Abune Theophilos was born as Meliktu Jenbere in the Parish of Debre Elias, district of Debre Marqos, in Gojjam. His parents were Ato Jenbere Wube and Woizero Zeritu Adelahu. After serving and studying at the Monastery of Debre Elias and at the Addis Alem St. Mary of Zion Monastery, Meliktu Jenbere received monastic orders at the Monastery of Debre Libanos in 1937 and received ordination as a priest from Abuna Abraham, Archbishop of Gojjam.
Educated and learnt his canticles and Bible interpretation locally. In 1920 he went to Addis Ababa and continued his religious studies under the expert guidance of Abune Yohannes before entering the Monastery of Tekle Haimanot in Debre Libanos in 1930.
When Ethiopia was liberated from the Italians in 1941, he was one of the 20 church scholars chosen by Emperor Haile Selassie to have a new-style modem religious education at the Imperial Palace under Professor Betre Tsadik Kassa. He was then appointed leader of the new theological college of the Holy Trinity.
He became administrator of Trinity Cathedral in 1942. The Ethiopian Church was still under the See of Alexandria and he was one of the first five Ethiopian bishops consecrated by the Patriarch of Alexandria on July 25, 1948, becoming Bishop of Hararghie.
On February 18, 1950, he was appointed deputy Patriarch of the Ethiopian church and Archbishop. In 1958 he established an Evangelical Mission and a Youth Branch to bring the people closer to the Church. He has greatly improved church training and education and established the Ethiopian Church in the United States, Trinidad and Guyana.
He became Patriarch of the Church on April 7, 1961. He has travelled widely representing the Church internationally and presiding over the meeting of the World Council of Churches in Addis Ababa in January 1971.
A progressive churchman and keen member of the World Council of Churches, he has twice been President of the All African Conference of Churches.
