One of the chief tasks of the independent Orthodox communities was to preserve and restore the episcopal ministry.
In the Orthodox tradition episcopal consecration is of particular significance, since it is through ordination that the archpastoral ministry is handed on in succession.
In the 1990s, representatives of the Russian True Orthodox movement established ties with hierarchs of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
On 17 December 1996 in Ternopil, with the blessing of Patriarch Dymytriy (Yarema), Bishops Methodius (Kudriakov) and John (Modzalevsky) consecrated Archimandrite Stefan (Linitsky) as Bishop of St Petersburg and Staraya Russa.
This event became the most important milestone in the formation of the future episcopate of the AOC.
On 7 January 2000, with the participation of Archbishop Stefan, Kiriak (Temercidi) was consecrated bishop.
On 7 May 2000 Vitaly (Kuzhevatov), who later served for many years as Primate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church, received episcopal consecration.
The historical line of the AOC episcopate is thus connected with the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and, through it, with earlier Orthodox ordinations.
The AOC regards this sequence of consecrations as a testimony to its apostolic succession.
At the same time, the historical documentation of episcopal consecrations and their canonical recognition by other Orthodox Churches are separate questions. The Apostolic Orthodox Church holds to its own understanding of its ecclesial continuity and independence.