Full Biography
Very Rev. Archpriest Ayman Kfouf
Dean and Pastor · Saint George Cathedral · Coral Gables, Florida
Education · Ordination · Ministry · Publications · Teaching · Formation
Very Rev. Archpriest Ayman Kfouf · Dean and Pastor
Life and Ministry
Father Ayman Kfouf was raised in Amman, Jordan, within reach of Bethany beyond the Jordan, where the Lord was baptized, and of the landscape of the Gospel. His theological formation began in the tradition of the Church of Antioch—the Church of Saints Ignatius the God-bearer, John Chrysostom, and John of Damascus—with its attention to the historical sense of Scripture and to the full humanity of the incarnate Word.
His early years were shaped by the Orthodox Youth Movement (MJO), founded in Lebanon in 1942, with the future Metropolitan George (Khodr) among its founders, and later established in Amman. He passed from student to leader within the Movement and represented the parishes of Amman as a delegate of the Movement and of SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, at conferences in the Middle East and Europe.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology after five years at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand in Lebanon. His studies included theology, the Church Fathers, and Byzantine chant, alongside the prayer and communal life of the institute.
After completing his studies, Father Ayman returned to Jordan and took up the work of catechesis in Amman, teaching and establishing programs of Christian education in the parishes and in the city’s Orthodox schools. During these years, he also represented the Church at gatherings of Orthodox and other religious leaders in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Switzerland, and Poland.
He continued his studies at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, earning a Master of Theology (Th.M.) with a master’s thesis on Christian–Islamic relations, directed by the Very Rev. John Erickson and published in St. Vladimir’s Chronicles.
Father Ayman was ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood in 2007 and elevated to the dignity of Archpriest in 2013. After serving as pastor of St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church in Sylvania, Ohio, he was appointed in 2023 as Dean and pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Coral Gables, Florida, where he serves today.
At St. George, his ministry is given to preaching and teaching—including the formation of adults, youth, inquirers, and catechumens, and instruction in Byzantine chant—and to the spiritual and institutional life of the parish entrusted to his care. Beyond the parish, he serves as Spiritual Advisor to Teen SOYO for the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast.
Father Ayman and Khouria Elaina have three daughters.
Education and Continuing Study
Computer science
Arab Community College · Amman, Jordan · 1991
Associate of Science in Computer Science.
Theological studies
University of Balamand · Lebanon · 1998
Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, following five years of study.
Byzantine music
Byzantine Music School I.M.TH. · Thessaloniki, Greece · 1998
Certificate studies in Byzantine musical notation, sight-reading, parallage, and solmization.
Graduate theology
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary · Crestwood, New York · 2001
Master of Theology (Th.M.), with a master’s thesis on Christian–Islamic relations under the supervision of the Very Rev. John Erickson.
Biblical Greek and Byzantine psalmody
Father Ayman made several trips to Greece to study Biblical Greek and Byzantine psalmody.
Continuing education and AI
Father Ayman is committed to lifelong learning and continues to specialize in current approaches to AI engineering, particularly prompt engineering and agentic AI. His continuing education includes certificates from Harvard, Microsoft, and Google.
The Patristic Library: A Major Research Initiative
Uniting his continuing education in artificial intelligence with his theological training, Father Ayman has built an AI research platform for the writings of more than three hundred Church Fathers and Byzantine writers across fifteen centuries. Hundreds of thousands of pages, digitized and verified against the original texts, are connected by theological term in a searchable knowledge graph, so the Fathers can be heard in their own words.
Ordination and Ecclesiastical Honors
Subdiaconate · 1999
Tonsured subdeacon on December 4, 1999, by Bishop ANTOUN.
Diaconate · 2007
Ordained deacon on June 10, 2007, by Metropolitan SABA (Esper), then Metropolitan of Bosra and Hauran.
Priesthood · 2007
Ordained priest on June 24, 2007, by Metropolitan GEORGE (Abou Zakhem) of Homs.
Archpriest · 2013
Elevated to the dignity of Archpriest on October 13, 2013, by Metropolitan PHILIP.
Pastoral and Archdiocesan Service
Dean and Pastor
Saint George Cathedral · Coral Gables, Florida
2023–present
Pastoral care, preaching, teaching, catechesis, Byzantine chant instruction, and leadership in the spiritual and institutional life of the cathedral.
Diocesan Spiritual Advisor
Teen SOYO · Diocese of Miami and the Southeast
Current ministry
Supporting the spiritual formation and life of young people across the diocese.
Archdiocesan service
Committee of Liturgics
Father Ayman served on the Archdiocese’s Committee of Liturgics, commissioned by Metropolitan PHILIP of blessed memory.
Spiritual Court
He served as Secretary of the Archdiocese’s Spiritual Court in 2013.
Earlier appointments
2014–2023
Pastor
St. Elias Church, Sylvania, Ohio. Began in November 2014; served until his appointment to Saint George Cathedral in 2023.
2012
Interim Pastor
St. Mary Church, Berkley, Michigan · August–December 2012.
2011–2012
Interim Pastor
St. Elias Church, Sylvania, Ohio · October 2011–June 2012.
2009–2013
Counseling Service Coordinator
St. George Senior Community, Clinton Township, Michigan · January 2009–December 2013.
2007–2014
Pastoral Assistant
St. George Church, Troy, Michigan · July 2007–October 2014.
2001–2007
Youth Minister
St. George Church, Troy, Michigan · September 2001–July 2007.
Books and Theological Writings
In addition to his published book, Father Ayman has written numerous articles and theological papers on Orthodox theology, Christian education, liturgical life, iconography, and the history of Christian–Islamic relations.
Published Book
Journey to Pascha
Journey to Pascha: An Explanation of the Holy Week Services
Ethos Press · 2016
An explanation of the services of Holy Week for readers seeking a fuller understanding of the Church’s journey toward Pascha.
Selected Articles and Papers
The titles below are a selection from Father Ayman’s wider body of writing and do not constitute a complete bibliography.
- The Human Person: Reclaiming the Image of God in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
- Truly Human: Restoring the Image of God and Growing into His Likeness in the Patristic Tradition
- Great Expectations: Pastoral Demands and the Call to Lead Souls to Salvation
- Finding Peace Again: The Healing Power of Confession in Everyday Life
- Divine Personhood: Understanding Hypostasis in Orthodox Theology
- The Sources of Divine Revelation: Encountering God through Scripture and Holy Tradition
- Why Does the Creed Still Matter? Confessing the Apostolic Faith in Everyday Life
- The Mystery of the Trinity: One God in Three Divine Persons
- The Gospel and Our Healing: Salvation as the Restoration of the Human Person
- The Icon of Nativity Explained: Theological Reading of the Icon of Nativity
- Fast of the Holy Apostles: Historical Origin & Theological Meaning
- Pentecost: A Theological Reading into the Icon of Pentecost
- The Holy Feast of Theophany: Historical & Theological Development
- The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos: Historical, Theological & Liturgical Study
- Life After Death: The Orthodox Perspective of Death and Afterlife
- Orthodox Spirituality: Creation, Fall, and Restoration
- Eastern Christians and the Rise of Islam
- Christian-Islamic Relations Under the Abbasid Dynasty
- Christian-Islamic Relations Under the Ottoman Dynasty
Teaching Beyond the Parish
Alongside parish instruction and pastoral teaching, Father Ayman has developed e-learning courses and educational videos on Byzantine music, Orthodox iconography, and spirituality. This work extends his teaching beyond the parish and complements his ministry of Christian education.
Teachers and Spiritual Formation
At Balamand, Father Ayman studied under teachers including Patriarch Ignatius IV, Patriarch John X, Metropolitan George Khodr, Father John Romanides, Dr. Constantine Scouteris, and Tarek Mitri. At St. Vladimir’s, his teachers included Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, the Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, and the Very Rev. Dr. John Behr.
Father Ayman visited Mount Athos in 1993, 1995, and 1998, taking part in its monastic worship and daily life. During one of these visits, he met Saint Paisios the Athonite and received his blessing.
Teachers and Places of Formation
The people pictured below taught Father Ayman, with two exceptions: Saint Paisios the Athonite and Father Isaac Atallah, whom he met. The gallery also includes places connected with his formation.
A Personal Welcome
Father Ayman welcomes visitors, parishioners, and those exploring the Orthodox faith. To introduce yourself or arrange a conversation, please contact the cathedral office.
