On April 29, 2026, the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad began its work at the convent of the Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth in Buchendorf, Germany.
In the morning, the Right Reverend members of the Council of Bishops, led by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of ROCOR, prayed during the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany in the monastery's church. During the divine service, the clergy offered up special petitions, invoking the grace-filled help of the Holy Spirit in the upcoming acts of the Bishops' Council opening on that day.
After the divine service and the meal, the opening of the Bishops' Council took place in the monastery's meeting room.
After Vladyka Nicholas' opening speech, Metropolitan Mark was elected as a fellow chairman, Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan and Bishop Job of Stuttgart were elected as secretaries of the Council, and Archpriest Seraphim Gan was their assistant. Bishop Michael of Boston and Bishop Peter of Seattle became members of the accounting commission of the Bishops' Council. The bishops then elected a commission to draft the conciliar epistle, which included Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan, and Bishop Spyridon of Toronto.
Then the Council members heard reports from the ruling bishops and discussed the situation in the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.
Russian Russian Orthodox Church Bishop Irenaeus of London and Western Europe, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops for Inter-Orthodox Relations, and Archimandrite Roman (Krasovsky), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (as part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), concluded the first Council meeting.