Cameroon, June 17, 2024
Photo: exarchate-africa.ru
More than 50 members of a non-canonical group in Cameroon have joined the Russian Orthodox Church’s African Exarchate this month.
The former “bishop” of the group, who had already joined the Exarchate as a layman, was recently ordained to the priesthood after undergoing training in Russia. Seven parishes he formerly oversaw have also been transferred to the African Exarchate.
On June 6, Fr. George Maximov, chairman of the Exarchate’s Missionary Department, received 15 people from the non-canonical group in Douala, including three former “priests” and a nun, the African Exarchate reports.
Frs. George and Fr. Herman Mbarga (the former “bishop”) then celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Douala parish, with more than 100 people in attendance.
Following the service, a meeting was held with two “clerics” from another non-canonical group who also expressed interest in converting to Orthodoxy.
On June 10, Fr. George chrismated 12 people at the Holy Dormition parish in Biwong Bane, while another six were baptized by Fr. Herman.
The next day, Fr. Herman and another Cameroonian priest, Fr. Pavel Atangana, visited the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Bikok, whose leader and members had also joined the Orthodox Church from another non-canonical group.
There, 15 people were baptized and another 13 chrismated.
Recall that the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria has ruled to defrock several clerics of the Russian Church’s African Exarchate for their activities on the Patriarchate’s canonical territory, including Fr. George (the Russian Synod formally rejects such rulings). The Patriarchate of Alexandria’s hierarch of Cameroon, Metropolitan Gregory, has voiced very strong criticism and condemnation of the Exarchate and its clergy.
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