Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity

He earned a Bachelors degree in Pre-Theology from Hellenic College in Brookline, MA, in 1981, a Masters Degree in Theology from Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA in 1985 as well as a Master Degree in Pastoral Counseling from Holy Names College in Oakland, CA in 2000.

Fr. Ari and Presbytera Debbie Schanhals were married on June 21, 1987 in Memphis, TN. She is a nurse practitioner, and they have two children, William and his wife Julianne and a daughter, Dionna.

On May 18, 1988 he was ordained to the Diaconate and on June 12, 1988 to the Priesthood by Bishop Anthony of San Francisco, of Blessed memory, in Oakland, CA. On December 24, 2006 he was elevated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit to the rank of Protopresbyter.

Fr. Ari has served the following parishes:Youth Director Annunciation Parish Memphis, TN, Pastor OF SS Markella and Demetrios Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, Ascension Cathedral in Oakland, CA as the Associate Pastor and Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toledo, OH.

Fr. Ari’s hobbies include decorating for Christmas and being a certified storm chaser. He wanted to be a meteorologist but it took too much math, thus God had other plans for him. He also has worked at various radio stations as an announcer in Memphis, TN, Oakland, CA, Ft. Walton Beach Florida, San Francisco, CA and Toledo, OH.

Father Ari believes that we are here on this earth to serve God and humanity with love and if we want to make God laugh tell Him your plans.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta, was born in Ano-Zodia, Cyprus, he is the oldest of three children of Panayiota and Frixos Skordallos. He received his primary education in his village and then attended the Economic High School, Morphou, Cyprus where he graduated in 1973. and the Theological School of the University of Athens, Greece (1978). He received a scholarship (1979) through the World Council of Churches to study in the United States at Columbia Theological Seminary and Emory University in Decatur, Georgia where he received a Th.M. in Pastoral Psychology (1982). 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 in Nashville, Tennessee as well as at Middle Tennessee State University (1982-1984).

Metropolitan Sevastianos was ordained as a Deacon on January 17, 1974, by the late Metropolitan of Morphou Chrysanthos. As a Deacon he served the late Metropolitan Chyrsanthos of Morphou (1974), St. George Church, in Acadimia Platonos, in Athens (1975), and St. Nicholas Church in Kato Patisia, Athens (1976-78).

He was ordained as a Priest on March 4, 1979, in England by the then Bishop of Tropaiou and later Archbishop of Tyateira Gregorios. As a priest he served in Nottingham, England (1979), Holy Trinity-Holy Cross in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. (1980-82), Sts. Constantine and Helen – Holy Cross, Huntsville, Alabama (1982-84, 1988-93), the Cathedral of Panayia Catholike, Limassol, Cyprus (1984-88), Holy Transfiguration, Marietta, Georgia (1993-2004), where he was able to build their first church edifice, educational build, and amphitheater. He continued his service at St. Nicholas Cathedral, Tarpon Springs, Florida (2004-06), where he was honored to receive His All-Holness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who lead the Centennial Celebration of St. Nicholas Cathedral as well as the Great Blessing of the Waters during Theophany and the retrieving of the cross by the youth which was attended by over 60,000 faithful and visitors.

He received the offikion of Archimandrite by the late Archbishop of Thyateira Athenagoras. He was appointed Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America on June 1, 2006 through 2018.

On December 2, 2011, he was elected by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an Auxiliary Bishop under the title of the once-glorious Diocese of Zela, serving under then-Archbishop of America Demetrios. In 2012, he was appointed Spiritual Advisor to the National Philoptochos Society of America.

Metropolitan Sevastianos was actively involved in the administration of the Church, and in particular on the Metropolis of Atlanta Council and the Archdiocesan Council, specifically 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 was a member of the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council where he served as Vice-President.

In early December 2018, His Eminence returned to the Metropolis of Atlanta to assist His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios in ministering and serving the faithful within the Metropolis of Atlanta.

On December 2, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America recommended to the Eparchial Synod that His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zela succeed His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios as the new Metropolitan of Atlanta. On the same day the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimous elected His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zela as the new Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta. 

His Eminence Metropolitan Sevastianos was Enthroned as Metropolitan of Atlanta on January 25, 2025, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta, Georgia.

Description text goes hereIn 1995, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod. From 1996-1997 he studied at the Theological School of St. John the Damascene in Balamand, Lebanon, where he improved his knowledge of the Arabic language. In 2001, he presented a doctoral dissertation at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki under the title: “Severus of Antioch and the Council of Chalcedon,” proclaiming him a Doctorate of Theology with highest distinction. In 2004, he was invited to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston, where he taught as a visiting professor for one semester.

In March 2005, at the proposal of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he was promoted by the Holy and Sacred Synod to the position of Chief Secretary and was ordained to the priesthood by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Patriarchal Cathedral. In 2009, he submitted two dissertations to the Theological School of Thessaloniki and was unanimously elected Assistant Professor of Symbolics, Inter-Orthodox Relations and the Ecumenical Movement. The dissertations are entitled: “The Synaxis’s of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne (1951-2004)” and “Luther’s Ninety-five Thesis. Historical and Theological aspects. Text - Translation – Commentary.”

In March 2011, he was elected Metropolitan of Bursa and in August of the same year was appointed Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Holy Trinity on the island of Chalki. He has served as the Orthodox Secretary of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation and as a member of the Patriarchal delegations to the General Assemblies of the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches. He was the Secretary of the Pan-Orthodox Synods in Sofia (1998), Istanbul (2005), Geneva (2006), and Istanbul (2008). He has been a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches since 1996.