BIOGRAPHY

Bishop Maximus Hanna Banoub is the Primate and Archbishop of the Holy Synod of St. Athanasius Congregation in Pennsylvania, USA. His Eminence was born in the city of Zefta, Algharbia Governorate, Egypt, on November 3, 1949, to a pious Christian Orthodox family. He was raised within the Eastern Orthodox tradition. He studied theology at the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he received his Bachelor Degree of Theology in 1972. He started his ministry in the Coptic church as a deacon and minister in Algharbia Diocese under the leadership of Bishop Yuoanis. Then he joined the group of consecrated ministers called “ Bayt Altakris” founded by Father Matta El-Meskeen, who is celebrated as a reformer & prominent figure in recent Coptic history. His Eminence served the Gospel with the consecrated group of ministers until he established a religious non profit organization called “St. Athanasus Organization” in Cairo. His ministry expanded and extended its services in Delta and Upper Egypt and now has branches in all governorates of Egypt. The number of his recorded audio and video sermons that he exhorted reached to nearly five thousand sermons on spiritual, pastoral, & theological topics. He wrote Christian books which were distributed by Al-Ahram publishing and distributing agency. The names of the books are “ The Life of Christ”, “ The Image of God”, “Why Jesus Was Born”, & “Christ the Savior of the World”. He later obtained his Masters of Theology Degree M.TH, from St. Elias School of Orthodox Theology in Seward, Nebraska, (USA). In 2004 he received his Doctorate of Divinity Degree D.D from the same school of theology in the USA. His Eminence was consecrated bishop in Apostolic Succession according to the Cannons of the Holy Orthodox Churches, by the Archbishops and the Metropolitans of the American Diaspora in America of True Orthodox Christians on July 2005, in the holy Cathedra of St. Katherine in Seward, Nebraska, USA. His Eminence was raised to the rank of Metropolitan Archbishop by the act of the Holy Synod in August 2006. On 2008, he received letter of declaration as Founding Member Church of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches (WCCAC) in Brazil. His Eminence exchanged right hand fellowship with Patriarch Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, the Honorary President and Patriarch of ICAB. In 2019 he became a Member of the Episcopate of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Russia and of the Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops to restore the unity of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as founded by our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Bishop Maximus is the Dean and President of St. Athanasius Institute for Patristic Theology (SAI) accredited by The Universal Accrediting Commission for Schools, Colleges and Universities, ( UAC), in 2006. SAI delivers undergraduate and post graduate degrees. It welcomes high school graduates, youth leaders, and ministry workers to study theology and be spiritually formed. At SAI they labor to produce ministers and theologians graduates who will give off themselves for their communities and churches in doctrinal integrity and discerning pastoral care.

In 2008, his Eminence founded Good Shepherd TV Christian Network (GSTV) in Orange County, California, USA. It was first broadcasted on Galaxy 19 at 97.0°W. Galaxy 19 is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat, majorly for television and radio broadcasting, serving the North American market (Canada, United States, Mexico and Caribbean). GSTV expanded to be broadcasted on HotBird satellite. With three high-power satellites, the HOTBIRD family forms one of the largest broadcasting systems in Europe delivering 1000 television channels to more than 135 million TV homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Then it continued its expansion to be broadcasted on Nile Sat to reach all Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East and Asia. His Eminence is also the founder of GSTV ministries with the mission to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with God and to strengthen the faith of believers. GSTV ministries has a youtube channel, a radio channel, a magazine, and uses all digital media tools on the internet to reach all people of different ages and different generations. Bishop’s sermons are also available on GSTV website and Facebook page, along with other video and audio programming. His writings and broadcasts addresses issues such as the Early Fathers of the Church’s theology and teachings, spiritual warfare, family relationships, parenting, youth’s relationships and social matters, and Orthodox theology.

His Eminence is also the Founder and President of Almasryeen Organization a not-for-profit, voluntary entity formed by a group of intellectual expertise, civil society leaders, social innovators, and well known people in the social sphere, who can bring about lasting changes in the local society . It is one of the leading Civil Society Organizations in Cairo, Egypt. It plays an important role in discussing solutions and to provide key services such as raising awareness on key issues.