Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
The Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain is an archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The incumbent archeparch is Nikitas Loulias. Its jurisdiction covers those Orthodox Christians living in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The adherents are largely of Cypriot Greek descent, mainland Greek migrants and their descendants, and more recently native British converts along with a few Poles, Belarusians, and Ukrainians. The episcopal seat is the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom (also known as Saint Sophia's) which is situated in the city of London. Archdiocesan administration The archdiocese is one of many metropolises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It was established as part of an expansion of Orthodox metropolises in Western Europe including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. The archbishop is considered the 'Primus inter pares' of the various Orthodox ecclesial bodies in the United Kingdom. The archbishop, therefore sits at the head of the Pan-Orthodox Episcopal Assembly of the British Isles and Ireland. The headquarters of the Archdiocese is at Thyateira House, in the Bayswater district of London. History The first recorded organised Greek Orthodox community in England was established in 1670