Statements issued by the Lesser Synod of Bishops of The Orthodox Church in America

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] — Having heard and discussed a report on the status of the ongoing investigations and audits and other matters relating to the Church’s finances, the members of the Lesser Synod of
Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting under the chairmanship of the Primate, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, on September 21, 2006, issued the following statements.

The complete texts of the hierarchs’ statements read as follows.

“1. The Bishops fully support the actions of the Metropolitan with regard to the Church’s finances. This includes: the retaining of counsel and auditors, the internal investigation, the related audits and reviews, the loan to the Church and the purposes contained in related documents, the adoption of the Best Practice Principles and Policies for Financial
Accountability as submitted for review and endorsement to the Metropolitan Council, as well as other changes required for implementation of standard accounting practices and procedures.

“2. The review of the 2001-2005 Annual and Special Appeals is ongoing. However, from the initial findings, it has been concluded that there is no receipted documentation or verification for a large portion of those funds. No further information can be made available until that review is complete.

“3. Regarding the request by the Bishops for 2004 and 2005 audits, an audit for the year 2004 was undertaken as well as a preliminary review of the financial records for 2005. However, it has been concluded that, due to the lack of documentation, no audits for those years can be completed. Therefore, the Bishops have determined not to spend any more of the Church’s resources on these audits.”

In addition to Metropolitan Herman, other hierarchs participating in the meeting included His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate, who was invited to participate due to the absence of His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and the Bulgarian Diocese; His Eminence, Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; and His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston, New England, and the Albanian Archdiocese, who participated as a guest.