Three American Monasteries Go Into Schism

Monastery of St. Nina. Source: Wikimedia Commons

OCTOBER 22, 2025 — Three Georgian Orthodox monasteries in the United States have entered schism following the deposition of their leaders by the Georgian Orthodox Diocese in North America, reports the Orthodox Christianity web portal.

St. James the Apostle Monastery in Oklahoma, Holy Spirit Monastery in Maryland, and St. Nina’s Monastery in Maryland severed ties after the defrocking of Archimandrite Athanasios (Clark), Archimandrite Christophoros (Khadasok), and Abbess Aemiliane (Hanson) in March. Bishop Saba cited canonical violations, expressing sorrow over the split during the diocesan assembly in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

These monasteries are tied to Elder Dionysios Kalambokas, a Greek monk excommunicated by the Church of Greece in 2022. A February 2025 post on the blog MonasticWarning compiles extensive warnings, alleging the group forms an “extreme cult” with histories of expulsions from jurisdictions in Greece, Jerusalem, Mt. Athos, and beyond.

Reports include claims of sexual, spiritual, physical, and financial abuse across monasteries in Europe, the US, and elsewhere. The community has associated with non-canonical figures like “Archbishop” Melchisdeck, prompting warnings from the Jerusalem Patriarchate and US Orthodox bishops.

Critics, including Fr. John Chryssavgis, describe the network as causing “much harm.” Multiple churches, such as the Serbian and Ukrainian Orthodox, have issued bans. Alleged victims are urged to report abuses, amid calls for public sect warnings. The schism highlights ongoing tensions in Orthodox monasticism.

Previously, UOJ reported that Athonite monks had protested the recent visit of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine's (OCU) "primate" Serhiy Dumenko.

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