Craig Groeschel, a former college tennis player, founded the church along with a few associates, meeting in a garage. In 1811, however, the Holy Synod officially closed the episcopal see. To help you on your journey of finding a church, Church Finder has created this list of Christian Denominations with over 140 Denomination Profiles, providing an overview of the largest Christian denominations in the United States and Canada.As you look to find Christian churches near you, Church Finder is here to help on your journey. [email protected]. The Ecumenical Patriarch also cites Canon 28 of the Council of Chalcedon, which asserted the jurisdiction of the bishop of Constantinople in dioceses located "among the barbarians" (i.e. This is due to Alaska's settlement by Russian traders in the 18th century. [37] That November, the OCA elected a new Primate at its 15th Annual All-American Council. Web: www.holytrinityfresno.org. Although these parishes were typically multi-ethnic, most received support from the missionary diocese. Over a year of doing research, Riccardi-Swartz learned that many of these converts had grown disillusioned with social and demographic change in the United States. They include Greek, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian and more. "There is a significant number of clergy whose social media profiles sport Confederate flags and support of the Southern cause," she said. It is situated in Bole in the heart of the shopping area. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods. The channels revolve around themes of antisemitism, contempt for women's and LGBTQ rights, xenophobia and support of white nationalists, including some who've been convicted of violent hate crimes. The OCA states that currently the Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, Serbian, and Czech and Slovak churches recognize the autocephaly of the OCA. The top ten countries account for 89% of all Orthodox Christians in the world. The first church was a former feed store. The church of Armenia is among the oldest on Earth. [18] In 1840, after the death of his wife, Veniaminov accepted monastic tonsure and, taking the name Innocent, ordination as the Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands, making him the first ruling bishop of the Alaskan mission since Bishop Joasaph. The denomination has grown by 45 churches since the end of 2015 and by 89 congregations since June 5, 2015, when the denomination had 208 congregations. [11], Ethnic groups within the American diocese began to re-align themselves with other national churches. The Orthodox Church has multiple locations. [23][24], In Soviet Russia, a splinter group known as the Living Church gained official state recognition in place of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1922. Riverside Church is known for its involvement in social change in the United States. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Bishop Alexander, in addition to the political and ethnic struggles of his diocese, had also to deal with mounting Church debt as a result of the loss of funds from the Russian Church. [38] Metropolitan Jonah immediately took a strong stance against the previous scandal and became a very public metropolitan, seeking to repair damage done by the previous scandal and bring the OCA into the public realm. "And so they leave other faith traditions that they don't believe to be as stringent about those issues anymore.". This return was proposed with the stipulation that the Metropolia be allowed to retain its autonomy. outside the Roman Empire), as the source of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's authority in the matter. Metropolitan Tikhon is a convert to the Orthodox faith and a long-time monk of St.Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. "I do actually think it's growing," said George Demacopoulos, a professor and the director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. Well, were the Brits supposed to pray for Hitler and Churchill at the same time?" Church leadership has preached against racism and war and today offers support for immigrants seeking asylum. This, combined with the increasing number of ethnic parishes aligning themselves with other Orthodox jurisdictions (as well as some non-Orthodox), led to a unique situation in Orthodox America whereby multiple jurisdictions overlapped geographically. He returned to Russia and installed Alexandr Baranov as director of the colony. Sowell attended college in Alabama (Auburn University) and was drafted into the professional football league. The granting of autocephaly by the Moscow Patriarchate was strongly condemned by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as an act that exceeded the formers authority and violated the canons. The staff added a second auditorium bringing the capacity to 5,000. In 1914, a bomb exploded in the church. Of particular concern are the ways in which these individuals are networking with outside extremist groups and broadcasting their ideologies in the name of Orthodoxy. The Serbian Orthodox Church 65 Overlook Circle New Rochelle, NY 10804 Telephone: 914-633-9000 E-mail: [email protected] Website Bishop of Western America The Serbian Orthodox Church 1621 W Garvey Avenue Alhambra, CA 91803 Phone:626-289-9061 Fax:626-284-1484 E-mail: [email protected] Website Bishop of New Gracanica-Midwestern America Serious consideration has been given recently to a possible merger between the OCA and the AOCA. The Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States Serbs consider the Church an institution that connects them with their rich historical heritage. He said Putin also represents to them an appealing style of authoritarian leadership that challenges pluralism and liberal democracy in the United States. Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball had his funeral held there. [2]:70, The supreme canonical authority of the OCA is the Holy Synod of Bishops, composed of all the church's diocesan bishops. Alaska has the largest Orthodox population by percentage of the state population at 5%. Ukraine's largest Orthodox church is in crisis over its ongoing connections to Moscow. Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan each have their own official maps. In 1872 the diocesan see was relocated from Alaska to the city of San Francisco, California in the United States. The Church intended for the cathedral to replace the old version which was located in lower Manhattan. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, US States by Orthodox Christian Population, Countries With The Largest Orthodox Christian Populations. And if you look at the geography, those parishes were planted not in traditional lands of Orthodoxy," said Krindatch. According to Krindatch, who conducts censuses of Orthodoxy in the U.S., parishes declined in size between 2010 and 2020. He and his family arrived at Unalaska Island on 29 July 1824. Since its formation on July 19, 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Church has become autocephalous. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Christmas liturgy at the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg early on Jan. 7, 2020. [11] Orthodox churches in America became a self-governing Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America in 1924 under the leadership of Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky), popularly called the Metropolia (from Russian: ). From then until his death in 1909, Toth brought approximately 20,000 Eastern Catholics from 65 independent communities to Orthodoxy. The media ecosystem she has participated in, a network of American converts to ROCOR who produce podcasts and live video chats online, presents a highly politicized interpretation of Orthodoxy to the world and one that many believe offers a distorted view of the church. In 1926, the Serbs aligned with the Serbian Orthodox Church. While wary of initially releasing information about the resignation, the Holy Synod felt prompted to release a public statement about his release due to rumors that had spread about their intentions. [39] In the statement, the Holy Synod clarified the reason they withheld information initially was to protect the reputation and integrity of Metropolitan Jonah as well as protect anyone involved in the specific decisions made by him. Eastern Orthodox churches, which include ROCOR, flourished in the U.S. starting at the turn of the 20th century, when migrants flocked to major industrial hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland for jobs. Within a year, the church had a permanent home on an 83-acre site, averaging 3,000 weekly attendees. While the subject of political and ecclesiastical dispute, this controversy does not impair the communion between the OCA and the wider Eastern Orthodox Church. Perhaps the most well known among Orthodox converts who worked within alt-right circles was Matthew Heimbach. Our festivals seem to help evangelize. [20] He consecrated an auxiliary bishop for Alaska in 1903, and in 1904 he consecrated Raphael Hawaweeny to administer to the Arab parishes. Heimbach went on to join another branch of Orthodoxy. "They are a part of these larger networks on the American far right, like Nicholas Fuentes and his America Firsters. Wars and funding issues delayed completion. It faces a ban by the Ukrainian government, raids by the security services and internal turmoil. On 24 February 2022, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Metropolitan Tikhon issued a statement saying, in part, 'I ask that the hostilities be ceased immediately and that President Putin put an end to the military operations. One day after the report was released, Metropolitan Herman resigned from his position as Metropolitan. Lena Zezulin, whose parents were among the founding members of a parish in Long Island, N.Y., said that the community was always inclusive of non-Christian Russian immigrants living among it and proud of its immigrant roots. He was forced to mortgage Church property to pay creditors and was replaced, in 1922, by Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky), who had previously served as archbishop of the diocese from 1907 to 1914. Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) was chosen because he had recently been appointed as a bishop (only 11 days prior) and was viewed to not be involved with the previous financial scandal. Here's how the New Orleans parish website describes its early history: [28], Despite the declaration of self-governance, Kedrovsky and the Living Church were awarded the church's diocesan cathedral in New York City. In the United States, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church now has about 85 parishes and missions, served by 106 priests and 15 deacons. "It takes immigrant communities a little while to establish a religious community," Krindatch said. Even if we only judge size based on area, it is still difficult to judge appropriately. This figure places the OCA as the 24th largest Christian church in the United States, and the second largest Eastern Orthodox church in the country, after the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The metropolitan is elected, when necessary, by the Holy Synod at an All-American Council (a general council of OCA clergy and laity). He was released from his team, and later, was arrested for selling illegal drugs. This church boats the largest congregation in Alabama, with 17 satellite locations and an online broadcast. Later, Osteen opened doors for storm victims. Since many Russian immigrants to America aligned themselves with the vocally anti-Communist ROCOR, the Metropolia experienced its growth increasingly through the addition of English-speaking converts. This report examines the budgets and overall financial health of the parishes in three largest American Orthodox jurisdictions: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese (AOCA), and Orthodox Church in America (OCA). According to the 2006 edition of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, the OCA has 1,064,000 members, an increase of 6.4 percent from 2005. she said. When necessary, the Council has also elected new metropolitans. "They bring it with them into the church because they see Orthodoxy as amenable to these goals, to these viewpoints.". The top five largest Orthodox churches in the U.S. are Greek Orthodox (476,900), Orthodox Church in America (84,900), Antiochian Orthodox (74,600), Serbian Orthodox (68,800) and Russian Orthodox (27,700). Witzke, a MAGA supporter who ran on an anti-immigration platform in 2020, has appeared on Orthodox podcasts, where she has identified herself as aligned with the white nationalist America First movement. Russian colony in Alaska was established in 1784 by merchant Grigory Shelikhov. It is currently led by patriarchal vicar Antonios (Al-Souri), following the retirement of Joseph (Al . These parishes, perhaps 50 in number, are within the canonical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, although there is no diocesan structure in North America. With 91 m height It is the second tallest church building in Romania. His official title is "Metropolitan of All-America and Canada." St. Platon's Seminary moved from Minneapolis to Tenafly, New Jersey, in 1912 and enrolled 78 students from then until 1923. "I don't think these people are necessarily changing the minds of people already in the church, but I do think they are bringing others culturally or politically like them into the church.". [42], The exact number of OCA parishioners is debated. Since the beginning and the Serbian Church's independence (800 years ago), they have remained inseparable from the Church. [16], A third Russian church, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad (also known as the Karlovtsy Synod and later, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR), formed in 1921. Kevin Allen Kevin Allen is the host of Ancient Faith Radio's Ancient Faith Today, the only live listener call-in radio program that discusses contemporary issues from the perspective of the Holy Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church.Ancient Faith Today can be heard Sunday nights on Ancient Faith Radio Talk at 5 p.m. Eastern time, 6 p.m. Mountain time, 7 p.m. Central time, and 8 p.m . The quick answer: Far less than usually reported. After much debate however, a non-binding straw poll was permitted. The Episcopalian church was first conceived in 1792 as a place of national worship. Source: Excel23 [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. [1] The total figure does not include independent Catholic denominations (18 million). Aram Sarkisian, a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Northwestern University's Department of History, said this new growth from converts has helped some branches of Orthodoxy offset a decline in multigenerational families in the church. Some new converts are using the religion to spread white nationalist views. Liturgical and church traditions, such as forms of singing, vestments, iconography, use of Church Slavonic, and architecture broadly reflect those of Russian Orthodoxy. [8][13] All canonical Orthodox churches recognize the OCA as canonical and its sacraments as valid, however. The OCA traces its history to the Russian Orthodox missionary efforts in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, which began in 1794. (RNS) America's Eastern Orthodox parishes have grown 16 percent in the past decade, in part because of a settled immigrant community, according to new research. The period between All-American Councils is set at three years, although this is not always the case. The growth occurred in less populated areas of the Upper Midwest and Southern states, places with fewer direct links to Russia. Wheeler alleged that millions of dollars in donations to the church were improperly used for personal expenses or to cover shortfalls in church accounts. Sarkisian said these converts often find their way to Orthodoxy because they seek a haven for what they consider to be the most important cultural issues of the day. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America [ edit | edit source] With over one and a half million members, this is the largest body of Orthodox Churches in the United States. The United Methodist Church saw a 0.99 percent decrease but the mainline group remains the third largest church body with nearly 8 million members. She also, at one time, seemed to support QAnon conspiracy theories but has since renounced QAnon. Maps of US Orthodox Churches: parishes and members 1. Rev. In the temple galleries (underground), can be accommodated 3,000 worshipers. The refusal of the American branch to submit to the patriarchate thus based itself officially on a document whose conditions it had not met. Alejandra Molina VISALIA, Calif. (RNS) It's billed as the largest Catholic parish in the United States and it's being constructed about 200 miles north of Los Angeles, in what's often. In 1968, the Metropolia and the Russian Church communicated informally to resolve long-standing differences. ", Lena Zezulin and her husband, Christopher Foreman, were married in a ROCOR parish in Roslindale, Mass., in 1980. Orthodox Census. Over time, these churches concentrated in the Northeast and West Coast. Several additions over the years have given the church 70 chapels surrounding the main chapel and a new dome with a mosaic ceiling. The Council of Bishops, already aware of the proposal, forbade a vote on the matter. More information on the survey can be found at http://www.orthodoxreality.org. Missionaries of the Russian Orthodox faith were sent to establish a formal mission in the settlement in the 1790s. St. Patricks Cathedral is considered one of the most famous and visible landmarks in Manhattan. The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the largest Orthodox church in the Americas. He was a founding member of the political action group Moral Majority, which held significant power in elections in the 1980s. Part of HuffPost Religion. In explaining the decision to cut Heimbach off from the church, the priest who had brought him into the church explained, "I did not understand at that time that he held nationalistic, segregationist views." Some new converts are using the religion to spread white nationalist views. As Orthodox Christians, we condemn violence and aggression. Explore religious groups in the U.S. by tradition, family and denomination Christian 70.6% Evangelical Protestant 25.4% Mainline Protestant 14.7% Historically Black Protestant 6.5% Catholic 20.8% Mormon 1.6% Orthodox Christian 0.5% Jehovah's Witness 0.8% Other Christian 0.4% Non-Christian Faiths 5.9% Jewish 1.9% Muslim 0.9% Buddhist 0.7% Hindu 0.7% They're vocal online. Sorting is done by volume (priority) and area. "You know, somebody just said we should stand and pray for both sides. [52], Response to 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, As of 5 April 2021, there is only one Western Rite mission, located in, Orthodox Church in America (disambiguation), Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church in Canada, Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America, Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, Financial scandal in the Orthodox Church in America, Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, List of primates of the Orthodox Church in America, List of the dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America, "Archbishop Tikhon elected Metropolitan of All American and Canada", "Christ the King Orthodox Church of Edmonton", "Canada Western Orthodox Parishes and Local Groups", "Chalcedon Canon 28: Yesterday and Today", Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, "The path to autocephaly and beyond: 'Miles to go before we sleep', "Agreement on the Autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in America", "His Grace, Bishop Joasaph (Bolotov): Bishop of Kodiak, Auxiliary of the Irkutsk Diocese", "His Grace, Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov) of Alaska: Equal to the Apostles of North America", "His Grace, Bishop Paul (Popov): Bishop of Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka), Auxiliary of the Kamchatka Diocese", "His Grace, Bishop Tikhon (Bellavin) of Moscow: Patriarch and Confessor of Moscow, Enlightener of North America", "The 1st All-American Sobor: How to Expand the Mission", "Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh, d. July 1966) of Brooklyn", "Orthodoxy in America, Part One: From the Russian Mission to the OCA", "The 14th All-American Sobor / The 1st All-American Council", "1970 Letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras on Autocephaly", "Accusations of Misused Money Roil Orthodox Church", "Special Investigating Committee presents report to OCA Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council", "Report of the Special Investigating Committee", "OCA Holy Synod of Bishops grants retirement to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman", "Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth Elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada", "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah", "Update on the Financial Appeal for Ukrainian Refugee Relief", "Metropolitan Tikhon sends letter to Patriarch Kirill", "2006 Yearbook of Churches reflects 'robust immigrant history in U.S.", "How many Eastern Orthodox are there in the USA? [27] In 1935, an agreement entitled "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad" was signed that normalized relations between the Metropolia and the ROCOR. There are approximately 7 million Orthodox Americans. They're very digitally savvy and very connected to other far-right actors in the United States and across the globe. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of Russia to govern themselves autonomously. It had grown from ten parishes in 1890 to more than 350. Churches have scant and sometimes conflicting information regarding the layout of one building. If anything, said Sarkisian, the war has exposed just how Putin has used the Russian Orthodox Church to further his country's influence. Alaska Alaska has the largest Orthodox population by percentage of the state population at 5%. This was approved in February 1900. Wake up to the day's most important news. Uzbekistan, 1.8 million. In order to convince the Russian imperial court of the seriousness of his colonial ambitions, Shelikhov recruited volunteers from the Valaam, an environment that appears strikingly similar to the Kodiak archipelago's landscape, and Konevitsa monasteries to travel to the new colony. For example, the Hagia Sophia is included it was originally built as a church but was later converted into a mosque. [17] Fr. He was invited twice to speak at the conference of the Anglican Church in North America, in 2009 and 2012. Bishop Innocent was elevated to archbishop in 1850. Joasaph as bishop. What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Christian? [46], In 2011, The Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Churches, published by Holy Cross Orthodox Press and based on research by Alexei Krindatch, was released. During the Sobor, the historic step of declaring the North American diocese to be temporarily self-governing was taken. The Washington National Cathedral is the place where we see the major religious-themed events involving American politicians take place. The West Virginia location, in addition to having a church parish, was also home to the largest English-speaking Russian Orthodox monastery in the world. According to 2010 US Orthodox Census, GOA has nearly 477,000 members. More precisely 6,300 worshipers on the nave floor and 700 choirs (balconies). Zezulin says that at the time, the church welcomed her husband. [16], In a report to the Holy Synod that year, Bishop Tikhon proposed dramatic changes in the operation of the diocese. With a capacity of 10,800 and a ground floor area of 37,674 square ft., the Church of Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia, is the second largest Orthodox cathedral in the world. When they arrived, they were shocked by the harsh treatment of the Kodiak natives at the hands of the Russian settlers and Baranov. Doing the numbers on membership", "Statute of the OCA Article IV The Metropolitan", "Statute of the OCA Article VI The Diocese", "Statute of the OCA Article III The All-American Council", "All-American Councils - the 20th All-American Council", "Metropolitan Council, Holy Synod to hold joint session", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orthodox_Church_in_America&oldid=1132185190, 84,900 total adherents, 33,800 regular attendees, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 17:46. Alexei Krindatch, a sociologist of religion who focuses on Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches in the U.S., estimates that active adherents make up about 0.4% of the population.. However, this number is still so small that it is almost insignificant when compared to the entire USA population. One of the churchs pastors is former NFL draft pick Mayo Sowell. The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America. This "Eastern Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity" was typical of the earliest Orthodox parishes in America: it was multi-ethnic, composed of Greeks, Slavs, and Arabs, and multi-lingual, services . The Greek Orthodox Church Size: 480,000 Worship Style: Bells & Smells Description: The other ancient institution of the Church, Orthodox Christianity represents a brand of the faithdepending on who you askequally old as Catholicism. Four of the satellite campuses are in Birmingham, with others as far away as Huntsville and Auburn. Some say the Greek Orthodox Church has remained mostly. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, gave religious cover to the war. [44] In response to the study, an OCA representative stated the church had "around 750,000 adults and children. Official negotiations on the matter began in 1969. It is the tallest (78 m), longest (91 m), widest (81 m) and largest (by area and volume) church building in the Balkans. This is a list of the largest Eastern Orthodox church buildings in the world, based on area and capacity. "And then after that all happened, basically, the bishops said, 'OK, it's all done. He had established the Traditionalist Worker Party, which helped organize a deadly gathering of neo-Nazis and white nationalists at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. Sarkisian said he began to see white nationalist and nativist views surface within Orthodox spaces online just around the time that these shifts began taking place. More than four in ten (41%) identify as Protestant (including 23% who are not evangelical and 18% who are non-evangelical), 11% as Catholic, 1% as Latter-day Saint, and 1% as Orthodox Christian. The former pastor Noble has started a new church, Second Chance ministry. ", Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, "Who's counting? Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (typically claimed 1,954,500* members versus 440,000 actual adherents) Orthodox Church in America (1,000,000* versus 115,000 actual adherents) * membership figures are from the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, National Council of Churches, 2000. In 2014, he was excommunicated from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America shortly after he had been accepted into it. Source: By Church of the Highlands [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons. Any Eastern Orthodox church building that has a capacity of 3,000 people or more, can be added to this page. Perched on the highest point in the capital, Washington's National Cathedral earns its reputation as one of the most beautiful churches in the United States for its stunning, Notre-Dame-esque facade and towering stained-glass windows. The church was founded by Osteens father John Osteen in 1959. [20] On 20 November 1920, Patriarch Tikhon formally authorized Russian Orthodox bishops to set up temporarily independent organizations, until such time as normal communications with and governance from the patriarchate could be restored. Despite centuries of presence in North America, starting in what we now know as Alaska, the Orthodox church in the U.S. is still relatively small. Planning began in 1913 when the Catholic University donated land to the project. But over time, their children started to encounter racism in the church. During this time, the ethnic character of the Metropolia began to change. Orthodoxy is one of the Christian denominations practiced in the US and around the world. The religion began in the Roman Empire and spread to other parts of the world as time went by. The remainder of the American Church became known informally as the Metropolia (or under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan). "For many of them, Putin becomes this sort of king-like figure in their narratives," she said. "I first started noticing this around 2010, 2011 on Orthodox blogs, where I started to see language and rhetoric that was subtly racist and was subtly engaging in what we would now know as the alt-right," Sarkisian said. During his brief time there, Heimbach's activities with other Orthodox converts on a college campus in Indiana drew scrutiny. In fact, the structure is considered one of the best examples of Russian sacred architecture in America.
The Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC) is the largest Christian denomination in the Republic of Macedonia, with approximately 1.2 million members.