[2] Having considered becoming a Russian Orthodox Church priest, Bereslavsky says that he abandoned this career path when it became clear that he would be required to inform on congregation members to the secret police.

These charges were never proven; however, the Russian state began revoking registrations from the OCSMG's local congregations, prompting Bereslavsky to begin to spend more time outside of Russia.

[2] In 2009, Bereslavsky resigned from his administrative position as the head of the OCSMG's council of bishops and relocated to Spain.

[2] Claiming a revelation from the medieval Cathar Perfects (who he claimed had ascended to heaven like Elijah), Bereslavsky adopted the Gnostic view of the god of the Old Testament as a vengeful demiurge (equated with Elohim, Jehovah and Yaltabaoth) whom he calls the "Chastiser", distinct from the Father revealed by Jesus.

[13] Bereslavsky's followers claim that he has "restored the green laurel of the Cathar Church back to life"[14]—a reference to an Occitan tradition claiming that "after seven hundred years, the laurel will grow green again", meaning that Catharism would be restored seven centuries after it was eliminated.