His Eminence Ioannis (Tsaftaridis) Metropolitan of Zambia  was born in Agios Kirykos, Zakynthos, in 1969 and has his origins Sebastia in Asia Minor. After completing his schooling in his place of birth, he studied at the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens and holds a degree from there. He received his Master’s Degree in 2010 from the Department of Greek and Latin Studies of the University of Johannesburg, and is preparing his doctoral thesis at the same university. He was ordained Deacon on 21st November 1993 at the Holy Yperagathos Monastery (a dependency of Sinai) in Zakynthos by the then Metropolitan Panteleimon of Zakynthos, and on 17th December of the same year he was ordained Presbyter at the Holy Church of St Irene in Aiolou Street in Athens by the then Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Dodonis (presently of Zakynthos).

He was consecrated as Archimandrite in 1998 by the late Petros VII Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, in Lusaka, Zambia. Since 1993 he has served the ancient Patriarchate as a Missionary, serving first as Hierarchal Vicar at the Metropolis of Zimbabwe (which had in its jurisdiction Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and the islands of Madagascar and Mauritius) and then as Parish Priest in Communities of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cairo and South Africa. As a priest he was actively involved during 1994-95 in the integration and humanitarian aid for refugees from Rwanda in the country that welcomed them. He also worked towards combating the phenomenon of the “Street children”, and was the Orthodox Church’s supporter of prisoners in correctional prisons, of institutions and orphanages in the places where he ministered. He was the initiator and founder of the “Stegi Agapis for the Poor” in Sophia Town Johannesburg. He worked actively to minister to the youth as the one responsible for the Youth of the Metropolis of Johannesburg and Pretoria, establishing the “Centre for Youth and Culture” and the “Support Group for Negative Social Phenomena” (providing psychological support and assistance for drug dependant people) in the Archdiocese. He produced a radio programme for a period of five years broadcasting programmes with a variety of content. He organized and participated in International conferences. He co-authored books of religious and social content, studies and articles. He serves as Liaison of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Orthodoxy with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and since 2005 represents His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria at both. In October 2015 he organized the official visit of His Beatitude to the Assembly of the Pan-African Parliament.

He was elected as Bishop of Mozambique on 7th October 2011 and on 24th November 2015, by proposal of His Beatitude, he was elected by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria as Metropolitan of Zambia.

See: Lusaka, Zambia

P.O.Box 51333, Lusaka ZAMBIA

Tel.:+260 960314031

Fax:+260211-291473

E-mail: naosgr@gmail.com and orthodoxzambia@gmail.com