The presence of overlapping “ethnic” dioceses in North America is the result of claims by certain Orthodox Churches to universal jurisdiction and a specious “right” to organize extraterritorial parishes and dioceses for “their own” faithful, whether in the “diaspora” or on the territory of other autocephalous churches. Referencing Papathomas’ concepts of “autocephalism,” hyperoria, and aeonism, this paper explores the intersection of ethnicity and faith where ethnicity becomes the dominant identifier. Based upon concepts of religious identity as developed by Lonergan, Dadosky, and Schreiter; the relationship between missiology and ecclesiology; and the necessity of both primacy and conciliarity, the author shows how universal jurisdiction impedes the possibility of effective missionary work in North America and suggests possible solutions which might serve to ameliorate some of the associated problems.

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