Fifty years of faith, sacrifice, and transformation across Africa
We are honored to announce that Archbishop Makarios of Nairobi will be visiting America — bringing with him a story of Christian mission unlike almost any other in our time. For more than five decades, His Eminence has dedicated his life to the growth of the Orthodox Church across the African continent, and his visit offers our communities a rare and precious opportunity to hear directly from one of Orthodoxy’s most consequential living missionaries.
A Life Given to Africa
Born in Limassol, Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios earned his doctorate at Oxford and completed post-doctoral studies in Louvain before answering a calling far beyond the walls of academia. In January 1977, he was sent by the late Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus to open the Orthodox Seminary in Nairobi — and Africa became his home. He has now served as General Dean of the Orthodox Patriarchal Seminary there for 39 years, teaching Church History, Patristics, Greek, Missiology, and Homiletics, while organizing the translation of Orthodox services into numerous African languages.
Building the Church — Brick by Brick, Soul by Soul
His Eminence’s legacy stretches far beyond the seminary walls. Over his decades in Kenya and across the African continent, Archbishop Makarios has been instrumental in building churches, orphanages, and clinics — tangible expressions of the Gospel that serve some of the most vulnerable communities on earth. He played a key role in reuniting the divided Kenyan Church after more than 30 years of schism and helped establish new dioceses as the Church’s growth demanded.
Even during the darkest days of the COVID pandemic, Archbishop Makarios faithfully shepherded his flock without hesitation or fear. While much of the world shuttered its doors, he served his people non-stop — and through the grace of God, kept his churches open and his people united in worship.
His extraordinary service has been recognized internationally, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Thessalia and a Laureate prize for strengthening Orthodox Christian unity.
Come and Hear Him
Archbishop Makarios’s visit to America is an extraordinary moment. He will share firsthand accounts of the mission — the churches planted, the children sheltered, the sick cared for, the communities transformed by the light of Orthodoxy. A missionary, a scholar, a shepherd, and a Life Hero to Orthodoxy — come and be inspired.
We will update the site as plans are finalized.