AOCC States Commitment to GOARCH Reconciliation Talks

JUNE 23, 2026 — The synod of the American Orthodox Catholic Church (AOCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing discussions with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) regarding reconciliation, emphasizing that the process continues with the unanimous support of the church's bishops.

This marks the first time that the AOCC has issued an official statement on the talks, which were previously revealed after last month's Juneteenth prayer service at the St. Nicholas National Shrine.

In a comment made to UOJ-America, Abp. Wayne Daniels, Jr., of the AOCC stated that the two sides are working toward reconciliation and communion, and that he would not comment further "because I'd rather not have my words twisted or misconstrued."

UOJ-America also reached out to Fr. Samuel Davis, who has taken the leading role on GOARCH's side of the dialogue. At the time of publication of this article, he has not responded.

For context, the AOCC claims its lineage can be traced back to Aftimios Ofiesh, who was tasked by the Russian Orthodox Church to serve as St. Raphael of Brooklyn's successor. After marrying a young parishioner and writing on the "evils of celibacy," Ofiesh and the AOCC fell out of communion with the canonical Church and dissolved in the 1940s.

In 2006, a new group using the AOCC name was rechartered, filed, legally registered as a 501(c)(3) and transferred to the structure's current patriarch, Paul Willingham.

In a statement released July 22, the synod said it was responding to public discussion generated by an online article published in June concerning the AOCC's future – most likely referring to a column written by UOJ-America's Aaron Hickman. The bishops stated that they wished to clarify the church's official position so that clergy, faithful, and observers would receive accurate information directly from its leadership.

According to the statement, the AOCC remains actively engaged in direct communication with GOARCH as part of what it described as a thorough canonical, pastoral, and administrative process. The synod said the conversations are being conducted in a spirit of mutual respect, openness, and Christian charity, while stressing that the effort toward reconciliation has the unanimous backing of the church's hierarchy.

"We ask our clergy and faithful to continue praying for wisdom, discernment, humility, and peace for all involved," the statement reads. "We also ask that speculation, rumor, and unnecessary division be set aside as we continue these discussions in the spirit of Christ, who prayed that His disciples 'may all be one' (John 17:21)."

Concluding the statement, the synod affirmed that the AOCC's mission remains unchanged: "to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, faithfully preserve the Orthodox Faith, administer the Holy Mysteries, and shepherd the people entrusted to our care." The statement was signed in this manner:

Patriarch and Archbishop Roger Willingham
Archbishop Wayne Daniels, Jr
Archbishop Tregnal Thomas
Archbishop Brett Travis

No other Orthodox jurisdictions have commented on GOARCH's dialogue with the AOCC, nor indicated if the potential reconciliation would be accepted in a pan-Orthodox manner.

The release of the AOCC's statement comes a day after Fr. Samuel Davis wrote a response to the column authored by Hickman.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Abp. Brett Travis said, “we're not going under the Greek thumb,” in an interview about the AOCC.