Adventures in the Unseen: The Silent Witness

The manner in which Orthodoxy was introduced into East Africa during the twentieth century, and the way in which it has taken root and spread, can only be explained in terms of a Divine miracle. Orthodoxy has spread phenomenally throughout East Africa. From Uganda, it has spread into Kenya, Tanzania and all Africa. In recent years, the Orthodox Churches of Finland, Greece, Cyprus and America have assisted their sister Church in East Africa. This help in no way detracts from the fact that the planting of Orthodoxy in East Africa was achieved by African men and African enterprise without any external missionary support. His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, a native of Cyprus, began his missionary activity in East Africa as the Prinicipal of the Patriarchal Seminary which was established in Kenya by His Beatitude Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus. In 1992, he was elected and consecrated Bishop of Riruta. He continued as principal of the Patriarchal Seminary until September 1997. The following year, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria elected him as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe. His collection of sermons and other discourses, delivered on various occasions, gives an insight into a work of transformation. Seventy years ago, authentic Orthodoxy did not exist in East Africa. Today, a network of hundreds of parishes extends across the length and breadth of this vast area of the continent. It is an event of no small significance in modern Christian history. These sermons serve to provide a witness to this remarkable phenomenon.