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==Sixth All-American Sobor==
The sixth All-American Sobor was convened in New York City on [[October 5]]-[[October 8|8]], 1937, to confirm agreements made by Metr. Theophilus at a consultation called by Patriarch Varnnava of Serbia in 1936 with representatives of the Russian dioceses and exiles that were not administered by the Patriarchate of Russia (the ROCOR). The agreements that were subsequently ratified by the American Council of Bishops with bishops from the Church Abroad attending the meetings, made by Metr. Theophilus in which he had stressed that the autonomy of the American church remained inviolate. The sobor confirmed these agreements, but with over half of the delegates abstaining. The abstentions indicated an uneasiness about this "union" with the Church Abroad.
A major advance for the North American diocese was signaled when the sobor approved the of establishment of two theological training institutions. [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] was approved as a liberal arts college based school, while a [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|school]] attached to [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery]] would provide pastoral training. By this course, the Metropola took action to alleviate the inevitable shortage of trained clergy that had been developing since the closing of St. Platon's Seminary in Tenafly in 1923.