NEW YORK – The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople elected unanimously today the Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Very Reverend Archimandrite Sevastianos Skordallos Bishop of Zela. He was chosen from a list of three candidates whose names were submitted to the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The newly elected bishop will travel to Constantinople for the ceremony of the official announcement and acceptance, known as Mikro and Megalo Minima, which will take place at the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Tuesday Dec. 6.
Bishop-elect Sevastianos was born in Ano-Zodia, Cyprus, he is the first born of three children of Panayiota and Frixos Skordallos. He is a graduate of the Econonic High School, Morphou, Cyprus (1973) and the Theological School of the University of Athens, Greece (1978). He received a scholarship through the World Council of Churches to study in the United States at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur Georgia (1982) where he received a Th.M. in Pastoral Psychology. He has worked and received advanced certification in Clinical Pastoral Education at Caraway Methodist Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama (1980-1982), and furthered his studies in Pastoral Psychology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University (1982-1984).
He was ordained Deacon on January 17, 1974, by the late Metropolitan of Morphou Chrysanthos and Priest on March 4, 1978 in England by the Bishop of Tropaiou Gregorios who is currently the Archbishop of Thyateira and All England. He received the offikion of Archimandrite by the late Archbishop of Thyateira Athenagoras. He has served several parishes both as a deacon and a priest in Cyprus, Greece and the U.S.
As a Deacon he served the late Metropolitan Chyrsanthos of Morphou (1974), St. George Church, in Akadimia Platonos, in Athens (1975), St. Nicholas Church in Kato Patisia, Athens (1976-78), and as a priest in Nottingham England (1978-79), Holy Trinity-Holy Cross in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. (1980-82), Sts Constantine and Helen – Holy Cross, Huntsville, Alabama (1982-84, 1989-93), the Cathedral of Panayia Catholike, Limassol Cyprus (1984-88), Holy Transfiguration, Marietta, Georgia (1993-2004), and St. Nicholas Cathedral, Tarpon Springs, Florida (2004-06). He was appointed Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America on June 1, 2006, a position that he still holds.
Bishop-elect Sevastianos, has been actively involved in the Administration of the Church in general, and in particular in our Holy Archdiocese, serving as a Council member on the Metropolis and Archdiocesan levels; in the Administration Committee of the Archdiocesan Council where he assisted in developing resources for the training of Parish Councils and in the Legal Committee of the Archdiocese. He has served as President of the Clergy Syndesmos of the Metropolis of Atlanta for several years and the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council.
