The Orthodox Church in Kenya & the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III

"Orthodox Christianity came to the Banyore people of western Kenya in 1942...I shall examine the relation between Orthodox Christianity and Banyore culture, and show how Orthodox Christianity, in dialogue with the Banyore people, became indigenised in Bunyore culture. Thus Orthodox Christians in Bunyore do not see Orthodoxy as something foreign, but as something that has become part of their own culture." 

Amos Masaba Akunda. Orthodox Christian dialogue with Banyore culture. Th.D.Thesis. University of South Africa, June 2010. 334 pages.

Photo from the article The taste of vinegar

Orthodoxwiki

The Holy Archdiocese of Kenya is a diocese in eastern Africa under the jurisdiction of the Greek [ = Byzantine] Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Prior to its formation in 2001, the archdiocese was part of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis.

Today, the Orthodox community of Kenya is the most numerous on the African continent, and consists of about a million parishioners out of an overall population of 35 million in the country. The Kenyan Archdiocese of the Alexandrian Patriarchate has about 200 churches, dozens of church parochial schools and a seminary in Riruta.[1]

Ruling Bishops 

George (Gathuna) (1973 — 1979) 

In June 1937 he was ordained as a priest by Bishop Daniel William Alexander.
In the 1930s a spontaneous movement of indigenous Africans towards the Orthodox Church began in Uganda under the leadership of a former Anglican, Reuben Spartas. In 1946 the fathers Spartas and Obadiah visiting Kenya. On their own autonomous motivation the "African Orthodox Church of Kenya" came into communion with the Patriarchate of Alexandria and the head of this Church Arthur Kaduna was ordained the first Kenyan Orthodox priest named George.
Also in the 1950s, fought, along with many orthodox priests in the movement for independence from colonial Kenya (At the same time, the protestant and catholic priests called the uprising a rebellion of pagans and savages). Kaduna spent 10 years in prison, along with leader of the Kikuyu tribe and country's future president Jomo Kenyatta. 

 "...In Kenya, after the Second World War, the struggle against colonial rule intensified, and in 1952 the colonial authorities declared a state of emergency as a result of the activities of the Mau Mau guerrillas. The Orthodox Church was banned and its schools and temples were closed by the colonial regime. Many churches were burnt down by the armed forces, and the clergy put in concentration camps (Githieya 1992:181). During that period the Orthodox Church in Kenya was treated by the British colonial regime in the same fashion as the Bolsheviks treated the Russian Orthodox Church." (from here)

The Orthodox communities in East Africa that had been founded under his leadership were organized into the Metropolis of Irinoupolis with headquarters in Nairobi in 1958. He was first Bishop of Kenya and the first Kenyan Missionary to the people of Bunyore.
In 1972 he was elected titular Bishop of Nitrea, Assistant Bishop of the Metropolis of Eirenoupolis. He was consecrated on 25th February 1973 at st. Paul, Kagira.
In 1974 Bishop George Gathuna, hence the split in the Orthodox Church into African and Greek Orthodox.
On 30th November 1979 Bishop George (Gathuna) was defrocked, caused by what he called a problem of leadership and authority. However, the Patriarchate accused him of a lack of vision.
Following his defrocking Bishop George (Gathuna) joined a schismatic group under a bishop in Greece that followed the old calendar (Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili - Holy Synod in Resistance). Several other Orthodox Christians in Kenya followed him.
17th November 1986 he was was reconsecrated as the Bishop of the African Orthodox Church of Kenya, Given the name Niphon Kigundu.
On July 16, 1987, the defrocked Bishop George Gathuna reposed, and his burial was attended by Metropolitan Cyprianos from the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Greece.
Eventually however, the schism was healed, and on November 1, 2006, Bishop George Gathuna of Nitria was reinstated posthumously by Patriarch Theodoros II and the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Sources

• http://o-nekros.blogspot.ru/2012/12/blog-post_7434.html
• Amos Masaba Akunda Orthodox Christian dialogue with Banyore culture
• GEORGE (Gathuna), Bishop of Nitria. Orthodox Research Institute. Retrieved: 2013-04-19.
• Memorial service of the late Bishop George Athur Gatung'u Gathuna 

Irenaeus (Talambekos) 1994 — 1996 

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Irenaeus (Talambekos) of Pilousion was the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Pilousion (Port Said), part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa between 1997 and 2004. He died in a helicopter accident in the Aegean Sea in 2004 along with Pope Petros VII (Papapetrou) of Alexandria.

Life 

His Eminence Irenaeus was born in 1934 in Pireas, Greece. He studied at and graduated from the University of Athens and continued his education at the Theological Academy of Moscow, where he received a doctorate degree. Metr. Irenaeus could speak Russian, French, English, and Arabic in addition to his native Greek.
In 1953, he was ordained deacon and in 1959 priest. Between 1963 and 1972, Fr. Irenaeus served as exarch of the Church of Alexandria in Odessa. Between 1968 and 1972, he had additional duties as archivist and chief secretary of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
In 1972, Fr. Irenaeus was elected Bishop of Nikopolis and appointed Patriarchal Warden in Alexandria. In 1976, Bp. Irenaeus was elected Metropolitan of Accra with jurisdiction over 22 countries in West Africa. He established his see in the cathedral in Yaounde that originally was built by a Greek community, but which had lost communicants as the children of the original community went to Europe for education and did not returned. Metr. Irenaeus found that local residents were interested in Orthodoxy and began attending the services at the cathedral. As the number of inquirers increased many became Orthodox, including visiting members of the Toubouri tribe from Cameroon. By the time Metr. Irenaeus left to become Metropolitan of Carthage in 1990, eight Toubouri speaking parishes had formed in Cameroon and Chad.
In 1994, Metr. Irenaeus was appointed Metropolitan of Kenya and Irinoupolis (Dar-es-Salaam). In September 1997, he was appointed Metropolitan of Pilousion. Metr. Irenaeus reposed as the result of a helicopter crash in the Aegean Sea on September 11, 2004. 

 Orthodox Turkana (from here)

   
Petros (Giakoumelos) (1996 — 1997) 

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Petros (Giakoumelos) is the Elder Archbishop of Aksum in northeastern Africa, part of the Church of Alexandria. His see is in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, with jurisdiction over Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.

Life 

George Giakoumelos, in 1932, was born in Zakynthos. His collegiate level education began with the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens in Greece. He was ordained deacon in 1955 and as a priest in 1956. Fr. Petros continued his education at the Sorbonne, Paris, studying Catechism-Pastoral Theology and Sociology. While attached to the Archdiocese of Elasson, Fr. Petros served as archdeacon, preacher, and Great Chancellor of the Throne. On November 30, 1972, he was elected Archbishop of Askum. During 1996 and 1997, Abp. Petros was appointed also Patriarchal Exarch in the Archdiocese of Kenya and Irenoupolis.
Abp. Petros speaks French, English, and Italian, in addition to his native language Greek. 

Seraphim (Kykkotis) (1997 — 2001) 

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Seraphim (Kykkotis) of Zimbabwe is the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Zimbabwe in eastern Africa, part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Prior to his assignment to Zimbabwe Metr. Seraphim was Metropolitan of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Life

George Philip Iakovou was born on February 2, 1961 in Galataria, Paphos. George knew that he wanted to serve God at an early age. At the age of twelve years he was accepted as a novice, with the name Seraphim, at the Monastery of Kykkos on the island of Cyprus. The young Seraphim was a very good student, first attending the Pan-Cypriot High School and then the Lyceum of Kykkos from which he graduated in 1982, with honors.
On September 8, 1983, Seraphim was ordained a hierodeacon by His Eminence Chrysostomos, Archbishop of Cyprus. He continued his education with studies at the Theological Faculty of the National Kapodistrias University of Athens from which he graduated in 1987. During the period he attended the theological faculty, Fr. Deacon Seraphim served with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim of Athens as a deacon in the archdiocese. Upon return to Kykkos in Cyprus, Fr. Deacon Seraphim served as treasurer of the monastery.
From 1988 to 1993, he continued his education in Great Britain, studying English and patristics at the Universities of Oxford and Durham under the Professor of Orthodox Theology, His Grace Kallistos Ware. He continued his studies in patristics at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts, graduating with a Master’s degree in Patristics. While pursuing his education Fr. Deacon Seraphim was ordained a priest on August 15, 1991, and was raised to the dignity of archimandrite. In 1993, Arch. Seraphim became a member of the department of post-graduate studies at Athens University, specializing in Theology. During this period Arch. Seraphim served as a priest in the Archdioceses of Thyateira and Great Britain and Athens.
On September 28, 1997, consecrated Archbishop of Kenya by His Beatitude Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and enthroned on November 16, 1997. Additionally, between 1997 and 2001, Abp. Seraphim served as Director of Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi. On March 18, 2001, Abp. Seraphim was enthroned Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria, as the successor to the deceased Abp. Ioannis.
In October 2010, a rearrangement of diocesan responsibilities was made within the patriarchate of Alexandria to accommodated additional duties for Abp. Seraphim (Kykkotis) of Johannesburg and Pretoria as a patriarchal representative. As part of the rearrangement, Abp. Seraphim was transferred to the smaller Archdiocese of Zimbabwe. Abp. George (Vladimirou) of Zimbabwe was transferred to lead the Archdiocese of Accra, replacing Abp. Damaskinos (Papandreou) who succeeded Abp. Seraphim as Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
His Eminence observes his Names day on January 2 in memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov. 

Sources 

His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim
Archbishop Seraphim of Johannesburg and Pretoria
New Orthodox Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria 8 October 2010
Amen.gr In Greek
 
Makarios (Tillyrides) (2001 — Present)
 

 Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya (photo from the article The taste of vinegar)

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Makarios (Tillyrides) is the Metropolitan of Kenya, in eastern Africa, part of the Church of Alexandria. His see is in Nairobi, with jurisdiction over Kenya.

Life

In 1945, the future archbishop was born Andreas Tillyrides in Limassol, Cyprus. He studied extensively before entering the clergy. In 1968, he began his studies at the Orthodox Theological Institute of St. Sergius in Paris, France, graduating in 1972. While pursuing his education in Paris, he also studied at the College of France and the Ecole Practique des Hautes Etudes at the Sorbonne in Paris. In September 1972, he continued post graduate studies in Church History under Kallistos Ware, Bishop of Dioklea, at Oxford University in Great Britain, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1976. He continued his post-doctoral education as a research student at the Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium between the years of 1978 and 1981, studying religion and church history. During this period Andreas was asked in January 1977 by Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus to organize and open an Orthodox seminary in Nairobi, Kenya, thus introducing him to development of Orthodoxy in sub-Saharan Africa.
For more than ten years, Andreas participated, as a lay-theologian, in inter-ecclesiastical and inter-Orthodox conferences as well as with various religious organizations in the middle east.
On July 19, 1992, Andreas Tillyrides was tonsured a monk, with the name Makarios and ordained a deacon in the Church of St Nicholas in Riruta, Nairobia by the Patriarchal Exarch of East Africa, Metropolitan of Axum Petros. His ordination as a deacon was followed on the next day, July 20, by his ordination as a priest. On July 25, 1992, Fr. Makarios was consecrated Bishop of Riruto by Metr. Petros and Bishop Theodoros of Uganda.
On September 13, 1998, Bp. Makarios was elected Metropolitan Archbishop of Zimbabwe, and then assigned in February 2001 to the see in Nairobi of the Archdiocese of Kenya as Archbishop of Kenya.
Abp. Makarios is a proficient linguist, speaking, in addition to his native Greek, English, French, Russian, Italian, as well as a number of African dialects. He has written extensively, primarily on past and current ecclesiastical history of the ancient patriarchates, Cyprus, and Russia. He has served as dean and taught at the Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary of Archbishop Makarios III in Nairobi. While dean of the seminary he initiated a program whereby the students translated the Orthodox services into more than fifteen African dialects.
Abp. Makarios has spoken that his missionary efforts are not proselytizing but done through invitations to the people to come to see what the Orthodox services are like and then make their decisions. He combines both the Greek language and the local dialect in his services.

Sources

Makarios of Kenya

Fr. Phillip Gatari, an Orthodox priest from Kenya (see here)

See also
 
Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III
Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos
 
Notes

References

↑ Orthodox churches in Kenya are dedicated to Russian saints. Interfax-Religion. 21 April 2010, 12:32. 

Sources

Patriarchate of Alexandria Archdiocese website
 
External Links 
   
Makarios (Tillyrides) of Kenya. The Origin of Orthodoxy in East Africa. Orthodox Research Institute.
Amos Masaba Akunda. Orthodox Christian dialogue with Banyore culture. Th.D.Thesis. University of South Africa, June 2010. 334 pages. "Orthodox Christianity came to the Banyore people of western Kenya in 1942...I shall examine the relation between Orthodox Christianity and Banyore culture, and show how Orthodox Christianity, in dialogue with the Banyore people, became indigenised in Bunyore culture. Thus Orthodox Christians in Bunyore do not see Orthodoxy as something foreign, but as something that has become part of their own culture."
Peter Lemieux. Kenya’s Orthodox Miracle. CNEWA. Vol 34:5 (September), 2008. From The Heart Of Africa: An interview with Fr. Phillip Gatari, an Orthodox priest from Kenya. December 8, 2012.
Journey to Orthodoxy. Orthodox Church in Kenya Destroyed. Orthodox Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. January 17, 2008. 

In the Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School with Patriarch of Alexandria & Metropolitan Makarios (photo from here)

THE ORTHODOX PATRIARCHAL SCHOOL IN NAIROBI AND ORTHODOXY TODAY

by Metropolitan Makarios (Tillyrides) of Kenya

Orthodox Research Institute

Among the many developments since Independence, none can be more significant than the construction of the Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya.

From the day of its opening for actual function of the Seminary, Orthodox in East Africa has grown by leaps and bounds and within the framework of true Orthodoxy under the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.

The Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary was the brainchild of Archbishop Makarios III, Hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and President of the Republic of Cyprus.

In April 1957, His Beatitude made a visit to Nairobi and celebrated the divine Service on the Cathedral of Sts. Anargyroi. Later, as Head of the State of Cyprus, he made a State Visit to Kenya as the guest of the late Jomo Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and his personal friend. It was during this visit in 1970 he saw the heart of the African Orthodox Church.

As Hierarch, His Beatitude made a pastoral visit to Kenya in March 1971 and performed mass baptisms in Nairobi and Nyeri. His Beatitude saw then the need for a Seminary to meet the clerical needs of East Africa and he was impressed by the favourable attitude of the government of Kenya and the late President Kenyatta.

On March 22nd, 1971, Archbishop Makarios laid the foundation stone of the Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary at Riruta, with the blessings of His Beatitude Nicholas, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa.

In His Beatitude’s address on that auspicious day, he said: “ To help our African brothers in their search for the ways of God in Christian virtue and brotherhood and with the blessings of Almighty God we create here a centre from which new Apostles of Christ will spread the word of the Lord in this part of the world and administer the comforting joy of the Gospel in the hearts of our beloved African brothers.” He pointed out that it was a symbol and expressed link of friendship between the peoples of Kenya and Cyprus.

The ensuing political crisis which befell Cyprus in 1974 delayed the opening of the Seminary. The Seminary has been in operation since 1981, training catechists and priests of the Archbishopric of Kenya and Irinoupolis, Orthodox Church, which comprises the whole African continent.

Graduation Ceremony at Orthodox Ecclesiastical School «Makarios III Seminary, Kenya» (here)

[...] In 1998 the Seminary was renamed the Orthodox Patriarchal School. Today the School follows the curriculum of other Orthodox Theological Schools and functions with 42 students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Cameroon who are being trained to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Orthodox Faith. Graduates of the School have gone abroad to study in Greece and America. Some are currently members of the present teaching staff of the School.

To say Orthodoxy in East Africa is perfect or free of problems would be untrue. The Church, which is truly the African Orthodox Church, is struggling to find ways and means to support itself and to build upon the foundations of the original work of the Apostle Mark, Evangelist of Africa.

The Church has benefited from aid from Greece, Cyprus, Finland and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America in the form of finance and human resources.

There are many programmes ongoing concerning Youth and Women. Translations of the Divine Services of Orthodoxy are being made in many of the languages of Africa and printed by Apostoliki Diakonia. Churches, schools, health centres, nursery schools are being built throughout the continent.

One can hope that Orthodoxy in Africa is coming to a point of flowering maturity - when it will be able to plan and implement a self-sustaining growth and strength for the Glory of God.

See also

Spiritual and Social Education & help to the weak in the Orthodox Church of Kenya
Some child-advocacy ministries of Orthodox Church in Kenya, Uganda & Sierra Leone...
African Orthodox Church of Kenya

Orthodox Diocese of NYERI and Eastern Kenya

Orthodox diocese of Kisumu and western Kenya

November 25, 2015:

3 Orthodox Dioceses in Kenya (from here)...

... The Largest Archdiocese in The whole African Continent

African Orthodox Church of Kenya

"By the Grace of God the Pope and the Patriarch of all Africa Theodoros II and the members of the Holy Synod on 24/11/2015 unanimously elected Archbishop Makarios as Metropolitan of Nairobi and Ex arch of of the Whole of Kenya, Bishop Neofitos Kongai as Bishop of Nyeri-Eastern Kenya. In the same spirit Fr. Archimandrite Athanasios Akunda was elected Bishop of Kisumu-Western Kenya. We are humbled as we thank the holy Synod of our beloved Patriarchate for this great gift to the Church of Kenya and all Africa. we thank you for your prayers and support. Pray for us."

Photo from here