Tragically, the Orthodox Church in the New World has suffered, since 1927, from chronic disunity. It is the policy of the Russian Orthodox Church in America to not participate in the internecine squabbling among Orthodox jurisdictions, in the disputes which are usually, disingenuously couched in such terms as 'canonicity', 'authenticity' and 'official recognition'. Such fraternal disputes are scandalous to the people of God and destructive to Holy Church, and we simply, yet firmly, refuse to join into the fray.

For most of our eighty year history, the Russian Orthodox Church in America has allowed others to tell our (hi)story for us. Since there is much to lose and little to gain in being honest about our origins and subsequent history, it comes as no surprise that much of what has been written about us has been unflattering in the least, and often untrue and occasionally libelous.

In our desire to follow the Gospel of our Lord in our behavior towards others, seldom have we stood up and called historians on their distortions. Even in this present work, we will strive to be as even-handed and charitable as possible.