PITTSBURGH — A monk who until recently was an abbot of a San Francisco monastery will be the new leader of the Orthodox Church in America.

Forty-nine-year-old Metropolitan Jonah was elected to the post in a vote held on Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Hilton.

About 650 clerics and lay people participated in the vote to replace Metropolitan Herman. He retired Sept. 4 amid a multimillion dollar financial scandal.

The voters chose their new leader from eight bishops that make up the church's synod.

Metropolitan Jonah was born in Chicago. He was raised in southern California in the Episcopal Church. He converted to Orthodox Christianity in 1978.

The Orthodox Church in America has its roots in Russian Orthodoxy. It has 1 million members.