His Eminence George, Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, (born George Vladimirou), was born in Limassol, Cyprus, on 27th March 1966. On a scholarship given by the Ministry of the Presidency of the Greek Government he graduated as a “Leader” from the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School in Spetses. He studied Law at the Aristotelian University of Thessalonica, Business Management at the Thames Valley University of London, where he was awarded a number of prizes and distinctions and then studied Theology at the University of Athens. During his four-year stay in London he worked as a teacher at the Greek School of the Virgin Mary in Camberwell Green. In the period of 1993-1997 he worked in the private sector in Athens and did voluntary work in the Missionary centres in Madagascar and India. On 30 June 1998 he was ordained a deacon and on 5 July 1998 Priest by His Eminence Nikitas Metropolitan of Hong Kong. That same year he took over the duties of Dean of the Cathedral of St Luke in Hong Kong and a short time later was appointed Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese. He also undertook the publication of the local Orthodox magazine “The Censer”, worked as a teacher at the St Makrina Greek School of the Church and gave lessons in Orthodox faith at the Anglican Church Seminary as well as that of the Lutherans. In 1999 he was enrolled in the ranks of the venerable clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, where he was first the secretary of the Patriarch and Dean of the Holy Church of the Annunciation in Alexandria. As a member of the entourage of the Patriarch of Alexandria, he participated in many official peaceful visits and missionary journeys; he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches as well as of the Combined Committees of Theological Dialogue with the Universal Union of Reformed Churches and with the Lutherans and represented the Patriarch at various conferences, enthronements and ceremonies. He was unanimously elected Bishop of Nilopolis by the Holy and Sacred Synod on 22nd February 2001 and was ordained by His Beatitude Patriarch Petros VII on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, 4th March 2001, in the Holy Church of the Annunciation in Alexandria and was simultaneously appointed by His Beatitude as Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria. By proposal of His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, he was unanimously elected by the Holy and Sacred Synod as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe on 27th October 2004.