We are happy to place this announcement on our site. If your "Orthodox" and have an active ministry as a member of the clergy or are an active lay person we would be happy to consider you for membership in our Church. We seek new members to help us grow. To be a member of this Church you will belong to the only Orthodox Church in North America that is not Schismatic (as most in North America are and have been for the past 90 years) and will be in a Church with true sacramental authority.
To the many true Orthodox Christian men...
in Orthodox or Catholic orders in need of a change because their Church is behind the times, or...
in independent holy orders and with Churches that are not part of a historic canonical Church.
If you wish to be part of a Church that is recognized by other old established Churches consider us (see below).
If you are concerned that your Church or congregation does not grow or that you doubt your validity because your not associated with a canonically established Church then please consider the following.
Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh was a canonical Orthodox Archbishop and named head of this Church by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America (Moscow Patriarchate) in 1927. He incorporated this Church in 1928. Therefore, this is a canonically established Orthdox Church.
Dr. Joseph Zuk, of Blessed Memory, was consecrated a bishop of this Church Sept. 25, 1932 and was a founding member of the North American Holy Synod [of this Church] and bishop of New York for the Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. He was later primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America.
Sophronius Bishara, of Blessed Memory, was consecrated a bishop of this Church on May 26, 1928 and was a founding member of the Synod also. He was consecrated by Abp. Ofiesh, Bp. Emmanuel Abouhatab, Bp. Theophilus (Theodore Nicholaevich) Pashkovsky of Chicago and Bp. Arseny (Andrew Lvovich) Chavtsov of Winnipeg.
Many claim Sophronius consecrated Christopher Contogeorge but in fact the certificate is on a letterhead of Metropolitan Theophan Noli who in fact was the consecrator.
Abp. Peter was a Byzantine Uniate Archpriest who had been invited many times to share the altar at the (SCOBA) Ukrainian Church.
Our former Metropolitan Leland spent over 20 years with the Byzantine Uniates.
We have a letter that we can give communion, and other sacraments, to Roman Catholics since we are one of the historic Orthodox Churches and not one of the independent groups.
Our clergy have been asked to share the altar with Roman Catholic clergy.
A former priest of this Church has passed all his oral exams and was accepted, w/o re-ordination, as a priest of the Episcopal Church USA. Last we heard he was pastor of a small parish in Arkansas.
a. We are a traditional canonically established Orthodox Church. We follow the Holy Scripture, Orthodox canons and traditions.
b. We were established by the Synod of Bishops in North America of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
c. We were established Feb. 2, 1927.
d. We were incorporated on Feb. 1, 1928 and this same corporation continues today. These documents are public record and we have scanned copies of them.
e. The first signature on our articles of incorporation is that of Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh.
f. We are the first canonically established Orthodox Church in and for North America, i.e. "the new world".
g. We pre-date the OCA Charter as the OCA by 43 years.
h. Our purpose was to serve the English speaking Orthodox community in the new world as the American Orthodox Catholic Church, the short name given to this Church and claimed by many in the independent movement.
i. The 1951 N.Y. Church - The Orthodox Catholic Patriarchate of America originally under Abp. Joseph and later headed by Abp. Clement Sherwood merged with us. They now use our name as their corporate name.
j. We are mainly Western Rite Orthodox and we use the approved Western Rite Liturgies from the St. Andrews Service Book. Our Eastern Rite is the Byzantine Rite.
k. We are the American Orthodox Patriarchate.
...and we seek qualified clergy and seminary students interested in being a part of this canonically established Orthodox Church.