 In 1917 Kofidis replaced for a short period the Orthodox bishop of Trebizond, Chrysanthus, in his non-religious duties.In 1920, he refused to lead an armed guerrilla struggle in Pontus, in fear that this would cause the destruction of Trebizond by the Turkish national movement.In mid-1921 a large part of the local Orthodox Christian male population was deported and sent to labour battalions in Erzerum.