of the Eastern Church, living in England, was
a matter of great concern to the Orthodox Authorities. Wherefore the
Church forbids any to go and study at Oxford, be they ever so willing.”17
Nevertheless, from the above events it is easily identi?able that it was
the Anglican Communion and its members who facilitated and helped
immensely the Orthodox from the East to establish themselves in the
West and speci?cally in Great Britain, but also to increase the relations
between the two traditions.

A new chapter opened, when the Non-Jurors18 wished to turn to
the Eastern Orthodox Church and begin relations with them. Despite
exchanging four letters (1716-1725) the gulf separating the two sides was
too great, which resulted in the failure of this attempt.

The last decades of the 18th century, until the ?rst decades of the
19th century, were a period of apathy in the relations between the An-

15 Bakalis, Theonas and Savvas David, Vasileiadis (editors), The Holy Wisdom of God – St. Sophia, (Ath-
ens, Athina A.E., 2012), p. 4.
16 Emhardt, William, Chayncey, Historical Contact of the Eastern Orthodox and the Anglican Churches,
(New York, Department of Missions and Church Extension of the Episcopal Church, 1920), p. 4.
17 Dowling, Theodore, E. and Edwin W. Fletcher, Hellenism in England, (London, Faith Press, 1915),
p. 69.
18 The Non-Jurors were a group of Anglicans who refused to swear the oath of loyalty to King Wil-
liam of Orange. They broke away from the Church of England, braking communion with them,
forming thus a separate faction.

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