With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios of Xanthos (James George Couchell). Metropolitan Dimitrios fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Metropolitan Dimitrios previously served as a member of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s Board of Trustees and was a frequent visitor on campus. He was a gracious supporter of the Seminary’s mission and donor until the end of his life.
Metropolitan Dimitrios welcoming a delegation from St. Vladimir’s Seminary to the headquarters of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in St. Augustine, FL, in 2013. (Also pictured: then-Dean Fr. John Behr and former SVOTS staff member Tim Nieuwsma)
Additionally, in his decades of ministry to the Church, His Eminence played a major role in the founding and nurturing of several Orthodox ministries still active today including, but not limited to, being a founder of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), founding editor of the Orthodox Observer, founding Executive Director of the St. Photios National Shrine, and founding Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
Born February 17, 1938, in Greenville, SC, Metropolitan Dimitrios was the son of the late James John Couchell and Virginia Trakas Couchell. His Eminence graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1958, then attended Northwestern University for one year before transferring and graduating from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1963. After continuing studies at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT, he became a part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) staff under Archbishop Iakovos.
Following his retirement in 2007, His Eminence became a resident of St. Augustine, FL, and remained an active member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Dimitrios is survived by his son Nikita David Mesfin, whom he adopted in 1985 while visiting an orphanage in Ethiopia, David’s wife Maki, and their children Ezra and Emra. The Metropolitan is also survived by his brother Archon John Couchell and his wife Kiki, and his sister Fanya Couchell Paouris.
May the memory of Metropolitan Dimitrios be eternal!
Top Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
