St. Ilija Macedonian Orthodox Church

Personal Profile and Education 

 

Bishop Metodij Zlatanov was born on August 24, 1963, in Berovo, Macedonia. He finished primary and secondary education in Skopje. He continued his education in Philology, and after two years he transitioned to Orthodox Theology at the University of "St. Clement of Ohrid" in Skopje. 

 

His monastic life began in 1995, first in the Monastery of the Mother of God, Eleusa, in Veljusa, and later in St. Leontius Monastery in Vodocha. In 1996 he ordained a Hieromonk and a few months later an Abbot of St. Elijah Monastery in Strumica. In 1998 he completed his studies in Orthodox Theology at the University of "St. Clement of Ohrid." Bishop Metodij pursued his master’s degree at the Department of Macedonian Literature while holding a full-time professor position and a Vice-Rector at the Macedonian Orthodox Seminary at "St. Clement of Ohrid" in Skopje.

 

In 2004 he was appointed an Archimandrite, and in 2005 ordained as Bishop of Velika. In 2006 he defended his Master's Thesis titled "Koco Racin and the Bogomils" and completed his Master of Philology. 

 

Upon graduating, he was appointed Administrator of the American/Canadian Macedonian Orthodox Diocese. On September 2, 2006, he was inaugurated as Bishop in the Diocesan Cathedral "St. Clement of Ohrid" in Toronto. 

 

Bishop Metodij is a member of the Writers' Association of Macedonia and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. He has authored a long list of books, articles, and essays. 

 

He was a Chief Editor of the "Orthodox Way" magazine and is a member of the editorial "Portal" and a contributor to the magazine "Premin". He was a member of “Aporea” the intermedia group, which was later renamed "Anastasia." Since 1993 he has. been a Chief Editor of the "Domostroj" magazine. 

 

Bishop Metodij is an author of a Religious Education Program for third grade, which was accepted as an official program in religious studies by the Holy Synod for 2003 and the Ministry of Education and the Bureau for Development of Education. 

 

Bishop Metodij resides in Detroit, Michigan. He travels extensively, supporting the American/Canadian Diocese and  Macedonian Orthodox Churches and Monasteries.