The movement gained significant support and during the 1910s and 1920s, the Metropolitan of Trabzon Chrysanthos Filippides, who would later become the Archbishop of Athens, became a major leader in pushing for an independent Republic of Pontus.
During the 1910s and 1920s, Metropolitan Chrysanthos Filippides of Trabzon, who would later become Archbishop of Athens, became a significant figure in advocating for an independent Republic of Pontus.