ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA – (OCA) The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Church with territorial Jurisdiction in the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Canada. Its doctrine, discipline, and worship are those of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as taught by the Holy Scriptures, Holy Tradition, the Ecumenical and Provincial Councils, and the Holy Fathers. The Orthodox Church in America is referred to in this Statute as “the Church.”
The Orthodox Church in America was originally (1794) founded as a mission and later became a diocese in the Orthodox Church of Russia, uniting in its fold Orthodox Christians of various national backgrounds and traditions. It subsequently developed into a self-governing Metropolitanate, the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America (or Metropolia). Confirmation as an Autocephalous Church was accomplished by the action of the Patriarch and Holy Synod of Russia on April 10, 1970. The Orthodox Church in America was proclaimed an Autocephalous Church on October 19, 1970, at the sessions of the All-American Council held at St Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.