To help you on your journey of finding a church, Church Finder has created this list of Christian Denominations with over 140 Denomination Profiles, providing an overview of the largest Christian denominations in the United States and Canada.As you look to find Christian churches near you, Church Finder is here to help on your journey. This is due to Alaska's settlement by Russian traders in the 18th century. The area has 600,000 Roman Catholics (38 Parishes total) and lots of Mormons (over twenty meeting houses) but some decide to become Orthodox. Source: Gogink Lobabi [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. [22] As a result of the realignments, Aftimios (Ofiesh) and Platon chartered the American Orthodox Catholic Church in 1927. [16][19] In November 1870, the first Orthodox church in New York City was consecrated. It has extensive data on various Orthodox Churches in the United States, including both Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox groups (as well as groups considered uncanonical by those two groups). Only three of the top 10 largest churches are mainline Protestant churches; three of the top 25 are Pentecostal churches; and six of the top 15 are historic African American churches. she said. Contact. The Atlas lists the United States membership of the OCA as 84,900, 33,800 of which it says are regular church attendees. For his missionary and scholarly work that had focused on blending indigenous Alaskan languages and cultures with Orthodox tradition, Innocent became a saint of the Orthodox Church in America in 1977, and is referred to as the Enlightener of the Aleuts and Apostle to the Americas. [17] It was not until 1823 that the Holy Synod sent instructions for a new priest to travel to Alaska. "They're being radicalized by these folks on the internet, and that's really dangerous.". : ", "Megaconstrucii: Catedrala "nlarea Domnului" din Bacu", "Catedrala din Timioara, stil i elegan", Chiotaki Aspasia, Bachelor Thesis with title, "Kyshtym, Chelyabinsk region Parks and Landscapes", "Iai Metropolitan Ensemble The Metropolitan Cathedral", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_largest_Eastern_Orthodox_church_buildings&oldid=1130186020. Construction World May 2018, "The biggest orthodox church in the world", "Mosaic icons began to be applied on the National Cathedral's iconostasis", Zoran Veljovic: the largest orthodox temple, "Aural Architecture: Music, Acoustics, and Ritual", cadastral parcel of the church of saint sava 1819/2 at 4830 m, Opstina Savski Venac, " ", https://zoranveljovic11.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/the-largest-orthodox-temple-h.jpg, " ", "Sofia Sights - Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Boyana Church, Bulgarian National Library and Tsar's Palace", Dr. Charis Alk. "They're drawn to what they believe to be conservative views on things like LGBTQ rights, gender equality. The Greek Orthodox Church Size: 480,000 Worship Style: Bells & Smells Description: The other ancient institution of the Church, Orthodox Christianity represents a brand of the faithdepending on who you askequally old as Catholicism. For example, the Hagia Sophia is included it was originally built as a church but was later converted into a mosque. There is nothing to talk about anymore and nothing here to see,' " said Inga Leonova, the founder and editor of The Wheel, a journal on Orthodoxy and culture. It's now being sort of colonized by these converts in many respects," said Riccardi-Swartz. This is clearly conveyed by statistical data presented by the PEW Research Center which shows that 49 of the 50 states have Orthodox populations of 1% or less of the state population. Even though the majority of Orthodox church bodies grew, some lost parishes. The major groups associating with this religion are Russian Americans, Greek Americans, and Arab Americans. [16], After Archbishop Platon's return, he was elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the third All-American Sobor in November 1922. As of 8 March 2022, over US$433,000 had been raised. The church broadcasts sermons every week within the online multiplayer game Second Life., Source: AgnosticPreachersKid [derivative work: MathKnight CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. [20] He consecrated an auxiliary bishop for Alaska in 1903, and in 1904 he consecrated Raphael Hawaweeny to administer to the Arab parishes. The one-time pastor at another church led a congregation of 40 people that grew rapidly. Both groups share a significant common history, in that a Syrian priest, Raphael Hawaweeny, was sent by the Moscow Patriarchate in the late 19th century as a missionary to Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christians living in North America. The church intends to open a new location in Birmingham with the purpose being to fight crime in the inner city. The. But Leonova said this is fiction. Since many Russian immigrants to America aligned themselves with the vocally anti-Communist ROCOR, the Metropolia experienced its growth increasingly through the addition of English-speaking converts. Somerset, NJ 08873. "I do actually think it's growing," said George Demacopoulos, a professor and the director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. The Church of Saint Sava is the largest Orthodox cathedral in the world. Web: www.holytrinityfresno.org. It's slow but growing here. Apostolopoulos, University of Patras, "Historical data from construction damages in the structure of the new church of Saint Andrew in Patras", " - .. Put differently, 46% of all Orthodox Church members in the USA belong to GOA. He spoke in Washington in 2015. Riccardi-Swartz's study focused on a community of mostly former evangelical Christians and Catholics who had joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). Heimbach went on to join another branch of Orthodoxy. [46], In 2011, The Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Churches, published by Holy Cross Orthodox Press and based on research by Alexei Krindatch, was released. His role is to manage the welfare of the church, and to act as its representative with other Orthodox Churches, religious organizations, and secular authorities. The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the largest Orthodox church in the Americas. [2]:70, The supreme canonical authority of the OCA is the Holy Synod of Bishops, composed of all the church's diocesan bishops. What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Christian? In Greek Orthodox Christianity, by far the largest branch in the United States with almost 480,000 members, it's about 25 percent. Perched on the highest point in the capital, Washington's National Cathedral earns its reputation as one of the most beautiful churches in the United States for its stunning, Notre-Dame-esque facade and towering stained-glass windows. In 1905, Archbishop Tikhon oversaw the creation of an Orthodox seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The metropolitan is elected, when necessary, by the Holy Synod at an All-American Council (a general council of OCA clergy and laity). Zezulin said she believes tolerance for these views may explain why extremists with xenophobic and nativist views have been joining. There are no age or term limits for the metropolitan, and he may retire at any time, but usually does so only for health-related reasons. Representatives from the Metropolia sought the right of self-governance, as well as the removal of Russian jurisdiction from all matters concerning the American Church. Ukraine's largest Orthodox church is in crisis over its ongoing connections to Moscow. When necessary, the Council has also elected new metropolitans. But more recently, the size and location of Eastern Orthodox churches in the U.S. has changed. Perhaps the most well known among Orthodox converts who worked within alt-right circles was Matthew Heimbach. Explore religious groups in the U.S. by tradition, family and denomination Christian 70.6% Evangelical Protestant 25.4% Mainline Protestant 14.7% Historically Black Protestant 6.5% Catholic 20.8% Mormon 1.6% Orthodox Christian 0.5% Jehovah's Witness 0.8% Other Christian 0.4% Non-Christian Faiths 5.9% Jewish 1.9% Muslim 0.9% Buddhist 0.7% Hindu 0.7% List of largest Eastern Orthodox church buildings. The United Methodist Church is second with 7.6 million members. The study, which was part of the national Religious Congregations and Membership Study 2010, also shows that just 27 percent of members attend Orthodox churches regularly. The Database of Buildings: Catedrala Mntuirii Neamului Romnesc in Bucharest, Annual Report Umdasch Group 2018: The largest church in the Balkans, Dmitri Sidorov 2004: National Monumentalization ant the Politics of Scale: The Resurrections of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Last edited on 29 December 2022, at 00:59, Transfiguration Cathedral of Ugresha Monastery, List of tallest Eastern Orthodox church buildings, List of Greek Orthodox churches in the United States, Romania's National Cathedral. Source: Tompson [CC0] via Wikimedia Commons. When Sarah Riccardi-Swartz moved from New York City to a small Appalachian town in West Virginia in the fall of 2017, she was searching for an answer to a puzzling question. Metropolia Center. Alexei Krindatch, a sociologist of religion who focuses on Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches in the U.S., estimates that active adherents make up about 0.4% of the population. [16], By 1917, the American diocese was the largest in the Russian Orthodox Church. The first thirteen Councils (held from 19071970) are referred to as All-American Sobors, reflecting the American Church's jurisdictional ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. Over a year of doing research, Riccardi-Swartz learned that many of these converts had grown disillusioned with social and demographic change in the United States. Dioceses are established by the Holy Synod whenever needed, and the Synod may also modify the boundaries of an existing diocese.[49]. Wake up to the day's most important news. [34], A 32-page report was released on 3 September 2008, that addressed the financial scandal and recommended "discipline" for five individuals, including then-primate Metropolitan Herman, his predecessor Metropolitan Theodosius, and two former treasurers as well as a former comptroller. Our festivals seem to help evangelize. It wasnt until 1907 that construction began after the US Congress authorized the establishment of a national cathedral. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Christmas liturgy at the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg early on Jan. 7, 2020. This is a list of the largest Eastern Orthodox church buildings in the world, based on area and capacity. Lakewood Church is the home church of the television evangelist and author Joel Osteen. The Orthodox Church has multiple locations. [15], The first Native Americans to become Orthodox were the Aleuts living in contact with Siberian fur traders in the mid 18th century. More precisely 6,300 worshipers on the nave floor and 700 choirs (balconies). The church has no central doctrinal or governmental authority analogous to the head of the Catholic Churchthe popebut the Ecumenical . "They are anti-democratic by nature," Sarkisian said. "You know, somebody just said we should stand and pray for both sides. This figure places the OCA as the 24th largest Christian church in the United States, and the second largest Eastern Orthodox church in the country, after the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC) is the largest Christian denomination in the Republic of Macedonia, with approximately 1.2 million members. Sorting is done by volume (priority) and area. They're finding it through these blogs," said Sarkisian. In 1926, the Serbs aligned with the Serbian Orthodox Church. Bush observed the laying of the final finial stone. The number of Orthodox parishes has reached 2,370, and the Orthodox community in America consists of more than 1 million adherents across 20 different church bodies, according to the 2010 U.S. To prevent further loss of property, the diocese allowed individual parishes to take ownership of their properties, which made them effectively independent. The 6th All-American Sobor, held in 1937, affirmed that while the Metropolia remained autonomous, it reported to the ROCOR in matters of faith. Alexei Krindatch, research consultant for the Standing Conferences of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, said the 16 percent growth in the number of Orthodox parishes is "a fairly high ratio for religious groups in the United States.". During his brief time there, Heimbach's activities with other Orthodox converts on a college campus in Indiana drew scrutiny. The Ecumenical Patriarch also cites Canon 28 of the Council of Chalcedon, which asserted the jurisdiction of the bishop of Constantinople in dioceses located "among the barbarians" (i.e. After much debate however, a non-binding straw poll was permitted. Still, she has felt that silence on the issue has caused greater harm. And if you look at the geography, those parishes were planted not in traditional lands of Orthodoxy," said Krindatch. Aram Sarkisian, a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Northwestern University's Department of History, said this new growth from converts has helped some branches of Orthodoxy offset a decline in multigenerational families in the church. The one-time pastor at another church led a congregation of 40 people that grew rapidly. But ROCOR, which Krindatch estimated in 2020 to have roughly 24,000 adherents, experienced a striking shift. In the underground galleries can be accommodate 3,000 peoples. Despite centuries of presence in North America, starting in what we now know as Alaska, the Orthodox church in the U.S. is still relatively small. Kevin Allen Kevin Allen is the host of Ancient Faith Radio's Ancient Faith Today, the only live listener call-in radio program that discusses contemporary issues from the perspective of the Holy Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church.Ancient Faith Today can be heard Sunday nights on Ancient Faith Radio Talk at 5 p.m. Eastern time, 6 p.m. Mountain time, 7 p.m. Central time, and 8 p.m . It further stated that the OCA population in the continental United States declined between six and nine percent per year. The denomination has grown by 45 churches since the end of 2015 and by 89 congregations since June 5, 2015, when the denomination had 208 congregations. Recognizing the needs of the growing multi-ethnic Orthodox community, he recommended reforming the missionary diocese into a self-supporting American diocese, composed of numerous ethnic auxiliary dioceses. However, in the USA, the religion is still taking ground with only a small section of the entire population subscribing to the faith. Well, were the Brits supposed to pray for Hitler and Churchill at the same time?" Joasaph as bishop. Uzbekistan, 1.8 million. "They are a part of these larger networks on the American far right, like Nicholas Fuentes and his America Firsters. Metropolitan Jonah also sought to improve relations with non-Orthodox groups and especially sought to repair the relations between the OCA and traditional Anglican groups. Entries are included even if they currently do not function as a church. The churchs unique name reflects Groeschels attempt to bring in people who would not normally attend a service using market research to find out what would work. Wars and funding issues delayed completion. More than four in ten (41%) identify as Protestant (including 23% who are not evangelical and 18% who are non-evangelical), 11% as Catholic, 1% as Latter-day Saint, and 1% as Orthodox Christian. The top five largest Orthodox churches in the U.S. are Greek Orthodox (476,900), Orthodox Church in America (84,900), Antiochian Orthodox (74,600), Serbian Orthodox (68,800) and Russian Orthodox (27,700). It is tasked with implementing the decisions of the All-American Council, as well as handling the Church's budgetary concerns. The church building are listed in alphabetical order according to country. Alaska Alaska has the largest Orthodox population by percentage of the state population at 5%. Why had a group of conservative American Christians converted to Russian Orthodoxy? By the late 19th century, the Russian Orthodox Church had grown in other areas of the United States due to the arrival of immigrants from areas of Eastern and Central Europe, many of them formerly of the Eastern Catholic Churches ("Greek Catholics"), and from the Middle East. While the subject of political and ecclesiastical dispute, this controversy does not impair the communion between the OCA and the wider Eastern Orthodox Church. He returned to Russia and installed Alexandr Baranov as director of the colony. The West Virginia location, in addition to having a church parish, was also home to the largest English-speaking Russian Orthodox monastery in the world. The Metropolia cooperated with the synod at first but severed relations with them in 1926, citing the synod's increasing claims of authority in America. Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images In 1968, the Metropolia and the Russian Church communicated informally to resolve long-standing differences. The Washington National Cathedral is the place where we see the major religious-themed events involving American politicians take place. The city of Novosibirsk is located in the Russian Far East. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is composed of an Archdiocesan District -- New York and eight Metropolises: New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston and Denver. Christianity is the dominant religion in the United States accounting for about 70% of the religious population. Since its formation on July 19, 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Church has become autocephalous. Zezulin said it tracked with the church's expansion to new regions of the U.S., where it was drawing new conservative converts. "There is a significant number of clergy whose social media profiles sport Confederate flags and support of the Southern cause," she said. Those who have followed the influx of extremists into American Orthodoxy agree that those individuals are fringe within the church and are mostly concentrated in newly founded ROCOR parishes. The map shows: The United Methodist Church saw a 0.99 percent decrease but the mainline group remains the third largest church body with nearly 8 million members. Alaska has the largest Orthodox population by percentage of the state population at 5%. Any Eastern Orthodox church building that has a capacity of 3,000 people or more, can be added to this page. By 1917, 163 Eastern-Rite Catholic parishes consisting of more than 100,000 faithful had been converted. "They're vocal in their parishes. "I don't think these people are necessarily changing the minds of people already in the church, but I do think they are bringing others culturally or politically like them into the church.". Its also much newer, having been completed in the 1970s. She recently published a book based on her research that's titled Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia. "This is how people are finding Orthodoxy now. This "Eastern Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity" was typical of the earliest Orthodox parishes in America: it was multi-ethnic, composed of Greeks, Slavs, and Arabs, and multi-lingual, services . According to 2010 US Orthodox Census, GOA has nearly 477,000 members. They sent reports to Shelikhov detailing the abuse of the local population, but were ignored. Georgia, 3.4 million. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, US States by Orthodox Christian Population, Countries With The Largest Orthodox Christian Populations. [] Liturgical and church traditions, such as forms of singing, vestments, iconography, use of Church Slavonic, and architecture broadly reflect those of Russian Orthodoxy. Along with the largest volume and interior area, 127 m high and 126 m long, it is the tallest and longest Orthodox church building in the world. The international community has a key role in determining how this unfolds and must act to ensure the worst scenarios don't come to pass. Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball had his funeral held there. pastors is former NFL draft pick Mayo Sowell. Maps of US Orthodox Churches: parishes and members 1. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Christmas liturgy at the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg early on Jan. 7, 2020. Report Finds Strong Growth In U.S. When she writes about the topic, she said she receives threats from within the Orthodox community. The cathedral is projected for 10,000 people in the main cathedral building and underground galleries. The top ten countries account for 89% of all Orthodox Christians in the world. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Arundhati Roy and other leaders have given sermons at the church. "I identify more with Russian with Putin's Christian values than I do with Joe Biden," Witzke said in the video. Figures below are in accordance with the Annuario Pontificio, at 2018. consistory@uocofusa.org. The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America. Although these parishes were typically multi-ethnic, most received support from the missionary diocese. Some have suggested a much larger estimate of two and a half million members, in 535 churches. 732-356-0090 (Phone) 732-356-5556 (Fax) Unlike most Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, the OCA does not have an affinity towards any particular foreign nationality, but most OCA members are ethnically Euro-American, and most OCA clergy are those who are born and raised in the United States. Doing the numbers on membership", "Statute of the OCA Article IV The Metropolitan", "Statute of the OCA Article VI The Diocese", "Statute of the OCA Article III The All-American Council", "All-American Councils - the 20th All-American Council", "Metropolitan Council, Holy Synod to hold joint session", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orthodox_Church_in_America&oldid=1132185190, 84,900 total adherents, 33,800 regular attendees, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 17:46. The channels revolve around themes of antisemitism, contempt for women's and LGBTQ rights, xenophobia and support of white nationalists, including some who've been convicted of violent hate crimes. [16], Despite the lack of leadership, the Orthodox mission in Alaska continued to grow. The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is known for two things outside of being one of the tallest churches in America. The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch in the United States and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries. The map "Orthodox Bishops and Parishes in the USA." (2018) This map was created in my capacity of the Research Coordinator for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. The church cathedral, a tower with a stained glass face, was built as the audience grew for its pastor Dennis Kennedy. In 1916, an unaccredited Russian women's college was established in Brooklyn. In fact, the structure is considered one of the best examples of Russian sacred architecture in America. During their return voyage to the colony in May 1799, their ship sank and all aboard died. One of the churchs pastors is former NFL draft pick Mayo Sowell. The OCA is currently composed of twelve geographic and three ethnic dioceses (Albanian, Bulgarian, and Romanian). Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, The Biggest Heists and Bank Robberies in American History. As of Aug. 12, ECO has 297 churches with 115,000 covenant partners (members) and 484 pastors. (RNS) America's Eastern Orthodox parishes have grown 16 percent in the past decade, in part because of a settled immigrant community, according to new research. 2. Sowell attended college in Alabama (Auburn University) and was drafted into the professional football league. The granting of autocephaly by the Moscow Patriarchate was strongly condemned by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as an act that exceeded the formers authority and violated the canons. Alaska is the only state with any sort of significant population at 5%. hide caption. Sarkisian said he began to see white nationalist and nativist views surface within Orthodox spaces online just around the time that these shifts began taking place. Since 2016, Archbishop Daniel of the Western Diocese in the USA has also been serving as bishop of Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in Britain. In 1891, Alexis Toth brought a group of 361 Eastern Catholics into Orthodoxy. Of the tallest churches in this list, the Coral Ridge church stands out employing architecture that is more modern and is home to an Evangelical denomination. In the United States, a group of Living Church clergy led by John Kedrovsky attempted to depose ruling American hierarch Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky). "So what it means [is], we have more parishes, but which are smaller in size. Of particular concern are the ways in which these individuals are networking with outside extremist groups and broadcasting their ideologies in the name of Orthodoxy. Also the official site specifies that, in total 10,000 worshipers, can accommodated on the nave floor and in the underground galleries. As Orthodox Christians, we condemn violence and aggression. Shelikhov's attempt to colonize Kodiak Island was met with resistance by the native population. The religion began in the Roman Empire and spread to other parts of the world as time went by. The church of Armenia is among the oldest on Earth. Some say the Greek Orthodox Church has remained mostly. In 2014, he was excommunicated from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America shortly after he had been accepted into it. The OCA is partly recognized as autocephalous and consists of more than 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico. As a result, the decision to deal with the matter at another Sobor (to be held in two years) was made. He was installed on 27 January 2013. In a recent census, there were 6.746 Catholics living in the country. According to the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, the All-American Council is the "highest legislative and administrative authority within the Church. Russian colony in Alaska was established in 1784 by merchant Grigory Shelikhov. Bishop Raphael was canonized in March 2000 by the OCA as St.Raphael of Brooklyn. Zezulin left her longtime ROCOR community and has started attending an Orthodox Church in America parish because her priest would not condemn the invasion. It lists the OCA as having 551 parishes and 19 monasteries in the United States. The majority of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians (140 million; 42%), though there are also significant numbers of American Roman Catholics (70 million; 21%) and other minority Christian denominations . [16], In a report to the Holy Synod that year, Bishop Tikhon proposed dramatic changes in the operation of the diocese. [27], Despite the conditions set out by Tikhon's decree for this temporary autonomy not being met, the American diocese of the Russian church declared self-governance in 1924, against the protests of the patriarchate, with which it had communication and which was capable of governance had its American branch been willing. It is governed by the Diocesan Bishop, with the assistance of a Diocesan Assembly and a Diocesan Council. So then, well discuss the churches in the United States with the most members, as well as a mention of some of the most impressive buildings of worship. The Medhane Alem Cathedral is the largest Ethiopian Orthodox church in Addis Ababa (and Africa) and the second largest church in Africa. He was released from his team, and later, was arrested for selling illegal drugs. "So for me, those are a bunch of new ROCOR communities which are founded by convert clergy or by convert members," Krindatch said. The Orthodox Union, through its OU Advocacy Center, has participated as amicus curiae in many The media ecosystem she has participated in, a network of American converts to ROCOR who produce podcasts and live video chats online, presents a highly politicized interpretation of Orthodoxy to the world and one that many believe offers a distorted view of the church. She also, at one time, seemed to support QAnon conspiracy theories but has since renounced QAnon. But years before that, Heimbach's activities had already created waves within some Orthodox circles. "They settle, then begin to think about their religious lives.". Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and Rev. [17] In 1800, Baranov placed the remaining monks under house arrest and forbade them to have any further contact with the local population. Representatives declined to answer questions. Over time, these churches concentrated in the Northeast and West Coast. The case study that Riccardi-Swartz provides adds detail and color to a trend that a handful of historians and journalists have documented for nearly a decade. There are approximately 7 million Orthodox Americans. In 1905, Bishop Tikhon relocated the diocesan administration from San Francisco to New York City. Church "adherents" was the most inclusive category, consisting of anyone who occasionally participated in church life, while "regular attendees" are those who attend church on an almost weekly basis. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods. [47], The primate of the OCA is the metropolitan. Lena Zezulin, whose parents were among the founding members of a parish in Long Island, N.Y., said that the community was always inclusive of non-Christian Russian immigrants living among it and proud of its immigrant roots. He was forced to mortgage Church property to pay creditors and was replaced, in 1922, by Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky), who had previously served as archbishop of the diocese from 1907 to 1914.

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