Mark Stokoe Dismissed from OCA Metropolitan Council, Midwestern Diocesan Council

Bishop Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has dismissed Mark Stokoe, editor of the OCA News website that published information leading to the forced retirement of Metropolitan Herman (Swaiko) of the OCA and the deposition of Protopresbyter Rodion Kondratick for rampant corruption, from his positions on both the OCA's Metropolitan Council and the diocesan council of the OCA's Diocese of Chicago and Midwestern America.

According to Bishop Matthias' announcement to the Metropolitan and Midwestern Diocesan Councils the dismissal was based on his belief that OCA News "is not a positive force for the Church." The dismissal comes, however, on the heels of an epistle from Bishop Matthias to his diocese on the subject of homosexuality apparently prompted by New York's recent decision to legalize gay/lesbian marriage.

Stokoe was previously dismissed from the Metropolitan Council by Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) of the OCA for inquiring about corruption in the management of the OCA's national finances, but later elected back to that body and to the Midwestern Diocesan Council with the blessing of Archbishop Job (Osacky) of blessed memory. More here.

OCA Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council Spring Sessions Adjourn

The spring sessions of the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) in Chicago have ended. In the first part of its session prior to its joint session with the Metropolitan Council the Holy Synod decided that from hereon out the First Hierarch of the OCA, while remaining responsible for appointing diocesan locum tenenses, would be expected to appoint other members of the hierarchy as locum tenenses, that the hiring and firing of members of the Chancery of the OCA was the responsibility of the Holy Synod as a whole, and that a lesser Holy Synod would be responsible to meet every other month to work together with the Metropolitan of Washington to oversee the life of the Church as a whole.

The minutes of the Holy Synod's session can be found here, whilst a summary of its joint session with the Metropolitan Council can be found here. All of the members of the hierarchy of the OCA, including the auxiliary bishops, were present for both sessions with the exception of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America's auxiliary Bishop Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights, who judging from published accounts of his activities and travels prefers to meet with the hierarchs of the Bucharest Patriarchate in the United States over his brother hierarchs in the OCA.

"OCA Truth" Unsure of the Definition of Propaganda

The writers behind the OCA Truth website that has been running a smear campaign against the hierarchy of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has issued another response to the recent publication of their identities. In it they write in part that they have been "snarky and sarcastic...this is a blog. It's not journalism, it's advocacy." This was said despite their earlier claims to have "no interest in publishing propaganda" or anything not "100% true." Interesting :-).

Meanwhile, and much more significantly, the joint meetings of the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council of the OCA are winding up today in Chicago. So far both the spring session of the Holy Synod and its joint meeting with the Metropolitan Council have no publicly published results beyond the release of Fr. Joseph Fester from his duties as rector of St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Washington, DC.

OCA "Strategic Plan" to be Discussed by Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council in May

It has been announced that a new draft of the "Strategic Plan" for the American Orthodox Church will be presented to the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council for their review this coming May. The Plan is supposed to help the OCA know what it is and where it is going. More here.

OCA Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council Meetings Rescheduled

The secretary of the American Orthodox Church's chancery has stated that the national administration continues to do its work in coordinating the ministries of the Church in North America. Whatever issues have arisen between the hierarchy and Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington will be dealt with at the rescheduled meetings of the Holy Synod and the Metropolitan Council, which will be held this May in Chicago in conjunction with the consecration of Bishop-elect Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago. More here.