APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1: 4-8). This spiritual reality gave the Apostles a resource to maintain continuity, reliability of inspired teachings, ministries, and ordinations, to last throughout all time. Therefore, the term apostolic succession indicates a direct line or linage of worldwide bishops going back to the apostles to the present day.
For scriptural evidence and historical readings please consult: http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Apostolic_succession
The Christian Orthodox Church traces there lines of apostolic succession through Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh.
Brief life of Aftimios Ofiesh
Aftimios Ofiesh was consecrated on May 11, 1917, by Bishop Evdokim Meschesky of the Russian Orthodox Church in America, Co-Consecrators were; Bishops Alexander Nemolosky Russian Orthodox Exarch of Canada and Stephen Dzubai of the Russian Orthodox diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Ofiesh in 1923 was elevated as the Russian Orthodox Archbishop Bishop of Brooklyn, New York and as Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Syro-Arab Mission by Metropolitan Platon Rozhdestvensky.
In 1927, Archbishop Aftimios, Metropolitan Platon Rojdestversky and the Synod of Bishops of the American Russian Orthodox Dioceses, meeting in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, carried out the will of Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and help set up autocephalous American Orthodox Churches. Archbishop Aftimios was appointed President and coordinator of the projected organization.
Under Archbishop Aftimios, the Russian Orthodox Church in America was established and incorporated on the basis of an excellent Constitution, designed to bring true unity to American Orthodoxy.
Many believe that Archbishop Aftimios and the Bishops with his succession are the only canonical Orthodox bishops in the United States since 1917.
In 1933 he became married and resigned his position as Archbishop. He died in at age 85 in 1966.
For a more information on the Consecrator of Archbishop Aftimios,please go to:
http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Evdokim_%28Meschersky%29_of_the_Aleutians
