Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is a branch of the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, established by Russian missionary monks in Alaska in 1794. The term "orthodox" stems from Greek, meaning "right opinion," and signifies a belief system centered on correct faith and practices. Initially well-received by native populations, the OCA expanded its presence across North America, eventually establishing over 700 parishes and gathering a membership of more than 80,000 in the 21st century. Its history is marked by significant events, including the establishment of a diocese after the U.S. acquired Alaska and the eventual self-governance following the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Central to the OCA's beliefs is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the importance of the Virgin Mary, and the sacraments, which encompass practices like baptism and communion. The church emphasizes fasting, particularly during specific liturgical periods, and the use of icons in worship, which are created with great spiritual care. The OCA is governed by a Holy Synod of Bishops, led by a metropolitan, alongside an All-American Council that oversees legislative and administrative functions. This structure supports a diverse yet unified community, reflecting a blend of cultural influences and spiritual traditions within the broader Orthodox faith.
Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is part of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It was founded by eight Russian missionary monks who arrived in the Alaska territory in 1794. The word orthodox comes from Greek words meaning "right" and "opinion" and came to mean "right thinking."
The monks who brought their Russian Orthodox faith to Alaska were well-received by the Indigenous people, and many converted to Christianity. As the Orthodox faith spread in Alaska, representatives of the church were sent south and began evangelizing in California and other areas. By the 1860s, the OCA had a firm foothold in a number of US territories.
In the twenty-first century, the OCA estimates between 1 and 6 million people in North America are Orthodox Christians in approximately 2,000 parishes.
History
During the eighteenth century, the Russians discovered the Alaska territory and established a colony at Kodiak. When the missionary monks arrived there later that century, they were appalled by the cruel way the Russian settlers were treating the Indigenous population. The monks sent reports back to Russia about this behavior, and as a result, Archimandrite Joasaph, one of the monks, was named bishop for a new see, or ecclesiastical jurisdiction, in the area. Joasaph returned to Russia to be consecrated as bishop, and during his return voyage to Alaska, the ship sank, killing all aboard.
Christianity continued to thrive in the area, even though it was 1824 before a new priest arrived. Father John Veniaminov was eventually elevated to archbishop as Bishop Innocent in 1850. His work integrating his Russian Orthodox faith with the beliefs and language of the Indigenous Alaskans earned him sainthood and the title of Enlightener of the Aleuts and Apostle to America.
After the United States purchased the Alaskan territory from Russia in 1867, the area became a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Meanwhile, the influx of immigrants to other parts of the United States and its territories led to an upsurge in people who worshiped in the Orthodox tradition, and the church spread to other areas of North America. Eventually, these people became part of the North American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The 1917 Russian Revolution led to a repression of religion of all types. The Russian patriarch, or leader of the faith, had been governing not only the Russian churches but also those in North America. Before he was arrested, he informed all Russian Orthodox churches in other parts of the world to become self-governing. The churches that had been worshiping in one continent-wide diocese split into separate dioceses under the jurisdiction of a number of separate Orthodox churches from different ethnic backgrounds. The dioceses, or jurisdictions, of these churches often crossed over each other. Eventually, these churches reunited under the title of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America.
In the 1960s, the Orthodox churches in North America began discussing the possibility of reestablishing a relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. This was accomplished in 1970, with the North American and Russian churches entering into communion with each other (recognizing one another's beliefs, clergy, etc.), but the North American church maintained self-rule. It was at this point that the official name Orthodox Church in America was chosen.
Beliefs
Members of the Orthodox faith are Christians who believe in one God in three persons—the creator Father, the resurrected Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. They recognize the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos, or God-bearer, who gave birth to a son, Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man.
The Orthodox tradition does not include purgatory, a state in which the dead's soul is purified before going on to heaven. Followers believe that when a person dies, the soul is separated from the body and rests either in paradise or hell until final judgment, a time when body and soul will reunite and experience a state appropriate to the condition of that soul.
The Bible is considered to be God's truth delivered through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to divinely inspired human writers in the Orthodox faith. Followers consider Christ to be the Word of God. Holy Scripture is an important part of the Orthodox liturgical worship services.
Orthodox Christians have sacraments, including the seven recognized in other faith traditions—baptism, confession, communion, confirmation, unction, matrimony, and marriage—as well as other practices such as almsgiving and fasting. Fasting is an important traditional practice in the OCA, with many periods throughout the liturgical year calling for some level of abstaining from meat, dairy, and sometimes wine and other foods. In addition to several weeks-long periods of fasting prior to Christmas, Easter, and the feast day commemorating the death of the Virgin Mary, some devout Orthodox Christians fast weekly and before receiving the Holy Eucharist.
Icons, or images of the saints, are an important part of Orthodox tradition. Those who create icons must fast and pray for long periods prior to and during the creation of icons.
Organization
The Holy Synod of Bishops, which is headed by an elected primate called a metropolitan, governs the OCA. An All-American Council, made up of bishops, clergy, and elected lay officials, provides the legislative and administrative governance for the church, which has twelve dioceses based on geographic regions and three based on ethnicity. Bishops head individual dioceses and oversee the clergy and parishes within that diocese.
Bibliography
"Glorification of Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts, Apostle to the Americas." Orthodox Church in America, oca.org/saints/lives/2009/10/06/102884-glorification-of-st-innocent-the-metropolitan-of-moscow-and-enli. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
“How Many Orthodox in North America and the World?” Orthodox Church in America, www.oca.org/questions/namerica/how-many-orthodox. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. Viking, 2011.
Matusiak, John. "A History and Introduction of the Orthodox Church in America." Orthodox Church in America, oca.org/history-archives/oca-history-intro. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
McGuckin, John Anthony. The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to its History, Doctrine, and Spiritual Culture. Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.
Neusner, Jacob, editor. "World Religions in America: An Introduction." Westminster John Knox Press, 2009, pp. 105-120.
Roberson, Ronald. “The Eastern Christian Churches: The Orthodox Church in America.” Catholic Near East Welfare Association, 4 May 2021, cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/orthodox-church/the-autocephalous-churches/the-orthodox-church-in-america. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.