In Chernihiv region, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and his parishioners defected to the schism

The rector of the parish in honor of the Apostle John the Theologian in the village of Kyselivka, Chernihiv district, Chernihiv region, Archimandrite Seraphim (Lisovyi) defected to the schism and joined the OCU. The event took place on August 6, 2025. This was reported by local journalist Vasyl Chepurnyi.

It is reported that on August 6, after the Divine Liturgy in honor of the Transfiguration according to the new style, a parish meeting was held at the St. John the Theologian Church in the village of Kyselivka, at which the issue of joining the OCU was discussed. Archimandrite Seraphim supported the will of the faithful and decided to join the schism.

We recall that the former cleric of the Chernivtsi-Bukovina Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Orest Dragina, who defected to the schism several months ago, complained that the majority of parishioners of the church where he serves did not support his choice and did not want to join the OCU with him. According to the former priest of the UOC, less than 20% of the total number of parishioners followed him, while the rest remained faithful to the canonical Church.