The Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa has concluded a four-month online missionary and catechetical training program attended by participants from ten African countries, reflecting the continued growth of Orthodox Christian communities across the continent.

According to the Exarchate, 66 students from Burundi, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Chad took part in the courses, which ran from March through June.

Church leaders say the need for trained catechists is becoming increasingly important as Orthodox communities expand throughout Africa. The significance of such work was highlighted recently in the village of Chitimba in northern Malawi, where ten local residents were baptized after completing a catechetical preparation program.

The Exarchate noted that catechists play a crucial role in missionary outreach. In many regions, they are the first representatives of the Church to introduce local people to Christianity, answer questions about the faith, prepare candidates for baptism, and support new converts as they begin their spiritual lives.

The training program was organized by the Apostle Mark Spiritual and Educational Center. Participants studied the Old and New Testaments, Orthodox doctrine, liturgical practice, pastoral theology, and apologetics. Organizers said the curriculum was designed to meet the educational needs of future clergy while taking into account the cultural and religious realities of African societies.

Opening the final session of the program, Archpriest Tigrij Khachatryan, director of the center, emphasized that online education enables the Church to train workers even in some of the continent’s most remote regions.

The Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Konstantin, thanked the instructors for their efforts and reminded participants of the responsibilities associated with church service. He stressed that priests and catechists must continually deepen their knowledge, as the future development of young Orthodox communities depends significantly on the quality of their preparation.

A message to the graduates was also delivered by Priest Georgy Maksimov, chairman of the Exarchate’s Missionary Department. On behalf of the participants, student Ngoy Kisula John Denis of the Democratic Republic of the Congo expressed gratitude to the organizers for providing the training opportunity.

The Exarchate announced that the program’s top graduates will receive certificates in recognition of their successful completion of the course.

Church leaders view the initiative as part of a broader effort to strengthen Orthodox missionary work in Africa by equipping local church workers with the theological knowledge and pastoral skills needed to support rapidly developing communities across the continent.