The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will send its parishes copies of a new governing charter that the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, approved after eight years of debate.
The charter had been finalized in January and some of its key provisions had been made public soon after, but the archdiocese had not yet sent the full text to parishes. Distribution is set for August.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate did not grant a top demand by American Greeks for increased say in choosing U.S. church leaders.
U.S. clergy and lay delegates had proposed that the U.S. archbishop be chosen in Istanbul from names submitted by American church leaders and that other bishops be elected by Americans alone.
But the final version approved in Istanbul says election of the archbishop continues to be "the exclusive privilege" of Istanbul, though U.S. leaders can submit opinions. Other U.S. bishops will be chosen in Istanbul from nominees submitted by the Americans.
The archdiocese, which reports 1.5 million members, is America's largest Eastern Orthodox denomination. Other major U.S. Orthodox bodies choose their own leaders.