Problems of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America during the leadership of ArchbishopTikhon (Bellavin), 1899-1906 years

This article discusses issues related to the development and spreadof Orthodox Christianity in North America in the late XIX - early XX centuries. At this time, immigration from Eastern Europe is growing.Increases the number of people professes Orthodoxy and it starts of influence this denomination for the eastern United States and Canada.These developments have increased prestige of the Orthodox Church in North America before the need for reform to a new level of it activity.Initially, the Orthodox faith was should only apply in North America on the western territories (Alaska, Aleutians and some westernstates). After the sale (1867) the Alaska to the Government of U.S., Orthodoxy relationship and cultural and economic situation in the regionare going down. Indigenous peoples have been deprived of custody of cultural and spiritual help. The new government was interested only inthe development of the natural resources region. Rebirth of the Russian Orthodox Church in America began in 1890, the XIX century and itwas associated with the activities of Bishop Nikolai (Ziorova). Despite significant increases in the Orthodox community and the territorialexpansion of Bishop Nikolai was just a scheme of structural changes. From 1899 to 1906 diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska was ledby Bishop Tikhon Bellavin (Archbishop since 1905, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church since 1917). That he managed to solve manyproblems of Orthodoxy in America to survive on the structural changes in the diocese, which in turn allows the Orthodox Church of Americato survive in the disasters of the early twentieth century. In addition, this allowed the Orthodox Church in America to gain independencefrom government and religious structures of the United States (autocephalous) and persist to this day. After Bishop Tikhon was head of thediocese and it will quickly expand the territory and she gave a population growth of believers. However, challenges remained. These were:lack of money, poor structure, there were few priests, new churches were not there, there was need to build a monastery and seminary. In theseven years of Archbishop Tikhon position of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America is changing qualitatively. As a new leader, Hegreatly increased the growth of financial assets and activity of fraternities, parishes, and especially Orthodox society Mutual. As a result wasdone the creation of new and refurbishment of old temples, the construction of the Cathedral in New York, financial assistance to needythrough charitable fund, the development of the Orthodox press, the opening of the seminary, the seminary scholarships, etc. Bishop Tikhonopened first America's Orthodox seminary in Minneapolis and school in Cleveland. All of it allowed the diocese prepare priestly personnelfor diocese's needs. The number of clergy in leadership of Tikhon was two times greater than before. In 1905 the diocese was opened by anOrthodox monastery. It was the first Orthodox monastery in North America. In summary we can say that the implementation of ArchbishopTikhon transformation considerably strengthened the diocese. He created a cult with a developed infrastructure. For this reason, OrthodoxChurch in America in a position was to resist the break with Russia and save an independent organization.

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