The Orthodox Christian Church in Zimbabwe

"...Red dust kicks up from the ground, highlighting the stark beauty of beiges and browns in the fields and the leafless trees. The rains wont begin for at least another month you can taste the dust coating your throat. A group of men are singing in jubilation and stomping the dust with vigour. They keep the beat of invisible drums with their hands and one man has shakers and a whistle.
The tiny village of Hurungwe has little to offer tattered clothing, bare feet, and hungry bellies are in abundance but today their spirits are full because today their bishop is visiting with a mission team from the United States and Canada. Today, the foundation stone of their new church will be placed into the foundation; it will go under the place where the altar will be built." (AmandaEve Wigglesworth, here)

 
Photo from this old article

Orthodoxwiki (photo from here)

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa to which Orthodox Christianity did not arrive until the early twentieth century. The initial presence of the Orthodox Church served only the needs of Greek Orthodox immigrants from Greece and Cyprus. It was during the last decade of the twentieth century that the Church began an active missionary program among the indigenous people.
Through the interest of a young Zimbabwean, Raphael Ganda, who was introduced to Orthodox Christianity while in training at an army officer's training course in Greece, Orthodoxy came to the indigenous people of Zimbabwe. After attending services at the cathedral in Harare, he, his family, and some friends were baptized in September 1994. He later attended the seminary in Nairobi. Returning to Zimbabwe, he worked at translations of the Divine Liturgy and conducted missionary activity in rural Zimbabwe.
To govern church activities in the middle of Africa, the Patriarchate of Alexandria established an Archdiocese of Zimbabwe in 1968. The area of his jurisdiction also includes the countrie of Angola.
The St. Nektarios missionary center was dedicated in Park Town, Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe as the first center for missionary work. Other centers are the St. Augustine missionary center, located in Bulawayo, and the St. Athanasios the Great center in Harare next to the residence of the archbishop.
In addition to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Harare there are ten other churches in the country.

Archdiocese of Zimbabwe and Angola (from here)

The Holy Archdiocese of Zimbabwe and Angola is an archdiocese under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. The territory included in its jurisdiction are the countries of Zimbabwe and Angola.
The Diocese of Zimbabwe was established in 1968 with Kyrillos (Cyril) Papadopoulos as the ruling hierarch. On November 1, 2006, Mozambique, that had been part of the Archdiocese of Zimbabwe, was established as a separate diocese

Ruling Bishops

Kyrillos (Papadopoulos) (1968-1986)
Crysostomos (Papadopoulos) (1990-1997)
Ioannis (Zachariou) (1997-1998)
Makarios (Tillyrides) (1998-2001)
Kyrillos (Econompoulos) (2001-2002)
Theodoros (Choreftakis) (2002-2004), today Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa.
George (Vladimirou) (2004-2010)
Seraphim (Kykkotis) (2010-Present)


Photo from here

Medical Shipment Strengthens Zimbabwe’s Ailing Families

IOCC
 

Surviving the first five years of life is a struggle for Zimbabwe’s children because of a lack of medicine to treat life-threatening infections and water-borne diseases. These toddler patients at St. Nectarios Orthodox Clinic are thriving thanks to your ongoing support of IOCC’s program to provide the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies needed to save young lives.

As the number of hospitals and doctors in Zimbabwe continues to decline, St. Nectarios Orthodox Clinic in the capital city of Harare remains as one of the few medical support lifelines for the country’s most impoverished families. Intestinal and respiratory tract infections along pregnancy complications are constant health threats in Zimbabwe, especially in remote parts of the country with little access to healthcare. As a result, UNICEF reports that nearly 100 children die every day from preventable diseases, and at least eight women a day don’t survive childbirth.

The lack of healthcare makes life very hard in Zimbabwe, especially for disabled children who cannot stand or walk on their own. Many are hidden away at home because the family cannot afford to buy a wheelchair. Through a generous donation from the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, IOCC in cooperation with the Zimbabwe Orthodox Church and medical partners, Medical Teams International (MTI) and Wheels for Humanity (WFH), delivered 185 wheelchairs and two large medical kits to St. Nectarios Clinic filled with enough lifesaving medicine to treat 20,000 ailing children and adults for intestinal and respiratory infections, malaria, cholera and pneumonia.
The medical care package also contained multivitamins vital for protecting expectant mothers from prenatal complications and for shielding children against vitamin deficiency conditions such as blindness and life-threatening intestinal infections.
Since 2006, IOCC has helped keep Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable people healthy and mobile with shipments of medical supplies, surgical instruments, medical equipment and critically-needed medicines, as well as wheelchairs, walkers and crutches.

"I would like to share with you how we, as people of faith at the Greek Orthodox Church in Zimbabwe, are working towards caring for the environment..." 

By Angelic Molen, Greek Orthodox Church Zimbabwe
earthkeeper.org.za
 


I would like to share with you how we, as people of faith at the Greek Orthodox Church in Zimbabwe, are working towards caring for the environment.
We as Greek Orthodox youth, in partnership with an organisation called “Youth Clean up Green up”, organised a clean-up campaign at Greencroft shopping centre in Harare on Saturday 28th of March 2015. This felt like a successful campaign since while we cleaned, we managed to inform the people about the issue of recycling plastics, paper and cans. Also we told the people about the importance of organic waste because there were a lot of dumped vegetables lying around the market place.
Besides the above, we were distributing posters and bin liners to the people for home use. Among the posters were the ones about Veld fires which is a topic we are planning to cover at a workshop equipping the faithfuls with knowledge on the effects of veld fires. This is critical in our context as we are in the season where the grass is dry. Look out for another story about our workshop!  I believe that one step at a time we will reach our destination.
 

Orthodox Church pays school fees for children in Bulawayo

 

July 13, 2011, by Mandla Tshuma

Religion in Zimbabwe
 
As part of its social ministry, the Orthodox Church, one of the oldest missionary churches in Zimbabwe, is paying school fees for a number of pupils in Bulawayo.
Visiting the Church’s Mzilikazi high density suburb parish, through which fees payments are made, we found out that more than 50 pupils are benefiting from the scheme.

Mzilikazi Orthodox church in Bulawayo.

“There are more than 100 people attending this church most of whom are school children, whose school fees are paid for by the church,” said a  boy RelZim.org met in Mzilikazi, who declined to be named.
The boy, who himself is a beneficiary of the project, went on to explain that the recipients are drawn from Mzilikazi, Makokoba and the surrounding suburbs.
The Orthodox Church is one of the missionary Churches that still see the need to invest into the education of their believers apart from spiritual empowerment.
Liturgies at the Mzilikazi parish are held every Sunday between 8 and 10 am. Unlike at the city centre church, where the Eucharistic celebration is exclusively in Greek, the liturgy here is in Shona and Ndebele, although some hymns are sung in the European language.
The Mzilikazi Orthodox church, adjacent to Mpilo Central Hospital and Barbourfields Stadium, also has a state-of-the-art hall for various church functions.

AmandaEve Wigglesworth, A Canadian Missionary in Zimbabwe

Jan 26, 2010
Orthodoxy in the World, Canadian Orthodox Messenger

I keep dreaming that I have spontaneously gotten on a plane (or two, or five) and flown back to Zimbabwe. Something about the place sank its teeth deep into me, drawing up memories of other places that bit into me with fervour—places that haunt my memories and tease me with the desire to return. It has been eleven years since I left my first love, Mauritius, and I have never shaken it. It is a part of who I am. On the journey home from Zimbabwe, I could tell that I had fallen in love again. The recurring dream of impulsively returning reinforces this sense that part of Africa has returned home with me, and that part of me is still in Africa. I must tell you about the times when Africa took me by the hand, when we walked side-by-side, when we met each other face to face, when we smiled at each other and embraced, and when we said goodbye.

When my husband Kevin and I originally applied to go on a short-term mission with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), we had applied for the team to Tanzania. By the time our application was processed, that team was full. We started preparations to go to Nigeria. One week before we were scheduled to leave, the team’s visas were denied. It seemed that Zimbabwe was the next option. What did God have in store for us? Was He trying to tell us that it was not His will for us to go on a team this year? Were spiritual forces at work to prevent a team from going? As the departure date for Zimbabwe grew closer, people were asking if we were getting excited. Given the circumstances, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Would we be going to Zimbabwe? I wasn’t sure. Thanks be to God,: our team did go to Zimbabwe and we were able to experience what God is doing there through the Orthodox Church and Metropolitan George.

AmandaEve Wigglesworth is shown teaching children. Beside her is Father Augustine, translating into Shona. Behind him, seated, is AmandaEve’s husband, Kevin.

When we were preparing to go, we didn’t know much about this southern African country. We only had a few weeks’ notice and no time to research. The news we heard from others painted a bleak picture. We were starting to get nervous. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very different picture when we arrived. Yes, the politics there are not good. Yes, HIV/AIDS is a huge problem (Zimbabwe has the 4th highest rates in the world). Yes, hunger is a problem. Yes, there are utility shortages. But, things have improved greatly in the last six months. We felt safe. People radiate with joy. Even when faced with extreme poverty, the poverty was easy to miss because the joy and excitement of the people overshadowed their lack of resources.

Over the next two weeks, we taught the people about many topics. They are hungry for instruction about the Orthodox Church and way of life. We found so much joy during the teaching times as we shared from our own knowledge and experience, and tried to answer their many questions. They also bared their souls to us by asking very personal questions before and after sessions, as well as during the gender- and age-specific sessions. I was able to relate on a deep level with one woman, Maria, as we shared our experiences of caring for a family member and being present as they left this world. This meaningful conversation helped to reinforce our shared humanity and the struggles that all human beings face.

We stayed in Harare (the capital) most of the time, but we also travelled to Bulawayo (the second largest city in Zimbabwe) and some small villages. In one of these villages, Mrehwa, we witnessed their Peanut Butter Project. We had never met them before, but each woman embraced every team member with such excitement, energy, and length that it appeared as though they were greeting long-lost relatives. They honoured us like dignitaries and happily showed off the village. We were also able to try grinding the peanuts and tasting the result. It tasted just like the organic peanut butter I buy at home! The women cooked a traditional Zimbabwean meal for us including meat (something that is always rare in villages). We blessed them with food, toys, school supplies, and candy which had been sent in crates from Greece. His Eminence also blessed them by buying their entire stock of peanut butter as well as handcrafts they had made (which he then distributed as gifts). The entire village was blessed that day, and so were we.

In the village of Hurungwe (outside of the town of Karoi), we participated in the service to consecrate the foundation of their church. Let me take you there:

Red dust kicks up from the ground, highlighting the stark beauty of beiges and browns in the fields and the leafless trees. The rains won’t begin for at least another month—you can taste the dust coating your throat. A group of men are singing in jubilation and stomping the dust with vigour. They keep the beat of invisible drums with their hands and one man has shakers and a whistle.

The tiny village of Hurungwe has little to offer— tattered clothing, bare feet, and hungry bellies are in abundance— but today their spirits are full because today their bishop is visiting with a mission team from the United States and Canada. Today, the foundation stone of their new church will be placed into the foundation; it will go under the place where the altar will be built.

Emotions are high for everyone. The team members assist in the service and watch their names being lowered into the foundation as founders of this African church. As they clap and dance along to the songs of the Shona women, they know a part of them will remain in Africa forever.

In Marondera, we saw a building project for a new mission centre which will eventually have a church, a clinic, a school, an orphanage, and a home for a priest. His Eminence dreams big, and big things are happening as a result.

We were blessed to witness a Shona wedding of a young diaconal candidate. His ordination to become a deacon is scheduled for November 2009. The Metropolitan indicated that this young man will likely become a priest soon after he becomes a deacon. This is very exciting news because there are so many Orthodox people but so few priests to serve them.

Currently, there is one Greek priest (Fr George) who serves at the Greek cathedral in Harare, and two Shona priests. One of them, Fr Rafael, serves a community of approximately 300 people in Bulawayo. The people speak Ndebele there so Fr Rafael serves in English and the people sing in English, Ndebele, and Greek. The other priest, Fr Augustine, serves two Shona communities : St. Nektarios (over 800 members in a church that seats 200) and another community in Warren Park (approximately 300 people meeting in the yard of the priest’s mother-in-law). Since the priest speaks the language of the people, these two churches are able to have services primarily in Shona, but they also use some English and Greek. Translation of services is on-going, and developing music in a local musical style

is yet to begin. Currently, the churches use Greek melodies as well as the Greek school of iconography.

I’ve mentioned the Greek people a few times. This may have surprised you. It certainly surprised us! In all of our expectations for Zimbabwe, we did not expect to encounter a little Cyprus and Greece! Many of the Greek people in Zimbabwe are third or fourth generation Zimbabweans. Many still refer to themselves as Rhodesians, since the country has only been called Zimbabwe for 29 years. It was hard to wrestle with the idea of white Africans, but I realized that they have lived there longer than my ancestors have been in North America. Saying that they cannot be African because they are white, is like saying a second or third generation Asian or African, cannot be North American simply because they are not white.

Despite their African roots, the Greek community has remained very distinct, and has maintained close ties with Greece and Cyprus. We enjoyed visiting with these people too, often for yummy Greek meals. We were able to tell them about our experiences with the black churches and how receptive the people are. They were able to tell us stories of Zimbabwe and how it has changed.

One Greek woman we encountered is St Efterpi of Harare. She reposed approximately six years ago. We heard stories of her life and of the miracles after her death. We saw her crypt and experienced the fragrance of myrrh that exudes when she is present. We were able to bring back some of the healing oil that exuded from her incorrupt body that was discovered when she was exhumed three years after her death. This was a very unexpected experience!

At the end of the day, it was hard to leave because of the relationships we had started to form. After two weeks of clinging to us like Velcro, a few small children will now be wondering, “Where did the white women go?” We connected with brothers and sisters in Christ of all colours, genders, and ages in various ways. As we shared our stories and the people shared theirs, we realized how much we have in common even when our day-to-day lives are so different. It was hard to say goodbye to our remarkable brothers and sisters in Christ after such a short time, but we know that they will be praying for us, our churches, and the next team that will come to serve them. Already, I am wondering whether I will be a part of that team. When God asks, “Who shall I send to Zimbabwe?” Will you answer, “Here I am, Lord. Send me”? 

See also

https://www.facebook.com/giorgos.iakovou
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Harare
Saint John the Prodrome Orthodox Church, Harare
News & articles from the Orthodox Church in Zimbabwe (in Greek & English)