Successful Event on Mission at the School of Theology, AUTh
On Monday, December 15, our Fraternity co-organized with the Department of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki a lecture by Metropolitan Makarios of Nairobi on “Fifty Years of Missionary Christian Witness in Africa” at the University. The event attracted keen interest from the students. We warmly thank the Department of Theology for its cooperation and remain open to new collaborations.
Below, we republish the Press Release from the School of Theology.
Press Release
Within the framework of the compulsory course “Pastoral Theology,” a lecture was delivered by Metropolitan Makarios of Nairobi, Hypertime and Exarch of Kenya, at the Department of Theology, AUTh, on Monday, December 15, 2025. The topic of the lecture was “Fifty Years of Missionary Christian Witness in Africa.”
The event began with a greeting from the Dean of the School of Theology, Professor and Protopresbyter Athanasios Gkikas. The Dean warmly welcomed Metropolitan Makarios and referred to the importance of mission as applied theology and the self-sacrificing spirit of missionaries.
Then, the floor was taken by the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Theology and Associate Professor, Mr. Petros Panagiotopoulos , who invited Metropolitan Makarios to the class. The professor presented the distinguished guest, referring to his rich biography, and subsequently highlighted the experiential nature of missionary Christian witness. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of pastoral work in non-Christian environments, as well as the need for traditional Orthodox churches to adopt missionary methods in their pastoral work.
Throughout his speech, Metropolitan Makarios of Nairobi connected his experience from missionary service with the theology of the Orthodox Church, harmonizing theory with practice through his charismatic discourse. Specifically, he began his lecture by discussing the unexpected nature of his missionary work. He then highlighted the presence of many personalities in the revival and promotion of Orthodox witness among the nations, as well as in his own life. He made special mention of Saint Sophrony of Essex, Saint Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, Saint Gerontissa Gavrilia, the blessed Patriarch Peter of Alexandria, Archbishops Makarios of Cyprus and Anastasios of Albania, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Diokleia, and the theologian Olivier Clement. Furthermore, he spoke frankly about the joys and difficulties of mission, as well as the various problems a missionary faces and the ways to overcome and heal them. He did not fail to emphasize the intercultural approach to mission, which cares for the incarnation of the Word of God in every culture. Finally, he highlighted the importance of music in transmitting the message of the Gospel in the African country.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the Department of Theology, AUTh, Professor Mr. Ilias Evangelou , professors of the Department, and Bishop Polykarpos of Bunia. A large number of students from all semesters participated in the two-hour event, especially from the courses “Contemporary Trends in Mission” and “Evangelism and Re-evangelism in the Modern World: Communication Factors.” After the lecture, a fruitful discussion followed between the students and Metropolitan Makarios. The discussion was coordinated by Dr. Nikolaos Tsirevelos , EDIP of the Department of Theology.
The event was held once again in cooperation with the Orthodox External Mission Fraternity, which was represented by its Vice-Chairman, Mr. Nostis Psarras, and its General Secretary, Dr. Konstantinos Metallidis, an educational theologian.
The large turnout once again demonstrated the interest in missionary Christian witness and the service of the Orthodox Church to the ends of the earth.
