View source for Methodius (Gerasimov) of Harbin

His Eminence, '''Methodius (Gerasimov) of Harbin''' was a hierarch of the [[Church of Russia]] who was among those who migrated to Manchuria as a result of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. In Manchuria, he became Bishop of [[Diocese of Harbin|Harbin]].

==Life==
Mavriky Lvovich Gerasimov was born on [[February 22]], 1856 in Tomsk Province, in western Siberia, into a family of a priest. He attended and graduated from the Tomsk [[Seminary]] before enrolling, in 1878. in the [[Kazan Theological Academy]] in Kazan, Russia. He graduated from the academy in 1882. On [[December 23]], 1882, he joined the Altai Mission as a church singer. Altai is a mountainous area of Siberia in central Asia.

Having chosen a [[monasticism|monastic]] life, Mavriky was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] on [[September 26]], 1885 with the name of Methodius. During the same year, he was ordained a [[deacon]], followed on [[December 22]] with [[ordination]] as a [[hieromonk]]. At the time of his ordination as a hieromonk, he was assigned the duty of coordinator at the Altai Missionary Catechetic School. On [[January 30]], 1892, he was awarded his doctor of philosophy degree in Theology.

On [[May 16]], 1894, Fr. Methodius was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]]. On [[June 2]] of the same year, he was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] [[Bishop]] of Biysk, a [[vicar]] of the Tomsk [[Diocese]]. He was consecrated in the city of Tomsk by Bp. Macarius of Tomsk, with assistance by the bishop of Tambov and other bishops. On [[July 16]]. 1894, he was appointed Head of the Altai Mission. 

During the following years Bp. Methodius was assigned as ruling bishops at a series of [[see]]s. These were, on [[December 24]], 1898, as Bishop of Trans-Baikal and Nerchinsk, then, on [[December 20]], 1912, as Bishop of Tomsk and Altai, both in Siberia. On [[July 30]], 1914, Bp. Methodius was assigned as Bishop of Orenburg and Tirgaysk in the area of the southern Ural mountains of Russia. During the Paschal season of 1918, Bp. Methodius was raised to the rank of archbishop.

As the Russian White army forces retreated during the civil war, Abp. Methodius migrated to eastern Asia during 1919, finally reaching Harbin, Manchuria. In 1920, he was named [[Archbishop]] of Harbin. In the 1920s, as order came to the Orthodox community in Manchuria following the defeat of the Russian White army, most of the senior Russian clergy united under the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]] under Metr. [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony]], Abp. Methodius included. 

In 1929, Abp. Methodius was elevated to [[metropolitan]] by the ROCOR [[Synod]] of Bishops. In 1931, Metr. Methodius reposed and was succeeded in a new Harbin diocese by Abp. [[Meletius (Zaborosky) of Harbin and Manchuria|Meletius (Zaborovsky)]].

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Biysk <br> vicar to the Tomsk Diocese|
years=1894-1898|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of <br>Trans-Baikal and Nerchinsk|
years=1898-1912|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Tomsk and Altai|
years=1912-1914|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Orenburg and Tirgaysk|
years=1914-1920|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Metropolitan of Harbin<br>(ROCOR)|
years=1920-1930|
after=[[Meletius (Zaborosky) of Harbin and Manchuria|Meletius (Zaborosky)]]}}
{{end box}} 

==Source==
*[http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/harbin/methodiusgerasimov_en.htm  Mefody (Gerasimov)]

==External link==
*[http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/harbin/index_en.html  Diocese of Harbin]

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category:19th-20th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Harbin]]
[[Category:Kazan Theological Academy Graduate]]