Fr. Panayiotis was born in Cyprus. He received his secondary education at the English School, Nicosia. After his military service he left for the U.S. where he studied Chemical Engineering in New York City at the City College of the City University of New York. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Engineering cum laude. He then continued his studies on a Graduate Research Scholarship at the University of Notre Dame where he completed his Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering.

Fr. Panayiotis joined Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston in August 1984 in order to pursue theological studies, from where he graduated three years later with the degree Master of Divinity with High Distinction. Following that, he enrolled in the Early Christian Studies Program of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the Ph.D. degree in February of 1995 with a specialization in the history and theology of the Early Christian Church. The title of his dissertation was "A Theological Analysis of Selected Themes in the Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans."

Fr. Panayiotis was ordained a deacon in Astoria, New York, on April 24, 1988 and a presbyter (priest) a month later (May 22, 1988) in Orange, New Jersey. He served as a priest on a part-time basis in different Orthodox parishes in the Metropolitan Washington area while completing his doctoral dissertation. From April 1989 to December 1993 he served a mission parish (which he helped establish) in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Fr. Panayiotis moved to Cyprus in December 1993 where he served the parish of Ayia Napa until July 2001 when he returned to the U.S. and took up the Parish of St. George in New Port Richey, Florida (as of August 1, 2001). In August of 2006 he and his family moved to Marietta where he is currently serving as the presiding presbyter of Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church of Marietta.

Fr. Panayiotis is a member of the International Association for Patristic Studies, the Orthodox Theological Society of America and the North American Patristic Society. He continues his research in the Early Christian period and has published several articles in international theological journals. He has presented research papers at the International Conferences on Patristic Studies at Oxford University (1991, 1995 and 1999) and other Patristic Conferences. He served on the teaching faculty of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem (September 1998 to July 2001), where he lectured twice a year on the theology and spirituality of Eastern Christianity.

Fr. Panayiotis has given a series of Lectures at the Nazarene University College of Calgary, Canada and the Pecos School of Spiritual Direction on Orthodox theology and Spirituality and has led numerous spiritual retreats locally and in various States of the U.S.

Fr. Panayiotis serves as President of the Clergy Syndesmos of the Metropolis of Atlanta since July 2008 and has been on the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council since July 2010.