George Alexander McGuire

George Alexander McGuire was the first Bishop, Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of the African Orthodox Church (AOC). He was an Episcopal Priest who became involved in a movement to establish a Black Anglican denomination. He was consecrated a Bishop 28 September 1921 in Chicago, Illinois by Joseph Rene Vilatte, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of America of the Syrian Church of Antioch. Archbishop Vilatte was assisted by Bishop Carl A. Nybladh. This consecration placed Bishop McGuire in valid apostolic succession, something he greatly desired.

The AOC was originally called the Independent Episcopal Church. At its first Conclave (i.e., meeting of its House of Bishops), 10 September 1924, the name was changed to African Orthodox Church. Rev. McGuire was unanimously elected Archbishop of this new Church, enthroned with the title Archbishop Alexander.

Rev. McGuire has previously served for several years as the Chaplain of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA), an organization founded and led by Marcus Garvey. When he decided in 1924 to relocate UNIA headquarters to the West Indies, McGuire decided to leave UNIA and instead devote himself to the expansion of his Church. Endick Theological Seminary was founded shortly thereafter, as well as an Order of Deaconesses. A church magazine, the "Negro Churchman," also began publication with McGuire as its Editor.

McGuire founded a parish of his denomination in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1925. Two years after that, he consecrated an African clergy as Metropolitan Archbishop for South Africa and central and southern Africa, William Daniel Alexander. At the same time McGuire was elected Patriarch of the denomination with the title Alexander I. The church then spread to Uganda, as well.

On 8 November 1931 McGuire dedicated Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral in New York City. His church maintained its greatest strength in NYC.

Patriarch McGuire died 10 November 1934. He was survived by his wife, Ada Robert McGuire (a native of Antigua), and one daughter. At the time of his death the African Orthodox Church had about 30,000 members and about fifty clergy in thirty parishes located in the U.S.A., Africa, Cuba, Antigua and Venezuela.