On December 20, 2002, the Holy Synod of the Holy Patriarchate of Constantinople elevated the Holy Diocese to become the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta and His Grace, Bishop Alexios of Atlanta, to His Eminence, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta. This is his story:

He was born Alexios Panagiotopoulos, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1943, in Ano Soudeneika Achais, Greece to Spyridon and Angeliki Panagiotopoulos. He is the oldest of five brothers and two sisters. He was tonsured a monk at Vatopedion Monastery in 1963, receiving the name Anthimos, and graduated from the Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy in 1964. In November 1965, he was ordained to the diaconate and served as Archdeacon for the Metropolitan of Patras, Konstantinos, until he entered the National Kapodistrian University School of Theology in Athens in 1969. While in Athens, he served as deacon at the churches of Saint Panteleimon and Saint Spyridon.

He was ordained to the priesthood on August 27, 1972, and assigned to Saint Sophia Church in Patras, while living as a brother of the Gerokomion Monastery of the Virgin Mary. Following his graduation from the University of Athens School of Theology in 1973, he enrolled in the Boston University School of Theology and received his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1978. While at BU, he served as pastor of Dormition Church in Burlington, Vermont. He returned to Patras upon completion of his studies and served as Abbot of the Gerokomion Monastery. A year later, he was summoned back to the United States to serve as Dean of Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Brooklyn, New York, and later he was transferred to the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Saint Demetrios in Astoria, New York.

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Very Reverend Anthimos to the episcopacy as Bishop of Troas on April 7, 1987. He assumed his baptismal name Alexios upon his consecration by Archbishop Iakovos on May 17, 1987. He was enthroned a month later at St. Demetrios Cathedral as the first Choroepiscopos for the Hellenic Community of Astoria. He was assigned to parishes in Queens, Long Island, southern Connecticut, and Upstate New York on January 1, 1989, and while in Astoria he served as the Director of the Hellenic Cultural Center of the Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Queens, New York.

Bishop Alexios served the Atlanta Diocese as Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Atlanta Diocese from Jan. 1, 1997 until his election as Bishop of Atlanta by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He was enthroned as Bishop on May 22, 1999. On December 20, 2002 the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the status of the Diocese to a Metropolis, and in 2003 elected Metropolitan Alexios as Metropolitan of Atlanta.

Metropolis of Atlanta Website: http://www.atlmetropolis.org/

Name day: March 17

Members of the Holy Eparchial Synod

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

Consecration date: March 1, 2011
Name day: November 2

His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston

Consecration date: April 8, 1984
Name day: June 14

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

Consecration date: May 25, 1986
Name day: May 9

His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta

Consecration date: May 17, 1987
Name day: March 17

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit

Consecration date: April 3, 1999
Name day: December 6

His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh

Consecration date: February 2, 2002
Name day: December 5

His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco

Consecration date: February 9, 2002
Name day: October 20

His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey

Consecration date: December 20, 2014
Name day: June 30

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago

Consecration date: March 17, 2018
Name day: June 11
Auxiliary Bishops

His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: December 9, 2006
Name day: October 26

His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zela

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: December 6, 2011
Name day: December 18

His Grace Bishop Joachim of Amissos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: December 22, 2019
Name day: September 9

His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Amastris

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: November 14, 2020
Name day: December 12

His Grace Bishop Timothy of Hexamilion

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: December 5, 2020
Name day: January 22

His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: December 19, 2020
Name day: January 7

His Grace Athenagoras of Nazianzos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: June 5, 2021
Name day: July 24

His Grace Bishop Constantine of Sassima

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: October 15, 2022
Name day: May 21
Former Archbishops

His Eminence Spyridon

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: November 5, 1985
Name day: December 12

His Eminence Demetrios

Consecration date: September 17, 1967
Name day: October 26
Retired Bishops

His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios of Xanthos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: May 31, 1998
Name day: October 26

His Grace Bishop Andonios of Phasiane

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Consecration date: February 23, 2002
Name day: January 17
Metropolises & Hierarchs