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{{church|name=Orthodox Church in America[[Image:OCA 1.jpg|center|The Orthodox Church in America]]|founder=Ss. [[Herman of Alaska]], [[Innocent of Alaska]], [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]|independence=1970 ("temporary self-government" in 1924)|recognition=1970 by [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] |primate=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] |hq=[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|Syosset, New York]]|territory=United States and Canada|possessions=Mexico|language=English, [[Church Slavonic]], Spanish|music=[[Russian Chant]], [[Byzantine Chant]] (in some ethnic dioceses)|calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]], [[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|population=30,000 to 1,000,000|website=[http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America]}}The '''Orthodox Church in America''' (OCA) is an [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] church with parishes mainly in the United States and Canada (though it has some had a few parishes in Australia and elsewhere). The OCA was formerly known as the '''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America''', or more informally, the '''Metropolia'''. Previous to that, it was the North American Diocese of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by most of the other autocephalous Orthodox churches.

The OCA began with the missionary work of the ''Main Article: [[Church History of Russia|Russian Orthodox Churchthe OCA]] in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. In 1917, the '' <br> ''See Also: [[Bolshevik Revolution]] brought communication between the churches Orthodoxy in North America and Russia to an almost complete halt. In the early 1920s, Patriarch [[Tikhon of Moscow]] directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of Russia to govern themselves autonomously until regular communication and travel could be resumed. (He died in 1925, and was glorified as a [[saint]] by the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] in 1989.) At that time, parishes which had been part of a single North American [[diocese]] organized separate dioceses and placed themselves under various other mother churches, giving rise to the current situation of multiple overlapping jurisdictions in North America. ''

In The OCA began with the early 1960s, missionary work of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church ]] in America resumed communication with Alaska and the Patriarch of Moscow, and Aleutian Islands by eight Orthodox monks who arrived in Alaska in 1970 full communion was restored1794. At that time, They were part of the Patriarch centuries-old missionary heritage of Moscow officially granted the OCA [[autocephaly]]Russian Orthodox Church that brought the Orthodox Church, or self-governing administrative status. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all other autocephalous Orthodox Churchesthe monks Hourg and Barsanuphii, including to the [[Church of Constantinople]]Mongol peoples. Churches that do recognize its autocephaly include the [[Church And monk St Stephen of Russia]]Perm (1340-96) who would in turn journey beyond Kazan, across the [[Church of Bulgaria]]Ural mountain, into the [[Church forests of Poland]], and Siberia to bring Orthodoxy to the pagan Zyrians. And the Russian monks who brought the [[Church even more eastward, eventually establishing a network of missions across Siberia and along the Czech Lands entire Pacific Rim: in China (1686), Alaska (1794), Japan (1861), and Slovakia]]Korea (1898).

== The OCA Today ==While the Church in Alaska was growing, immigrants were arriving in the rest of North America. In the 1860s a parish was established in San Francisco by Serbians, Russians and Greeks. Parishes were also established across the territory of the United States. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the headquarters of the North American Diocese was moved to San Francisco and then to New York. At this time there are 12 dioceses were great waves of Orthodox immigrants from Central, Eastern, and 623 parishes, missionsSouthern Europe, and institutions the Middle East. A belief commonly held within OCA circles (456 of and among some in other jurisdictions) is that they were all united in a single [[diocese]] or [[jurisdiction]], which are parishes)was under the Russian Orthodox Church. The ethnic dioceses extend into Canada, which also has one (This view is disputed by a number of non-ethnic archdioceseOCA church historians. ) Altogether Although the Russians certainly were united, as were some parishes from other ethnic groups (especially those of Middle Eastern heritage), there are 91 Canadian parisheswere many others (most notably the overwhelming majority of the Greeks) who did not look to the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America. The OCA has a Mexican Exarchate with nine parishes and missionsInstead, and there are five parishes in South Americathey looked to their mother churches. In additionan attempt to address this problem, Archbishop Tikhon, later [[Tikhon of Moscow]], there are three parishes had advocated (in Australia under a 1905 report to the OCA’s canonical protectionHoly Synod) for an American Orthodox Church with "greater autonomy, two in Sydney and another near Brisbane" governed by a synod of bishops representing the various nationalities. Tikhon's proposal did not have the opportunity to succeed.

There are three ethnic dioceses in In 1917, the OCA: Bolshevik Revolution brought communication between the Albanian (13 parishes), Bulgarian (16 parishes) churches in North America and Romanian (59 parishes)Russia to an almost complete halt. These dioceses' geographic territory overlaps with In the other dioceses early 1920s, Patriarch [[Tikhon of Moscow]] directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of the OCA Russia to govern themselves autonomously until regular communication could be resumed. (He died in 1925, and they have under their care parishes with those ethnic associations. These dioceses are was glorified as a [[saint]] by the result of smaller ethnic [[jurisdictionChurch of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]s joining in 1989.) Shortly thereafter, at a Council of all hierarchs and clergy and parish delegates, it was decided that the Church in North America could no longer maintain strict administrative ties with the OCA at some point Church in its historyRussia, especially since Patriarch Tikhon had been arrested. Additionally, the loss of financial support from the fallen empire added to the diocese's problems.

At that time, some parishes which had been part of a single, multi-ethnic, North American [[diocese]] organized separate dioceses and placed themselves under various other [[mother church]]es, solidifying the current situation of multiple, ethnically-based, overlapping, jurisdictions in North America. Though the revolution in Russia helped to speed this fragmentation process along, it had already been occurring prior to 1917, as hundreds of Orthodox parishes in the US had been founded without any reference to the Russian presence, whose authority was not universally acknowledged. From that point until the restoration of relations with Moscow in the 1960s, the Metropolia entered twice into union with the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (see [[ROCOR and OCA]]), finally breaking with the latter body in 1946. Additionally, in 1927, the bishops of the Metropolia attempted to create an autocephalous body known as the [[American Orthodox Catholic Church]], which failed after only six years.  In the early 1960s, the Metropolia (as it was then known) resumed communication with the Patriarch of Moscow, and in 1970 full communion was restored. At that time, the Patriarch of Moscow officially granted the OCA [[autocephaly]], or self-governing administrative status. The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all autocephalous Orthodox Churches, including the [[Church of Constantinople]]. Churches that do recognize its autocephaly are mainly those in former Communist lands (most of which had thus come under the influence of the Church of Russia), including the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]], the [[Church of Bulgaria]], the [[Church of Poland]], the [[Church of Georgia]], and the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]]. According to apologists for OCA autocephaly, it is common for recognition of autocephaly to be granted belatedly; however opponents regard the grant as not being within the purview of Moscow's [[presbeia|prerogatives]] (see [[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]).  Since November of 2005, when a list of accusations were brought forward by Protodeacon Eric Wheeler, the former treasurer of the OCA, its administration has been the subject of allegations of financial misconduct. Internal investigations, audits, and other actions have since then been enacted in an attempt to address the allegations, including the firing and [[deposition]] of the OCA [[chancellor]], the former Protopresbyter [[Robert S. Kondratick]]. The [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCA News] website, a privately operated site with no connection to the administration, has been publishing reports and editorials on the scandal since January of 2006, including allegations of division within the OCA's holy synod. In August 2007, the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]], which contributes to the OCA more funds than any other OCA diocese, began withholding its assessments to the central administration.[http://www.midwestdiocese.org/news_070814_1.html] In September of 2008, after the release of a scathing report by an official investigative committee, the former primate, Metr. [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], was disciplined[http://www.oca.org/news/1631] and the then current primate, Metr. [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] was retired by the Holy Synod.[http://www.oca.org/news/1632] On [[November 12]], 2008, after financial scandals, the OCA's All-American Council and Holy Synod elected [[auxiliary bishop]] [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] as its new metropolitan. He was formally installed on [[December 28]], 2008 at the primate's [[cathedral]] St. [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|Nicholas Cathedral]] in Washington, D.C.. On [[November 13]], 2012, the OCA's current [[primate]], the Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]] was elected at the 17th [[All-American Council]]. == The OCA today ==[[Image:OCA chancery.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|The OCA chancery, Oyster Bay Cove (Syosset), New York]]]][[File:Holy synod logo.png|thumb]]The OCA today consists of 14 dioceses on the territory of Canada, the United States, and Mexico with 623 parishes, missions, and institutions (456 of which are parishes). Of the dioceses 3 are non-territorially organized along ethnic lines. These [[Ethnic diocese|ethnic dioceses]] include communities in both the United States and Canada.  There are three ethnically defined dioceses in the OCA: The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Boston (13 parishes<small>[http://oca.org/DIRlists.parish.diocese.asp?diocese=OCA-AL&x=24&y=12&SID=9&CLASS=P&TYPE=DIOCESE]</small>), the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo (21 communities<small>[http://www.bdoca.org/Parishes.html]</small>), and the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America (100 communities<small>[http://www.roea.org/directories.html]</small>). These dioceses' geographic territory overlaps with the other dioceses of the OCA and they have under their care parishes with those ethnic associations, although all are home to multiethnic parishes and the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese also includes Romanian-language communities. These dioceses are the result of smaller ethnic [[jurisdiction]]s joining the OCA at some point in its history, usually after having broken from other bodies due to the politics of the Cold War era. The OCA also has 19 28 monastic communities<small>[http://oca.org/DIRmonastics.asp?SID=9]</small>, six of which fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Metropolitan (i.e., are [[stavropigial]]). The largest of these monasteries are [[New Skete (Cambridge, New York)]] and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]].

Altogether, estimates of OCA faithful number from about 28,000[http://www.oca.org/pagesPDF/departments/evangelization/2004conf/presentationsEvangelization/2004.Parish-0831-JI-ParishMinRevitalization-Conferencenotes.html] to 115,000[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/quick_question17.htmlpdf] to 1 million[http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-orthodox-americabodypg.htmaspx?eccpageID=27] to 2 million[http://www.aidsfaith.com/articles/denom.asp], depending on the report cited and method used for counting. The number of new parishes founded from 1990 to 2000 increased the overall parish number by about 12%, and new membership has been fairly equally divided between new immigrants, children of existing members, and converts to the faith. Overall, however, according to one report the trend during that decade held the population of OCA faithful in neither increase nor decline, but remaining steady.[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/tab2.pdf] According to another, however, that same decade saw a 13% decline.[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] {{orthodoxyinamerica}} According to Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff, who is on the administrative committee of the OCA's Department of Evangelization and the board of directors of the [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center]], the OCA's American contintental membership (i.e., not including Alaska, Canada, or the ethnic dioceses) "has been declining between 6 and 9% for nearly 20 years. The OCA's Census population in 1994 was 29,775; in 2004 it stood at 27,169."[http://www.oca.org/PDF/Evangelization/2004.Parish-Revitalization-notes.pdf] Despite these sobering figures, however, the OCA's dioceses of the West and South, as well as many parishes in other dioceses, have reported steady growth. A 2010 United States Census of Religious Bodies, of which Alexei Krindatch, a statistician who has done extensive work on Orthodox churches and congregations, is part, estimated that in the United States there are approximately 85,000 people who consider themselves adherents to the OCA, of which about 40% (approximately 34,000) are actually regular church attendees. [http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/research/2010-USOrthodox-Census.pdf] (See also [[Demographics]])

One ==Name==According to the 1970 ''[[Tomos]] of Autocephaly'' granted by the ongoing difficulties that the OCA faces today is a financial and structural one&mdash;the institutions, episcopacy and structures [[Russian Orthodox Church|Church of the OCA largely reflect probably very inflated population estimates based on obsolete figures. AdditionallyRussia]], the annual dues per name of this church member is much higher than other body was originally ''The Autocephalous Orthodox [[jurisdiction]]s Church in America[http://saintjohnwonderworker.org/Church%20Pledge%202003-2004a''.doc][http://www.stlukeorthodoxoca.com/html/miscorg/diocesandelegate/43rddiocesanreportDOCtomos.cfmasp?SID=12]According to the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, which can often make realistic estimates difficultadopted by the Second All-American Council in October 1971, as parishes may not wish to report their full membership in order to avoid the high dues. There usage is also a perceived "precipitous decline" ''The Orthodox Church in OCA reported membership America'' at the beginning of sentences[http://www.oca.org/pages/ocaadmin/documents/All-American-Council/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12-Pittsburgh-1999/Church-Wide-Initiative-Proposals/Church-Growth-and-Evangelism.html&ID=1], and while some interpret this as simply an ongoing transition ''the Orthodox Church in America'' in terms the middle of the difference between reported figures and actual figuressentences[http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Q-and-A_OLD/Decline-in-OCA-MembershipDOCstatute.htmlasp?SID=12&ID=4], thus seeming to imply that the churchcapitalization of ''s primate has referred to the situation as a "membership crisis."[http://www.stlukeorthodox.com/html/misc/diocesandelegate/43rddiocesanreport.cfm] A general shortage '' in clergy the name is also being cited in some reports.[http://www.ocadownot vital.org/resources/vision/summer98.pdf]

The ==Episcopacy=====Diocesan bishops===* Most Blessed [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]], Archbishop of [[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Washington]], Metropolitan of All America and Canada.* Most Reverend [[Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit|Nathaniel (Popp)]], Archbishop of Detroit and the [[Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)|Romanian Episcopate]]. * Right Reverend [[Nikon (Liolin) of Boston|Nikon (Liolin)]], Bishop of Boston, [[Diocese of New England (OCA)|New England]] and the [[Albanian Archdiocese (OCA is a member )|Albanian Archdiocese]].* Right Reverend [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin (Peterson)]], Bishop of San Francisco and the [[Standing Conference Diocese of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]].* Right Reverend [[Alejo (Pacheco y Vera) of Mexico City|Alejo (Pacheco-Vera)]], Bishop of Mexico City and [[Exarchate of Mexico (OCA)|Exarch of Mexico]]* Right Reverend [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek (Pleska)]], Bishop of Pittsburgh and [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Western Pennsylvania]], ''Locum Tenens'' of the AmericasDiocese of [[Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (OCA)|Eastern Pennsylvania]] .* Right Reverend [[Michael (SCOBADahulich)of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]], Bishop of [[Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA)|New York, and New Jersey]]. The current * Right Reverend [[primateAlexander (Golitzin)]] , Bishop of Toledo and the [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA is His Beatitude )|Bulgarian Diocese]] and the [[Herman Diocese of the South (SwaikoOCA) |Diocese of Washingtonthe South]].* Right Reverend [[David (Mahaffey) of Sitka|Herman David (SwaikoMahaffey)]], Archbishop Bishop of Washington Sitka and Metropolitan the [[Diocese of Alaska (OCA)|Diocese of Alaska]].* Right Reverent [[Paul (Gassios)]], Bishop of All America Chicago and the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of the Midwest]].* Right Reverend [[Irénée (Rochon)|Irénée (Rochon)]], Bishop of Canada.* Most Reverend [[Mark (Maymon) of Philadelphia|Mark (Maymon)]], Archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania.

* [http://www.oca.org/ Orthodox Church in America] (Official Website )** [http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=157&SID=12 The Road to Autocephaly 1963-1970] Talk given by Dr. Constantine H. Kallaur** [http://www.oca.org/DOCtomos.asp?SID=12 The Tomos of Autocephaly] Signed in the city of Moscow, [[April 10]], 1970, by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the members its Holy Synod.** [http://www.oca.org/DOCindex-statute.asp?SID=12 The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America]** [http://oca.org/HSprimatialelections.asp?SID=7 Primatial Elections in the OCA]* [http://dioceseofalaska.org/ Diocese of Alaska] (Official Website)* [http://www.cnewabdoca.org/ecc-orthodox-americaBulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo] (Official Website)* [http://www.archdiocese.ca/ Archdiocese of Canada] (Official Website)* [http://doepa.htm org/ Diocese of Eastern Christian ChurchesPennsylvania] (Official Website)* [http: OCA//ocamexico.org/ Diocese of Mexico] (Official Website)* [http://domoca.org/ Diocese of the Midwest] (Official Website)* [http://www.dneoca.org/ Diocese of New England] (Official Website)* [http://www.nynjoca.org/ Diocese of New York and New Jersey] (Official Website)* [http://www.ocadwpa.org/ Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania] (Official Website)* [http://www.roea.org/ Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in America] (Official Website)* [http://www.dosoca.org/ Diocese of the South] (Official Website)* [http://wdcoca.org/ Archdiocese of Washington] (Official Website)* [http://www.dowoca.org/ Diocese of the West] (Official Website)* [http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=27&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1 Article by Ronald Robersonon the OCA] on the CNEWA web site* [http://www.ocanews.org/ OCANews.org: Orthodox Christians for Accountability], a Roman Catholic priest and scholarwebsite critical of the OCA's administration[[Category:Jurisdictions|OCA]]

[[Categoryes:JurisdictionsIglesia Ortodoxa en América]][[fr:Église en Amérique]][[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă din America]][[ru:Американская православная церковь]]