In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod.

The Holy Synod was a congregation of Orthodox church leaders in Russia. It was established by Peter the Great in January 1721 to replace the Patriarchate of Moscow. It was abolished following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and replaced with a restored (though powerless) patriarchate.

The Holy Synod is also a ruling body of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.