Visit of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Theology Students to the Fraternity
On Wednesday, November 26, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity welcomed students from the Department of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as part of the courses “Contemporary Trends in Mission” and “Evangelism and Re-evangelism in the Modern World and Communication Factors.”
The meeting began with a brief introduction by lecturer Dr. Nikolaos Tsirevelos, who spoke about missionary preaching, intercultural witness, and the need for missionary studies to include practical issues, combining theory with practice.
The president of the Fraternity, Mr. Charalambos Metallidis, spoke about the missionary nature of the Church and the connection between theology and missionary action. He recounted the history of the Fraternity, which began as “Friends of Uganda” with the aim of supporting the missionary work of Saint Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, the new saint of our Church. Special mention was made of the socio-cultural conditions in Africa and the Fraternity’s efforts to support missionary teams worldwide.
Mr. Konstantinos Metallidis, PhD in Theology and theological educator, spoke about the Fraternity’s contribution to missions, emphasizing God’s providence even in the most adverse conditions, and highlighting the need for lay people to cooperate in the evangelization of nations.
During the meeting, students’ questions sparked a constructive discussion about the difficulties, challenges, and prospects of Christian missionary witness among nations.
The visit concluded with a guided tour of the permanent Exhibition of African Art, hosted at the Fraternity’s premises (6 Mackenzie King Street, 3rd floor), which reveals the intercultural character of Christian witness among nations.
Warm thanks to the lecturers Petros Panagiotopoulos, Kleanthis Nizamis, and Nikolaos Tsirevelos, as well as to the students for their dynamic presence.
