Over the years African Canadians have been associated with many different religious ideologies. One such denomination is the African Orthodox Church founded in the US in 1921, with a Canadian congregational branch having been established in Sydney, Nova Scotia c. 1921. In the early years of its formation, the St. Philip's African Orthodox Church was distinctive as a Black religious institution with a political agenda.

The African Orthodox Church was founded by Antiguan-born George Alexander Mcguire. The Church was named African because, "while all persons are admitted into its membership, its special mission is to the African race, and it is governed entirely by persons of African descent."

Soon after it was established, Sydney's St. Philip's Orthodox Church became the centre of religious and political activities for many members of that Community's Black population.