The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Bulgarian:Българска православна църква, Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva) is the oldest Slavic Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia. The recognition of the independent status of the Bulgarian Church by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 927 AD made the Bulgarian Church one of the earliest churches to be established in the world.