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BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
OF THE APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH
Apostolic Orthodox Church (COAC) - Russian religious association.
Currently, the Primate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church is Metropolitan +MARK, Chairman of the COAC Synod of Bishops and Bishop of Austin, Texas USA. His Eminence +DMITRY serves as the Manager of Affairs.
The founders of the Apostolic Orthodox Church were Protopresbyter Gleb Yakunin, Metropolitan STEFAN (Linitsky), Metropolitan Kiriak (Temercidi) and Metropolitan Vitaly Kuzhevatov.
On January 31, 2000, at a press conference of Protopresbyter Gleb Yakunin, Metropolitan STEFAN (Linitsky), Metropolitan KYRIAKOS (Temercidi) and VITALY Kuzhevatov, the Declaration on the Creation of the Public Movement “For the Revival of Orthodoxy” was announced at the National Press Institute.
On the basis of the provisions of the Declaration, the Orthodox Church of the Renaissance was created, renamed the Apostolic Orthodox Church on May 13, 2000.
On April 30, 2004, the Apostolic Orthodox Church was registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia under the official name Centralized Religious Organization “Association of Orthodox Communities of the Apostolic Tradition”.
On October 7, 2023 the formal and legal entity name "Apostolic Orthodox Church" was recorded with the government of the United States of America - State of Ohio, which is protected by the US Department of State for the preservation of freedom of religion and worship granted to all International Offices of the APC.
Currently, the Primate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church is Metropolitan +MARK, Chairman of the COAC Synod of Bishops and Bishop of Austin, Texas USA. His Eminence +DMITRY serves as the Manager of Affairs.
The founders of the Apostolic Orthodox Church were Protopresbyter Gleb Yakunin, Metropolitan STEFAN (Linitsky), Metropolitan Kiriak (Temercidi) and Metropolitan Vitaly Kuzhevatov.
On January 31, 2000, at a press conference of Protopresbyter Gleb Yakunin, Metropolitan STEFAN (Linitsky), Metropolitan KYRIAKOS (Temercidi) and VITALY Kuzhevatov, the Declaration on the Creation of the Public Movement “For the Revival of Orthodoxy” was announced at the National Press Institute.
On the basis of the provisions of the Declaration, the Orthodox Church of the Renaissance was created, renamed the Apostolic Orthodox Church on May 13, 2000.
On April 30, 2004, the Apostolic Orthodox Church was registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia under the official name Centralized Religious Organization “Association of Orthodox Communities of the Apostolic Tradition”.
On October 7, 2023 the formal and legal entity name "Apostolic Orthodox Church" was recorded with the government of the United States of America - State of Ohio, which is protected by the US Department of State for the preservation of freedom of religion and worship granted to all International Offices of the APC.
Apostolic Succession of the COAC Synod
(Episcopal Heritage from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church)
OLEG (Troyanovskky), Bishop of Vindava and the Baltics, consecrated on June 31, 2018
by a Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
DMITRY (Ignatov), Current Chairman of the Synod of Bishops, consecrated on June 23, 2018
by Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
Archbishop ROMAN of Western Europe, consecrated Bishop on October 21, 2015
by a Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
SIMEON (Yuzhakov), consecrated Bishop on May 10, 2015, at the Cathedral
by Metropolitan KYRIAKOS (Temertsidi)
KYRIAKOS (Temertsidi), consecrated Bishop January 7, 2000 at the Cathedral by Archbishop STEFAN (Linitsky).
SREFAN (Linitsky) raised to the Episcopacy December 17, 1996 at the Cathedral by Bishop METHODIUS (Kudryakov).
METHODIUS (Kudryakov) consecrated Bishop in July 1995, at the Cathedral by UAOC Patriarch VOLODYMYR (Romaniuk).
VOLODYMYR (Romaniuk) is consecrated April 29, 1990 by Bishop JOHN (Bodnarchuk) and re-consecration, sub-conditione, by Archbishop ANTHONY (Szczerba) at the request and with the blessings of UAOC Metropolitan MSTYSLAV (Skrypnyk).
ANTHONY (Szczerba) raised to the episcopacy October 6, 1985 at the Cathedral by UAOC Metropolitan MSTYSLAV (Skrypnyk).
MSTYLAV (Skrypnyk) is consecrated to the episcopacy May 14, 1942 by Bishops NICANOR (Abramovich) and Igor (lip).
NICANOR (Abramovich) is consecrated bishop on February 9, 1942 by Bishop POLYCARP (Sikorski) and Bishop Alexander (Inozemtsev).
POLYCARP (Sikorski) raised to the episcopacy April 1, 1932 at the Cathedral by Archbishop DIONYSIUS (Valedinsky).
DIONYSIUS (Valedinsky) raised to the episcopacy April 21, 1913 at the Cathedral
by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch GREGORY IV (Haddad), with participation of Archbishop ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky).
GREGORY IV (Haddad) is consecrated bishop on May 10, 1890 by the Patriarch of Antioch
GERASIMOV who was later Patriarch of Jerusalem.
APC communities exist in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Taganrog, Buryatia, Krasnoyarsk and Zabaykalsky territories, in the Irkutsk region. Communities beyond the borders of Russia are located in Ukraine, Germany, and the countries of the United States and the Americas.
(Episcopal Heritage from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church)
OLEG (Troyanovskky), Bishop of Vindava and the Baltics, consecrated on June 31, 2018
by a Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
DMITRY (Ignatov), Current Chairman of the Synod of Bishops, consecrated on June 23, 2018
by Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
Archbishop ROMAN of Western Europe, consecrated Bishop on October 21, 2015
by a Cathedral headed by Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov)
SIMEON (Yuzhakov), consecrated Bishop on May 10, 2015, at the Cathedral
by Metropolitan KYRIAKOS (Temertsidi)
KYRIAKOS (Temertsidi), consecrated Bishop January 7, 2000 at the Cathedral by Archbishop STEFAN (Linitsky).
SREFAN (Linitsky) raised to the Episcopacy December 17, 1996 at the Cathedral by Bishop METHODIUS (Kudryakov).
METHODIUS (Kudryakov) consecrated Bishop in July 1995, at the Cathedral by UAOC Patriarch VOLODYMYR (Romaniuk).
VOLODYMYR (Romaniuk) is consecrated April 29, 1990 by Bishop JOHN (Bodnarchuk) and re-consecration, sub-conditione, by Archbishop ANTHONY (Szczerba) at the request and with the blessings of UAOC Metropolitan MSTYSLAV (Skrypnyk).
ANTHONY (Szczerba) raised to the episcopacy October 6, 1985 at the Cathedral by UAOC Metropolitan MSTYSLAV (Skrypnyk).
MSTYLAV (Skrypnyk) is consecrated to the episcopacy May 14, 1942 by Bishops NICANOR (Abramovich) and Igor (lip).
NICANOR (Abramovich) is consecrated bishop on February 9, 1942 by Bishop POLYCARP (Sikorski) and Bishop Alexander (Inozemtsev).
POLYCARP (Sikorski) raised to the episcopacy April 1, 1932 at the Cathedral by Archbishop DIONYSIUS (Valedinsky).
DIONYSIUS (Valedinsky) raised to the episcopacy April 21, 1913 at the Cathedral
by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch GREGORY IV (Haddad), with participation of Archbishop ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky).
GREGORY IV (Haddad) is consecrated bishop on May 10, 1890 by the Patriarch of Antioch
GERASIMOV who was later Patriarch of Jerusalem.
APC communities exist in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Taganrog, Buryatia, Krasnoyarsk and Zabaykalsky territories, in the Irkutsk region. Communities beyond the borders of Russia are located in Ukraine, Germany, and the countries of the United States and the Americas.
BRIEF INFORMATION (taken from the COAC website)
In 1924, in the context of Poland gaining statehood and the impossibility of communication with the central church authority in Russia, the bishops of the Orthodox Church in Poland, chaired by Metropolitan DIONYSIUS (Waledyński), appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch with a request to formally grant autocephaly to their Church. Patriarch GREGORY VII, on the basis of the canons that establish that "the structure of church affairs must correspond to political and social forms" (canon 17, IV Ecumenical Council, as well as 38 of the V Ecumenical Council), and with reference to Patriarch Photius, recognized the right to autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Poland by the "Patriarchal and Synodal-Canonical Tomos" No. 4588 of November 13, 1924, which was signed, in addition to the patriarch, by twelve metropolitans of the Church of Constantinople.
In September 1925, representatives of the Churches of Constantinople and Romania arrived in Warsaw, where on September 17, in the presence of the entire Polish episcopate, a solemn reading of the Patriarchal Tomos took place in the Metropolitan Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
The Tomos conveyed to Metropolitan DIONYSIUS "all the distinctions timely conferred by our Brother TIKHON on your Predecessor, as Metropolitan of Warsaw and Volyn and the entire Orthodox Church in Poland" and the sacred archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra.
In addition, the Tomos declared that the Ecumenical Patriarchate had granted autocephaly not only on the basis of its well-known canonical rights over the Orthodox diaspora, but also on the basis that “the initial separation from our Throne of the Kiev Metropolitanate and the Orthodox Churches of Lithuania and Poland dependent on it and their annexation to the Holy Moscow Church was not carried out in accordance with the legalized canonical decrees, and the agreements on the full ecclesiastical independence of the Kiev Metropolitan, who bears the title of Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne, were not observed.”
The Tomos was recognized by both the Local Churches and the ROCOR, which established prayerful and fraternal communion with the Polish Church. The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky), wrote to Metropolitan DIONYSIUS in 1927:
"The Polish Hierarchy transferred itself to canonical subordination to the Patriarch of Constantinople several years ago, when it saw its physical impossibility of communicating with the Patriarch of Moscow (...) in 1921, autonomy (temporary autocephaly) was circularly granted to all church associations deprived of the physical ability to communicate with the All-Russian Patriarch (...) the last shadow of doubt in the canonicity of the Polish Orthodox Church headed by you, the autocephaly of which was recognized and reaffirmed by all the Eastern Patriarchs, must disappear."
During the German occupation, after the return of Western Ukraine to the canonical subordination of the Polish Church, interrupted by the partition of Poland in 1939, Ukrainian believers turned to Metropolitan Dionysius with a request to bless the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the chairmanship of Archbishop POLYCARP (Sikorsky). In response, Metropolitan DIONYSIUS, in accordance with the rights granted to him by the Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarch of 1924, gave his consent to this by the Decree (Tomos) of December 24, 1941. In February 1942, Archbishop POLYCARP and the council ordained two new bishops in Pinsk, founding the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAPC).
After the end of the war, the Ukrainian hierarchs, as well as the hierarchs of the ROCOR***, were forced to exist autocephalously in exile in the West; One of the most significant jurisdictions of the UAPC eventually became the UOC in the USA.
In November 1963, the Free Serbian Orthodox Church separated from the official Serbian Patriarchate, controlled by the communist authorities of Yugoslavia. On December 7, 1963, at the request of the Council of the Free SOC, in the Monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville (Illinois, USA), the Ukrainian autocephalous bishops performed the episcopal consecration of the Serb IRINEJ (Kovacevic), who sixteen years later headed the Free SOC as its Metropolitan. In 1975, Patriarch NICHOLAS VI of Alexandria recognized the legitimacy of the UAPC ordinations, sending the “schismatic” bishop IRINEJ (Kovačević) a letter stating:
“With great caution, having examined the documents, we are pleased to proclaim your ordination to the rank of bishop as correct and canonical (…) The Apostolic Patriarchate of Saint Mark… recognizes you as a canonical bishop of the Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church.”
In 1991, the entire Plenitude of the Serbian Church, headed by Patriarch PAVLE, also fully recognized “the apostolic succession of the hierarchy… the validity of the Holy Sacraments and all sacred rites performed in the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, or in the Novogračanica Metropolitanate, from the beginning of the schism in 1963 until now.” On February 15, 1992, the Serbian Patriarchate entered into full canonical and Eucharistic communion with the Free SPC headed by Metropolitan IRINEJ (Kovacevic).
In 1990, through the mediation of the UOC in the USA, including Archbishop ANTHONY (Shcherba), the hierarchy of the UAPC in Ukraine was restored.
In 1996, at the request of Russian believers, the hierarchs of the UAPC in Ukraine ordained bishops for Russia, and in 2000, one of them, Metropolitan SREFAN (Linitsky), became a co-founder and the first Primate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church (AOC). In 2018, in accordance with the rights granted by the canons of the APC, the bishops of the APC established an autonomous church within the APC - the Synod of Bishops of the Apostolic Orthodox Church, of which Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov) was elected Metropolitan.
On March 11-12, 1995, the Ecumenical Patriarchate confirmed the canonicity of the UAPC ordinations, accepting all the bishops of the UOC in the USA under its omophorion "in their existing rank" with the recognition of each of them as an archbishop and episcopal dignity. In 2010, Archbishop ANTHONY (Shcherba) was elected treasurer of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of North America (ROC, Constantinople, Antioch, Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian Patriarchates and the OCA), and on November 14, 2012, his election as Primate of the UOC in the USA was confirmed by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*** Metropolitan ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky), who later became the first primate of the ROCOR, at one time blessed this future autocephaly at the Local Council of 1917-1918: “They want autocephaly, so let them arrange autocephaly, just let them preserve the purity of the faith.”
In 1924, in the context of Poland gaining statehood and the impossibility of communication with the central church authority in Russia, the bishops of the Orthodox Church in Poland, chaired by Metropolitan DIONYSIUS (Waledyński), appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch with a request to formally grant autocephaly to their Church. Patriarch GREGORY VII, on the basis of the canons that establish that "the structure of church affairs must correspond to political and social forms" (canon 17, IV Ecumenical Council, as well as 38 of the V Ecumenical Council), and with reference to Patriarch Photius, recognized the right to autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Poland by the "Patriarchal and Synodal-Canonical Tomos" No. 4588 of November 13, 1924, which was signed, in addition to the patriarch, by twelve metropolitans of the Church of Constantinople.
In September 1925, representatives of the Churches of Constantinople and Romania arrived in Warsaw, where on September 17, in the presence of the entire Polish episcopate, a solemn reading of the Patriarchal Tomos took place in the Metropolitan Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
The Tomos conveyed to Metropolitan DIONYSIUS "all the distinctions timely conferred by our Brother TIKHON on your Predecessor, as Metropolitan of Warsaw and Volyn and the entire Orthodox Church in Poland" and the sacred archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra.
In addition, the Tomos declared that the Ecumenical Patriarchate had granted autocephaly not only on the basis of its well-known canonical rights over the Orthodox diaspora, but also on the basis that “the initial separation from our Throne of the Kiev Metropolitanate and the Orthodox Churches of Lithuania and Poland dependent on it and their annexation to the Holy Moscow Church was not carried out in accordance with the legalized canonical decrees, and the agreements on the full ecclesiastical independence of the Kiev Metropolitan, who bears the title of Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne, were not observed.”
The Tomos was recognized by both the Local Churches and the ROCOR, which established prayerful and fraternal communion with the Polish Church. The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky), wrote to Metropolitan DIONYSIUS in 1927:
"The Polish Hierarchy transferred itself to canonical subordination to the Patriarch of Constantinople several years ago, when it saw its physical impossibility of communicating with the Patriarch of Moscow (...) in 1921, autonomy (temporary autocephaly) was circularly granted to all church associations deprived of the physical ability to communicate with the All-Russian Patriarch (...) the last shadow of doubt in the canonicity of the Polish Orthodox Church headed by you, the autocephaly of which was recognized and reaffirmed by all the Eastern Patriarchs, must disappear."
During the German occupation, after the return of Western Ukraine to the canonical subordination of the Polish Church, interrupted by the partition of Poland in 1939, Ukrainian believers turned to Metropolitan Dionysius with a request to bless the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the chairmanship of Archbishop POLYCARP (Sikorsky). In response, Metropolitan DIONYSIUS, in accordance with the rights granted to him by the Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarch of 1924, gave his consent to this by the Decree (Tomos) of December 24, 1941. In February 1942, Archbishop POLYCARP and the council ordained two new bishops in Pinsk, founding the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAPC).
After the end of the war, the Ukrainian hierarchs, as well as the hierarchs of the ROCOR***, were forced to exist autocephalously in exile in the West; One of the most significant jurisdictions of the UAPC eventually became the UOC in the USA.
In November 1963, the Free Serbian Orthodox Church separated from the official Serbian Patriarchate, controlled by the communist authorities of Yugoslavia. On December 7, 1963, at the request of the Council of the Free SOC, in the Monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville (Illinois, USA), the Ukrainian autocephalous bishops performed the episcopal consecration of the Serb IRINEJ (Kovacevic), who sixteen years later headed the Free SOC as its Metropolitan. In 1975, Patriarch NICHOLAS VI of Alexandria recognized the legitimacy of the UAPC ordinations, sending the “schismatic” bishop IRINEJ (Kovačević) a letter stating:
“With great caution, having examined the documents, we are pleased to proclaim your ordination to the rank of bishop as correct and canonical (…) The Apostolic Patriarchate of Saint Mark… recognizes you as a canonical bishop of the Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church.”
In 1991, the entire Plenitude of the Serbian Church, headed by Patriarch PAVLE, also fully recognized “the apostolic succession of the hierarchy… the validity of the Holy Sacraments and all sacred rites performed in the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, or in the Novogračanica Metropolitanate, from the beginning of the schism in 1963 until now.” On February 15, 1992, the Serbian Patriarchate entered into full canonical and Eucharistic communion with the Free SPC headed by Metropolitan IRINEJ (Kovacevic).
In 1990, through the mediation of the UOC in the USA, including Archbishop ANTHONY (Shcherba), the hierarchy of the UAPC in Ukraine was restored.
In 1996, at the request of Russian believers, the hierarchs of the UAPC in Ukraine ordained bishops for Russia, and in 2000, one of them, Metropolitan SREFAN (Linitsky), became a co-founder and the first Primate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church (AOC). In 2018, in accordance with the rights granted by the canons of the APC, the bishops of the APC established an autonomous church within the APC - the Synod of Bishops of the Apostolic Orthodox Church, of which Bishop SIMEON (Yuzhakov) was elected Metropolitan.
On March 11-12, 1995, the Ecumenical Patriarchate confirmed the canonicity of the UAPC ordinations, accepting all the bishops of the UOC in the USA under its omophorion "in their existing rank" with the recognition of each of them as an archbishop and episcopal dignity. In 2010, Archbishop ANTHONY (Shcherba) was elected treasurer of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of North America (ROC, Constantinople, Antioch, Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian Patriarchates and the OCA), and on November 14, 2012, his election as Primate of the UOC in the USA was confirmed by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*** Metropolitan ANTHONY (Khrapovitsky), who later became the first primate of the ROCOR, at one time blessed this future autocephaly at the Local Council of 1917-1918: “They want autocephaly, so let them arrange autocephaly, just let them preserve the purity of the faith.”
