An Orthodox Church in America fund that gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to groups that help the church's less well-off members is now being used to help the church itself.
The Washington Post reports on the unusual move by the Elsie Skvir Ganister Foundation, which gives out between $500 and $3,000 a year to groups that help the church's less well-off members, including the elderly and the poor.
It's a small amount, but the foundation's website says it's meant to help the church "advance the mission of Orthodoxy in the United States."
It's not clear why the money is being used for the church's less well-off members, but the Post speculates it could have something to do with the recent furor over the church's opposition to same-sex marriage.
In a statement, a spokesman for the OCA says the fund is meant to help the church's less well-off members "in ways that address priority needs of the Orthodox Church in America, especially those that do so in catalytic ways."
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