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Metropolitan Mykhayil Javchak Champion (Michael Javchak Champion) is the Metropolitan Bishop of New York City and America for the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
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Early life and education
Champion is a native of Peekskill, New York, and spent 20 years of ministry in the Cleveland, Ohio area. He graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received a Master of Arts Degree in Theology from Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in the Cleveland Diocese in 1993.
Clerical career
Ordained to the priesthood in 1997, he became a bishop of Cleveland in the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in 1999.
In December 2002 Champion supported the ideology of UAOC-Sobornopravna.
Champion took on the leadership of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Americas (UAOC-Sobornopravna) in 2004, after the retirement of Metropolitan Stephan (Babiy-Petrovich). At the April 2004 convocation of the regular Metropolitan synod, the Council of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of North & South America and the Diaspora officially accepted the resignation of Archbishop Petrovich, who voluntarily asked to retire due to health reasons.
In 2004-2005 within the UAOC-Sobornopravna in the USA, events took place that changed its status. The UAOC of North and South America, headed by Champion, joined with UAOC in Ukraine, and on April 21, 2004 declared Metropolitan Mefodiy (Kudriakov) to be their Primate.
Champion returned to Northern Westchester in 2005, where he relocated the church's administrative office and founded the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Parish. He supported in 2005, Metropolitan Mefodiy (Kudriakov) in a conflict with Archbishop Ihor Isichenko.
In February 2006 Metropolitan Mefodiy (Kudryakov), Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, worldwide primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) made a pastoral visit to the United States, at the invitation of Metropolitan Champion. They concelebrated the Divine Liturgy together and visited church communities. Likewise in 2005, 2007 and 2008, Metropolitan Mykhayil made official visits to the Primate of the UAOC, Metropolitan Mefodiy (Kudriakov) in Kyiv.
In 2007 Champion said that his church supported Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Archbishop Ihor Vozniak and members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in their dispute with Latin Traditionalist Catholics in Ukraine.
In 2007, while on an official visit to the Primate of the UAOC, Metropolitan Mefodiy (Kudriakov), and Metropolitan Mykhayil visited Ternopil, and had interview with Ukrainian journalists
After the death of Metropolitan Mefodiy on February 24, 2015, Champion sent official condolences and promulgated an official period of mourning for the death of the church's visible head. Due to developing and uncertain political/ecclesiastical developments in Ukraine, subsequent to the death of Metropolitan Mefodiy, the UAOC in the USA currently asserts autonomy.
The ministry has led the Archbishop to travel to parishes in Ukraine, Ecuador and Colombia. Champion works extensively in inter-religious ministry, having served for four years of the Peekskill Area Pastors Association (PAPA), the largest interfaith organization in northern Westchester County. In 2008, was a participant in the Yale conference "Loving God and Neighbor in Word and Deed", a workshop on the document "A Common Word Between Us and You". The event gathered religious scholars and activists from several countries and was co-sponsored by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan and the Yale University Center for Faith and Culture's Reconciliation Program.
The Archbishop has long been a proponent of liberation theology and took an early interest in the development of the Latin American church. He studied the Spanish language for eight years, at the high school and university levels. Champion speaks often as an advocate for the rights of immigrants and any persons who are marginalized or experience bias. He has been a co-chair of the Cortlandt Taskforce on Diversity. The church has also conducted a weekly breakfast program as a gesture of hospitality for local immigrant workers.
In 2011, New York became the sixth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriages. At that time Archbishop Champion opened his local parish to same-sex couples wishing to marry. He said that the freedom to marry is a civil right all Americans should have:
I certainly think it’s a matter of civil rights, and the more equality we have amongst people in this country the better,” Champion said. While the state has legalized gay marriage, Champion pointed out churches in the state are not required to recognize or perform them. “I do realize there are some faith leaders that may not agree with performing same-sex unions, however they are not obliged to do so.”
In 2011 his parish of Montrose, New York began to offer weddings to same-sex couples.
Using the Spanish language translation of his name, Miguel José Javchak, Champion is also a member of "The Independent Catholic Church of the Americas" (ICCA), which is a separate Christian denomination from the UAOC. He is the ICCA Bishop of the Diocese of New York, and Vicar for Hispanic Ministries.