Metropolitan Sevastianos has served the Metropolis of Atlanta with distinction since December 2018. He succeeds Metropolitan Alexios, who led the Metropolis from 1997 until his retirement in November 2024. The Metropolis of Atlanta encompasses over 70 parishes across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Metropolitan Sevastianos becomes the second Metropolitan to lead this vast and diverse flock.

The Enthronement was a momentous occasion, marked by the presence of numerous hierarchs from across the United States. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was represented by His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA, who conveyed His All-Holiness’s official greetings. Among the dignitaries present were Metropolitan Alexios, formerly of Atlanta; Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, Locum Tenens for the Metropolis of Atlanta; and several other Metropolitans and Bishops from various jurisdictions. Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod, read the Patriarchal and Synodical letter announcing Metropolitan Sevastianos’s election.

The service also drew prominent ecumenical and civic leaders, including Most Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta; Right Reverend Peter Eaton, Episcopal Bishop of Southeast Florida; and several distinguished Consuls and government officials, including Congressman Gus Bilirakis. Representatives from various Archdiocesan organizations, such as Philoptochos and Leadership 100, were also in attendance.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, in his address, expressed his confidence in Metropolitan Sevastianos’s ability to lead the Metropolis with love, compassion, and wisdom. He acknowledged the outpouring of affection for the new Metropolitan and emphasized his past service as a testament to his dedication to the Church.

Metropolitan Sevastianos, in a heartfelt response, pledged to serve the Church with enthusiasm and dedication, emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration. He expressed his gratitude to Archbishop Elpidophoros for his leadership and affirmed his commitment to upholding the traditions of the Church. He stressed the importance of the Church as a “calling to togetherness in a communion of love, healing, and sanctifying.”

Following the Enthronement, a celebratory luncheon was held in the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center Ballroom, featuring inspiring speakers and a video presentation. The event concluded a day filled with joy and hope for the future of the Metropolis of Atlanta under the leadership of its new Metropolitan.

Bishop Sevastianos Named New Atlanta Metropolitan