For some years, a small community of Eastern Orthodox Christians maintained
Eastern Orthodoxy in Hong Kong. Although services with a priest were infrequent, they continued to practice Eastern Orthodox Christianity. A small delegation, representing the St. Luke Orthodox Community, approached Patriarch
Bartholomew I of Constantinople requesting a full-time clergyman to serve the needs of the faithful and minister to the local people. With the efforts of Bishop Athenagoras (later Metropolitan of Mexico, Central America and Caribbean, with seat in Panama), a systematic plan was developed. Based on the Bishop's research and advice, the Holy and Sacred Synod of Constantinople founded the new Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia in November 1996, with jurisdiction over: Hong Kong, Macao, China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and also
Singapore,
Indonesia,
Malaysia,
Brunei,
East Timor,
Maldives,
Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh,
India,
Nepal,
Pakistan and
Afghanistan. On December 2, 1996, Archmandrite
Nikitas (Lulias) was elected as the first Orthodox Metropolitan of Hong Kong and assigned the ecclesiastical responsibilities of
Southeast Asia. On January 12, 1997, the Enthronement of Nikitas Lulias as the first Metropolitan of the OMHKSEA took place at the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Luke, Stanley Fort, Hong Kong, with Metropolitan Athenagoras of Panama representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In August 2007, Metropolitan Nikitas was transferred to become Metropolitan of Dardanellia, and OMHKSEA remained vacant for a few months. On January 9, 2008, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to split the large area of OMHKSEA, creating a new
Metropolitanate of Singapore and South Asia with jurisdiction over Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Metropolitanate of Hong Kong retained jurisdiction over: Hong Kong, Macao, China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. On the same day, Archimandrite
Nektarios (Tsilis) was elected as the New Metropolitan of OMHKSEA. His ordination took place on January 20, 2008, at the patriarchal St George Holy Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Phanar, Constantinople (Istanbul),
Turkey, and his enthronement took place on March 1, 2008, at the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Luke, Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. The Davao parish, a recent addition to the OMHKSEA, first opened in 2018. ==See also==