UOC Parish Says Forced Transfer Ignored Will of Majority

Cleric Theognost with disputed representatives. Photo: pomisna-ch.info

SERBYCHANY, UKRAINE — Parishioners of the Archangel Michael Church in the village of Serbychany say their community has become the latest victim of a disputed parish transfer after the state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) announced that the parish had joined its jurisdiction despite overwhelming support among local believers for remaining in the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

Meetings concerning the parish were held on May 17 and May 19, 2026, and 104 people were reported as having voted in favor of joining the OCU. Following the vote, the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy of the OCU announced that cleric Theognost had accepted the parish into his jurisdiction and described the move as a historic decision by the community.

According to parishioners and clergy of the parish, however, the actual religious community of Serbychany overwhelmingly rejected the transfer. More than 400 believers reportedly voted to remain within the canonical UOC, while only about 40 supporters of the OCU attended the gathering, with approximately 20 of them being local residents. The parish had already publicly affirmed its loyalty to the UOC and to Metr. Onuphry in a video address released before the controversy.

Witnesses further alleged that the meeting was conducted in a manner that prevented the UOC community from fairly presenting its position. According to these accounts, the local dean was not permitted to speak, while organizers ignored the presence of hundreds of UOC faithful when publishing photographs and videos from the event. Parishioners contend that the transfer was proclaimed despite the clear opposition of the overwhelming majority of active members of the religious community.

The OCU maintains that the transition was approved by a lawful meeting of parishioners and has welcomed the community into the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy.

Previously, the UOJ reported that St. Michael’s Church in Bezuhlivka was seized by the OCU.

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