With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Konstantin of Cairo and North Africa, Priest George Maximov, chairman of the Missionary Department of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, visited Nigeria.
On September 25, Father George arrived in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, where he visited the Holy Trinity Parish.
On September 26, accompanied by the dean of parishes in Nigeria, Priest Daniel Agbaza, Father George arrived in Anambra State, where he held a meeting with the leaders of a large non-canonical Orthodox group wishing to join the Russian Orthodox Church. They discussed the course of action and a plan for the catechesis of all 15 parishes belonging to this group.
On that day and the following days, Father George Maximov, accompanied by Nigerian Orthodox clergy, visited four parishes belonging to this group.
On September 26, he visited the community in the village of Nzam (Anambra State) to deliver sermons on Orthodoxy; on September 28, he visited the village of Otuocha (Anambra State); on September 29, he visited Enugu State; and on September 30, he visited Imo State. Representatives from neighboring parishes within the same group gathered there, so that in total, the sermons reached over a thousand people. In addition to Father George, Nigerian priests of the Russian Orthodox Church also spoke, sharing their journey to Orthodoxy and their experience of becoming part of the Church—a path that the new converts also have ahead of them. Father George presented the community leaders with Orthodox literature in English and emphasized that their reception into the Russian Orthodox Church would take place only after a thorough and prolonged period of catechesis.
On September 27, the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Priest George presided over the Divine Liturgy at the parish of Saint Matrona of Moscow in Ukpor (Anambra State). This parish had been abandoned by the Church of Alexandria for many years; no priest had visited the parish for six years. The faithful requested to be received into the Russian Orthodox Church. This request was granted, and Father Stephen Nworie, a priest ordained in Russia, was assigned to the parish; with the support of the Exarchate, he was able to repair the church and revive the parish in a short time.
Also on this day, Father George visited the parish of the Great Martyr Catherine in the same state.
On September 28, Priest George visited the parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Onicha, where he held a meeting of the clergy of the Nigerian Deanery. They discussed pressing issues and outlined prospects for the mission’s further development. Father George Maximov also presented to them a new publication from the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Apostle of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa—his book “The Foundations of the Spiritual Life” in English. This and other books were given to the priests as a first step toward establishing parish libraries.
On the evening of September 30, Priest George Maximov arrived in Benue State. Here, several months ago, catechism classes had already begun for two parishes from another non-canonical group that had requested to be accepted into the Russian Orthodox Church. The catachism was conducted by Father Daniel Agbaza, and one of the parishes—dedicated to the Great Martyr George the Victorious in the city of Ugbaikyo—had already been accepted by him through the Baptism of the community members. On October 1, Father George and Father Daniel performed the sacrament of Baptism for 58 people from the other parish and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the faithful of both parishes in Ugbaikyo.
Afterward, they traveled to the city of Adikpo, where a large number of believers from neighboring parishes had gathered at the Parish of St. James the Apostle to welcome them. Priest George Maximov spoke with them about the spiritual life, after which Archimandrite Ninfont (Hule) showed him the Church of St. James the Apostle, which is in need of repair.
Father Ninfont also shared information about the lives of John and Daniel, Orthodox Christians from Turan who were killed by Islamic militants on March 26 of this year during an attack on a Christian village.
A representative of the Turan community attended the meeting to express gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church for the assistance provided to the families of the victims and other affected Christians.
On October 2, Priest George visited the Parish of St. Joseph in the village of Atee, where he spoke with the faithful. Both at this parish and at many others, people thanked the Russian Church for installing water fountains that provide them with drinking water. This is one of the most pressing needs in many communities across Africa.
Afterward, Father George and Father Daniel met with the faithful of two communities of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church. Local parishioners complained that they had been abandoned by the Greek Church, and Father George told them about the history and canonical reasons behind the beginning of the Russian Orthodox Church’s mission in Africa. Following the discussion, the parishioners signed collective letters addressed to Metropolitan Konstantin with a request to be received into the Russian Orthodox Church.
On October 3 in Abuja, Priest George held a final meeting with the dean of Nigeria, after which he departed for Ghana.
During his visit to Nigeria, as a sign of respect for the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Nigeria, the King of the Igbo people, Igwe Nnamchi Emmanuel, granted Father George the title of high chief and an African name.
Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa
