From its founding, the AOC sought to unite Orthodox communities that shared its doctrinal and organisational principles.
In 2000 the formation of the episcopate continued, new communities appeared, and work began on church statutes and rules of governance.
In the same year the AOC decided to venerate Archpriest Alexander Men as a hieromartyr and enlightener.
For some of the founders of the new Church his legacy held particular meaning. Fr Alexander’s preaching, his attention to contemporary culture, to dialogue with society and to the education of believers became one of the moral and missionary guiding lights of the movement.
In 2003 significant changes took place in the history of the AOC.
Some of the bishops, led by Metropolitan Stefan, joined another True Orthodox church jurisdiction.
Oversight of the communities of the Apostolic Orthodox Church that remained independent passed to Metropolitan Vitaly (Kuzhevatov).
Under his presidency the organisational shaping of the church association continued.
On 30 April 2004 the Apostolic Orthodox Church was registered in Russia as a centralised religious organisation under the official name “Association of Orthodox Communities of the Apostolic Tradition”.
This made it possible to give legal standing to the church structure uniting independent Orthodox communities.