As in the Levant, Christianity in Africa has roots in the Israelite/Jewish religion. The story of Noah’s descendants populating the earth has the descendants of Ham settling Egypt and points west and southward along the Nile River (Genesis 10:6~20). An ancient name for the Nile is Gihon, one of the four rivers mentioned in the … More How Christianity Came to Africa: Hebrew Preparation
Between 10,500 to 7,300 BC, the area known today as the Saharah Desert was lush and habitable due to monsoonal rains falling on the land. There were enough waterways and wetlands to support crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and other aquatic beast as well as terrestrial creatures such as elephants and lions. Animal herders from the Nile River … More How Christianity Came to Africa: Blacks of the Ancient Mediterranean
The Brotherhood of St. Moses in Virginia met on July 24th at St. Basil Orthodox Church in Hampton to pray the Canon of Racial Reconciliation and a small Compline. For a reflection of early African Christianity, I pointed to Carthage. For those who forgot, or paid no attention in high school world history; Carthage was … More July Meeting: Carthage and the Faith of Outsiders
The 23rd Annual Conference fo the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black was held at the Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church in Indianapolis last weekend. I had a lively drive with Sarah Motley and Johanna Hargraves from Charlottesville. I was excited to be there serving as a member of the National Board and one … More St. Moses Conference: Advice from the Bishop
We are pleased to announce the First Symposium of the Virginia Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black! The event will be held at the new, and still under renovation, Saint Basil the Great Antiochian Orthodox Church on 1520 Todds Lane in Hampton on Saturday, September 13th at 4 pm. The topic … More Announcing the First Symposium!!!!
In volume 15:4, 1995 of Epiphany magazine (from the Christ the Savior Brotherhood, no longer in print), there is a story of a sad example of a missed opportunity that may have bridged the gap between African Americans and the Orthodox Church. In 1893, Bishop Daniel Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church went … More The Pain of Missed Opportunities
February is the month where we take the time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of African-Americans. Some of us also recognize noteworthy kings and queens of Africa as well. It is not unusual to have church bulitien boards filled with pictures of great religious leaders from Richard Allen (founder of the African Methodist Episcopal … More Black History Month: Come and See
Many blessings to the Ethiopian Tehwado Orthodox Church in Celebration of Timket. This African version of Epiphany is perhaps one of the most lively celebrations of any kind anywhere in the world. Unlike the drunken revelries of Carnival or Mardi Gras which have been hijacked from their religious intent, Timket is welded to it’s Christian … More A Blessed Timket
Here is a fantastic and informative lecture on the foundation and spread of Orthodoxy Christianity on the African Continent. It has been there for quite some time. Orthodoxy In Africa
Desert Fathers Dispatch 