The Russian Orthodox Synod in North America, under Metropolitan Platon, Chartered The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America with the short name "American Orthodox Catholic Church" on Feb. 2, 1927. They appointed Archbishop Aftimios to head this new Church. The synod also drafted the constitution for the new church and stated the new church "is independent (autocephalous) and autonomous in its authorityin the same sense and to the same extent as are the Orthodox Patriarchates of the East and the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches now existing.

Article 3, section 1 of the Constitution the Synod wrote for this new Church.

When our Mother Church - the Moscow Patriarchate - turned their back on this new Church they became party to the Schism in American Orthodoxy and in 1970 when they Chartered the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) as the second Church for North America they in fact added to their disgrace.

The OCA, formerly the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church changed their name in 1970 and became the second Orthodox Church given authority in the new world by the Moscow Patriarchate.

So what is wrong with this picture?

The simple answer is that the Moscow Patriarchate no longer had any authority to give anyone our canonical jurisdiction since it had been given to us in 1927.

What the Russian Church did in 1970 was to attempt to steal our canonical jurisdiction as did the other SCOBA jurisdictions.

Since Our Church was canonically chartered by their Synod in North America in 1927, and incorporated in 1928 by Abp. Ofiesh we obtained a legal existance that continues today. We hold copyrights and have filed service marks also. The widow of Abp. Ofiesh sat on the corporate board of directors until 1999 and she reposed in 2000.

This Church was established as the anchor of Orthodoxy in the new world in 1927. They have since established SCOBA to act in this manner and the OCA to try to take our place.

The ethnic orthodox violated the canons in many ways. They took our clergy without the required letters even suspended clergy. They took our parishes, members and property contrary to the canons, and they continue to violate the canons and look the other way but allow clergy to attack us - contrary to the canons and in an unchristian manner.