eastern orthodox church north_america consists parishes missions communities monasteries institutions united_states canada estimated members united_states began russian orthodox monks established mission alaska diocese united_states purchased alaska russia late 19th century grown areas united_states arrival immigrants areas eastern eastern catholic churches greek catholics middle_east immigrants regardless ethnic background united single north american diocese revolution patriarch moscow directed russian orthodox churches outside russia govern orthodox churches america self governing russian orthodox greek catholic church america leadership popularly called russian america granted renamed north central_america official according april granted official church comprehensive march agreement states article viii legal church changed definite article bishop diocese west commented official jurisdiction definite article dropped printing error uses america remain common outside jurisdiction history missionary work native americans orthodox living contact fur traders mid 18th century baptized orthodox trading partners occasional visits priests serving aboard exploring vessels russian navy russian colony alaska established merchant attempt met resistance native population returned russia installed director colony order convince russian imperial court seriousness colonial ambitions recruited volunteers environment appears similar archipelago landscape monasteries travel new colony volunteers led departed saint_petersburg december arrived september arrived shocked harsh treatment natives hands russian settlers sent reports detailing abuse local population ignored response created auxiliary episcopal alaska elected bishop small party returned russia offer hand accounts seen return voyage colony ship sank aboard died placed remaining monks house arrest forbade contact local population despite lack leadership orthodox mission alaska continued grow officially closed episcopal holy sent instructions new priest travel alaska volunteered journey left russia family arrived july death wife accepted monastic taking innocent islands making ruling bishop mission bishop innocent elevated archbishop missionary scholarly work focused blending indigenous languages cultures orthodox tradition innocent saint referred americas growth orthodox church continental united_states established san_francisco california numerous parishes established country rest 19th century parishes typically multi ethnic received support missionary diocese relocated alaska city san_francisco california united_states mission instituted separate diocese alaska june subsequent sale alaska united_states november orthodox church new_york_city consecrated viewed suspicion latin rite bishops united_states archbishop minnesota actually hostile especially concerning matter married clergy brought group death brought approximately independent communities eastern rite catholic parishes consisting faithful converted efforts saint recognition expansion church alaska bishop petitioned change diocese title diocese north_america approved february consecrated auxiliary bishop alaska consecrated administer arab parishes relocated administration san_francisco new_york_city report year proposed dramatic changes operation diocese recognizing needs growing multi ethnic orthodox community recommended reforming missionary diocese self supporting american diocese composed numerous ethnic auxiliary plan called russian new_york arab brooklyn serbian chicago greek additionally called formation governing council composed clergy meet discuss administrative canonical issues march american convened pennsylvania following archbishop russia year reforms implemented period education charity focus diocese archbishop oversaw creation orthodox seminary minneapolis minnesota seminary moved minneapolis new_jersey enrolled students established brooklyn immigrant society established orthodox monasteries united_states monastery men women american diocese largest grown parishes funding diocese provided connections american diocese severely compromised events year revolution turmoil russian revolution subsequent establishment communist soviet government period repression church property confiscated patriarch resisted imprisoned april june november patriarch formally authorized russian orthodox bishops set temporarily independent organizations time normal communications governance restored ethnic groups american diocese began align national churches group canada formed ukrainian canada established serbs aligned soviet russia splinter group known gained official state recognition place united_states group clergy led attempted ruling american addition political ethnic struggles diocese deal mounting church debt result loss funds forced mortgage church property pay creditors replaced previously served archbishop diocese return elected metropolitan america canada american november soon communist authorities russia collaboration attempted seize church assets united_states response fourth american convened april historic step declaring north american diocese temporarily self governing taken meant necessary relations normalized justification earlier decree patriarch diocese officially incorporated russian orthodox greek catholic church america despite conditions set decree temporary autonomy met american diocese russian church declared self governance protests communication capable governance american branch willing refusal american branch submit based officially document conditions met reality fear communism belief compromised fueled rebellion paired desire russia despite declaration self governance awarded church cathedral new_york_city prevent loss property diocese allowed individual parishes ownership properties effectively independent combined increasing number ethnic parishes orthodox jurisdictions non orthodox led unique situation multiple jurisdictions overlapped geographically remainder known informally jurisdiction metropolitan following patriarch death led metropolitan began soviet government declared bishops known later russia formed saw representing russian orthodox abroad including severed relations citing increasing claims authority america suspended clergy agreement entitled temporary regulations russian orthodox church abroad signed normalized relations 6th american held affirmed remained autonomous reported matters faith forced leave yugoslavia end world war eventually established base operations new_york_city decided 7th american ties attempt return return proposed stipulation allowed retain autonomy condition met continued self governing church periodic attempts reconciliation decades progress time ethnic character began change russian immigrants america aligned vocally anti communist experienced growth increasingly addition english speaking converts result ethnic makeup began shift away purely slavic included mainly russians unity independence prior 13th american november proposal prepared change church russian aware proposal forbade vote matter debate non binding straw poll permitted result poll decidedly favor change result decision deal matter held years early 1960s resumed communication patriarch moscow communicated informally resolve long standing differences representatives sought right self governance removal russian jurisdiction matters concerning official negotiations matter began april patriarch fourteen bishops signed official newly renamed america fifteenth change granting officially accepted 14th american known 1st american council recognition church new found independence october currently recognized minor share orthodox churches canonical orthodox churches recognize canonical valid past years established new parishes member america orthodox christian north_america member jurisdictions dissolved creation new north central_america mandated meeting switzerland consideration given recently possible merger groups share significant common history syrian priest sent late 19th century missionary arabic speaking orthodox christians living north_america ordained bishop flock eventually march financial scandal treasurer publicly accused administration financial misconduct alleged millions dollars donations church personal expenses cover church accounts page report released september addressed financial scandal recommended discipline individuals including predecessor report recommended immediately resign retire post risk bring day report released resigned position metropolitan november elected new 15th annual american council metropolitan chosen recently appointed bishop days prior viewed involved previous financial scandal metropolitan immediately took strong stance previous scandal public metropolitan seeking repair damage previous scandal bring public realm metropolitan sought improve relations non orthodox groups especially sought repair relations traditional anglican groups invited twice speak conference years election metropolitan asked unanimous decision resign position wary initially releasing information resignation holy felt prompted release public statement release rumors spread intentions statement released official website detailed administrative decisions metropolitan holy felt church members risk statement clarified reason withheld information initially protect reputation integrity metropolitan protect involved specific decisions november extraordinary elected archbishop philadelphia canada installed january metropolitan convert orthodox faith long time monk pennsylvania recognition currently russian bulgarian georgian polish serbian czech churches recognize bulgarian russian serbian continue maintain parishes inside claimed jurisdiction churches recognize argues authority grant partly time considered heavily influenced soviet government patriarch cites canon asserted jurisdiction bishop constantinople located outside cited source authority matter claim decree need approval internal matter decide churches included recognized years albeit granted membership exact number debated according edition american members increase percent figure places 24th largest christian united_states second largest eastern orthodox church country study presented substantially lower figure adherents baptized orthodox attend services occasional basis children members persons older paying annual church membership fees comparison listed having adherents response study representative stated church adults children stated presentation conference church census population membership declined percent stated population continental united_states declined percent year american orthodox published based research released extensive data orthodox churches united_states including oriental orthodox groups groups considered groups publication endorsed assembly committees research planning lists united_states membership says regular church attendees lists having parishes monasteries united_states indicates states heaviest concentration parishes order alaska pennsylvania california new_york structure supreme canonical authority composed church bishops chairman metropolitan meets twice annually special sessions called metropolitan request bishops metropolitan metropolitan serves bishop church bishops church metropolitan considered equals official title metropolitan america canada role manage welfare church act representative orthodox churches religious organizations secular authorities metropolitan elected necessary american council general council clergy age term limits metropolitan retire time usually health related reasons diocese basic church body comprises parishes determined geographical area governed bishop assistance currently composed geographic ethnic boundaries ethnic overlap certain geographic ones result smaller ethnic jurisdictions joining point history usually having broken bodies established needed modify boundaries existing diocese american council according statute highest legislative administrative authority church council composed roughly metropolitan bishops priests selected lay delegates purpose discuss vote church matters necessary council elected new period american councils set years case thirteen councils held referred american reflecting ties fourteenth held jointly known 1st american council reflecting status recent american council 16th held november time metropolitan elected permanent executive body church administration tasked implementing decisions handling church budgetary concerns council headed chairman current metropolitan composed chancellor secretary treasurer selected clergy lay delegates usually meets twice year december rare joint meeting held
Orthodox Church in America