1. This Church was canonically established and Chartered on Feburary 2, 1927 and incorporated on Feb. 1, 1928. As such this Church was, and is, entitled to the same honor and respect that other Othodox Churches and jurisdictions seek and demand.

2. That the Ecumenical Patriarch during this time directed his clergy to ignore this Church and to act to prevent its growth.

3. That Archbishop Alexander of the Greek Archdiocese in New York claimed leadership over all Orthodox in North America in 1929.

4. That Bishop Germanos of the Syrian Antiochian Church came to North America without official authority to raise funds, steal parishes, members and clergy which he did and in violation of the canons.

5. That the ethnic jurisdictions in North America did act in concert against this Church to do whatever they deemed necessary to destroy this Church even to go so far as to violate the canons.

6. That the Ecumenical Patriarch, Basil III and his successors have falsely denied this Church based on financial greed, a desire to head the next American Church and to protect themselves from the outward appearance of wrongdoing in any manner in connection with this Church.

7. That the Russian Church, who was our mother Church, acted Schismatically by establishing the OCA in 1970 as the successor to this Church after they had turned their backs on this Church.

8. That all ethnic pre-SCOBA jurisdictions did violate the canons and did commit Schism by their actions against this Church.

9. That SCOBA consists of the Schmatics involved and is a group aimed at establishing the new schismatic American Church.

It shall also be noted that all acts of Schism against American Orthodoxy were intentionally against this Church, that this Church never ceased or was closed down in any legal, canonical or moral manner.

2. That Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh was never suspended, deposed, defrocked, excommunicated or in any other way removed from Office as head of this Church.

THEREFORE The North American Holy Synod formally declares that all individuals and jurisdictions party to the Schism against this Church and American Orthodoxy are declared as directed by the Sacred Canons - Clergy are declared deposed and laity are declared excommunicated - from the begining of this Schism. We declare this Decree in full force and effect against All those who have ever, since we were Chartered, attacked this Church in any manner as mentioned in this decree.

It is also declared that no one bishop may claim to lift or remove this decree since the canons require the bishop or synod issuing a decree or their successor must remove the decree. No Schismatic bishop or Synod may canonically act in our stead and none is our canonical successor.

Signed and dated at the Patriarchate
this the Sixth Day of August, 2007.

His Beatitude Nikon
Patriarch,
American Orthodox Patriarchate

His Eminence Leland
Chancellor,
Metropolitan of North South America

His Eminence John
Metropolitan of the British Isles and Western Europe

Archbishop Victor
Retired Metropolitan

His Grace Joseph
Bishop of the Western United States

Andrew
Choirepiscopus
Diocese of Michigan