The diocese of Zvornik-tuzla

"Judge me, O God,
and plead my cause against an
ungodly nation: O deliver me from
the deceitful and unjust man."
(Psalm 43:1)

The Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla comprises the area of north-eastern Bosnia, which was ruled by Serbian King Dragutin at the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century. According to tradition and preserved data, he contributed considerably to the affirmation of the Orthodox faith in that part of Bosnia. "Bosnian" bishop Vasilije, who was a member of the King’s Deputation to Venice in 1293 on the occasion of the marriage of the King’s son Vladislav, was certainly Bishop of the part of Bosnia under the rule of King Dragutin. In the middle of the 15th century, the era of the Brankovic rulers, the See of the Orthodox bishop for this Serbian territory was in Srebrenica. Under Turkish rule, as Zvornik gained in importance as the center of Sandzak, the Diocesan center was located in Zvornik, the territory stretching along both sides of the Drina River. At the beginning of the 18th century, the area on the right bank of the Drina was administered by Bishops of the Dioceses of Valjevo and of Uzice.

During Turkish rule, the bishop of Zvornik was mentioned first in 1488. Later on, when the incumbent Bishop of Smederevo was Pavle who endeavoured to establish a more regular state of affairs in the Serbian Church (Patriarchate of Pec), Bishop Teofan of Zvornik is mentioned as his appointee. Bishop Teofan most probably remained in the Diocese of Zvornik for some time before he is mentioned as Serbian Archbishop. There is a reference to him immediately following Bishop Pavle in the Diptych of Monastery Sopocani, together with the Primates of the Serbian Church. At that time, mention is also made of Domentijan, Bishop of Zvornik, appointed by Archbishop Prohor of Ohrid, though he probably never arrived in Zvornik.

Upon the restoration of the Patriarchate of Pec, the following Bishops of Zvornik are mentioned: Pavle (1561–1576); Georgije; Teodosije (1602); Gavrilo (1627); Konstantin (1629); Luka; Venijamin; Isaija; Ananija (1679); and Gerasim (who migrated with Patriarch Arsenije III to Hungary in 1690). From that time, to the dissolution of the Patriarchate of Pec, there is no mention of an individual bishop of Zvornik; therefore, this Diocese was either annexed to one of the neighboring Dioceses, or administered by neighboring bishops (of Dabar–Bosnia, Valjevo, Uzice–Arilje or Moravica).

After the dissolution of the Patriarchate of Pec (1766), the bishops of Zvornik had the title of metropolitan: Grigorije (1767–1773), Gerasim (1776–1804), Joanikije (1804–1807 – murdered for his cooperation with Serbian rebels); Evgenije, Gavrilo "the Lame" (1808–1837 – born in Slivno); Kiril (1837–18