In Nigeria, 15 parishes are preparing to join the Russian Orthodox Church: the path to unity begins with catechism

An important church process is gaining momentum in Africa: 15 parishes of a non-canonical Orthodox group in Nigeria have announced their intention to join the Russian Orthodox Church. This is not a formal step, but a serious, meaningful choice that will require a lot of inner work from communities.

A key event on this path was the meeting of community leaders with representatives of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa. With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Constantine of Cairo and North Africa, the chairman of the Missionary Department of the Exarchate, Priest Georgy Maksimov, arrived in Nigeria. Together with the dean of parishes in Nigeria, Priest Daniel Agbaza, he met with community leaders on September 26, 2026 in the state of Anambra.

These days have become a time of lively dialogue and preaching. Priest Georgy Maksimov, together with the Nigerian Orthodox clergy, visited four parishes: on September 26 – the community in the village of Nzama, on September 28 – in the village of Otuocha (both in the state of Anambra), then on September 29 – in the state of Enugu, and on September 30 – in the state of Imo. Representatives of neighboring parishes of the same group also came to the meetings: in total, more than a thousand people heard the sermon.

Particular force was given to the personal experience of local priests of the Russian Orthodox Church. They shared stories of their path to faith, told how their churching took place and what people who take their first steps in Orthodoxy really face. For those who are on the verge of joining the Church, such stories are not just examples, but a living support: they help to see that this path is not easy, but quite real and has already been trodden by others.

An important sign of attention and support was the transmission of Orthodox literature in English. These books will help in the study of the fundamentals of faith, will help communities to better understand the teachings and traditions according to which the Russian Orthodox Church lives.

At the same time, the Exarchate emphasizes that the formal admission of communities into the Church is possible only after a serious and prolonged catechism. This is not a bureaucratic demand, but a concern for people: it takes time and mentorship to make faith not an external form but an inner conviction. That is why the next stage is training, discussions, analysis of key dogmas and rules of church life.

For the Russian Orthodox Church, the presence in Africa is not about expanding geography, but about witnessing faith where people sincerely seek the truth and are ready to work for their spiritual growth. The history of these 15 parishes is an example of how missionary work is built on patience, respect and personal participation: first conversation, then training, and only then full entry into church unity.