The Long Journey Home: Orthodox Priests Sharing the Gospel in Mission Lands

"When I was a boy my father showed me the way to Lodwar. Each semester I would walk for three days across the desert, so that I could receive an education,” recalls Fr. Zachariah, one of three Orthodox priests of the Turkana tribe in northern Kenya.

Fr. Zachariah hails from Loupwala, a small village nestled amidst a forest of acacia trees not far from a river that is bone dry most of the year. It is hot and extremely arid. The people of Loupwala live to survive raising cattle, goats, and camels--they long for a better life for their families.

The perilous journey that Fr. Zachariah bravely endured in solitude as a child was well worth the risk, as it meant that he would be one of the few people from his village to receive a formal education. In Lodwar, however, Fr. Zachariah didn’t just learn history, math, and science from the Catholic academy he attended; he also began a relationship with Christ.

Years passed and Fr. Zachariah was exposed to other Christians, including a charismatic preacher espousing the truth of Orthodox Christianity. As a result, Fr. Zachariah became an Orthodox Christian. The journey that began as a march across the desert in search of an education ultimately led him to the Makarios III Orthodox Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon completing his studies, Fr. Zachariah was ordained to the priesthood, and after years away from his home in Loupwala he was sent back – this time with the message of the Gospel.

Now, Fr. Zachariah walks amongst his people sharing Christ with them as they fetch water or tend their herd. With the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Makarios, and through his evangelistic efforts, Fr. Zachariah was able to start an Orthodox church in Loupwala. Many people from his village have become Orthodox Christian; and he is working together with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) to start another church in a neighboring village.

Each year, young men like Fr. Zachariah are called to the priesthood in countries around the world where the light of Christ and His Church is beginning to shine with ever-increasing brilliance. It is not uncommon for these men to plant two, three, or more parishes once they have been ordained.

OCMC supports theses priests and their ministries in many ways, but most directly through its Theological Training and Support a Mission Priest (SAMP) programs. The Theological Training program issues grants to the seminaries that these men attend and sometimes awards scholarships toward their theological education. Once ordained, many of these men then receive regular monthly stipends from their hierarchs. The SAMP program supplements these stipends, enabling them to dedicate themselves to the growth and pastoral care of their communities full-time.

Though we are two millennia removed from the mission of the first Apostles, there are still people who need to be evangelized. The priests called, and filled, by the Holy Spirit to continue this work in mission countries are often the ones to take the love of Christ to people who still long for the hope of salvation. They look to us, their brothers and sisters around the world, for strength, prayer, and support as they continue the witness of the Church to the ends of the earth. United under the banner of Orthodoxy, these priests and those who prayerfully support them may help others to begin a journey in Christ that, like Fr. Zachariah's, ultimately leads them back home.

2010 Sts Peter and Paul Theological Appeal

June 2010

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

Dear Friends,

Each year, under a tree in a remote region of northern Kenya, the Turkana people of Lupala gather so that traditions can be passed from one generation to the next. It was at this traditional gathering that Fr. Zacariah, a newly-ordained Orthodox priest from Turkana, introduced the life-giving message of Christ to the people of this village for the first time. As a result, the Orthodox Church is becoming incarnate within this local culture, and Orthodox Christianity is being planted among a new generation of believers.

As a young man, Fr. Zacariah accepted the Orthodox Christian faith; and, after feeling called by the Holy Spirit, he was invited to enter the Makarios III Orthodox Theological Seminary in Nairobi. Upon completing his studies, Fr. Zacariah returned to his home as an ordained priest to serve and minister to his people. The theological training he received has equipped him to meet the many challenges he faces with faith and confidence, and it enables him to provide guidance for the newly-illumined Turkana people under his pastoral care.

Providing access to Orthodox theological training is a vital aspect of the Church’s growth, and it is the focus of OCMC's Theological Training Program. Last year, this program was able to send $61,000 toward the establishment and growth of theological training programs and institutions around the world. Please make a gift toward OCMC's Theological Training Program this year in support of the 9 seminaries and 175+ seminarians in countries where the Church is emerging. Your prayerful offering is needed and appreciated as these men pray, study, and prepare for ministry service.

Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration of making this ministry part of your response to Christ’s call to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19) and for your gift in support of the Theological Training Program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Martin Ritsi
Executive Director