NIGERIA VIRTUAL YOUTH OUTREACH  MISSION TEAM

Archbishop Alexander has invited the OCMC to participate in this Virtual event and asks that we address this growing concern. He shares “Youths living in areas where we do not have an Orthodox presence, attend and participate in the services of other denominations.” This Virtual Conference will be encouraging to the youth and allow them to see how we are connected as one world-wide Orthodox Church.

One of the plights that youth in Nigeria face is the instability that is endemic in the education system. A unified set of education policies is lacking which means that funding, curriculum and quality are not consistent throughout the country. In 1976 a Universal Primary Education program was instituted to mandate that primary education be available and ‘free’ to all students. Once graduated from Primary School, aspirations turn to entrance in Catholic, Anglican or Pentecostal Secondary Schools, because they offer a higher level of education. Many Orthodox families have raised their children as future leaders in the Orthodox faith, baptized and chrismated them, only to see them attending secondary schools where many begin attending other Churches.

With the fifth largest Muslim population in the world, Orthodoxy took root in Nigeria due to the spiritual searching of a handful of Nigerians, who in 1985, accepted Orthodoxy. Since then, many others have followed their example. The successful spreading of Orthodoxy led to the formation of the Diocese of Nigeria in 1997 by the Patriarchate of Alexandria. In 2004 the Diocese was elevated to a Metropolis. Its canonical territory extends to the neighboring countries of Benin, Niger, and Togo. From its inception, the diocese is headed by Metropolitan Alexander. The Archdiocese has a variety of people, cultures and languages, predominantly made up of a handful of struggling merchants and peasant farmers.

Dates:  April 10 & 11, 2021
Cost:  $45 registration fee

Fund raising – We have a list of requested items that are needed for this Team to be successful in Nigeria. Team Members are encouraged to invite others to participate in this effort through prayer and tax-deductible donations. If you would like to contribute to this project, which is also supported by the OCMC, we are grateful for your support.

Share in a journey of faith… Orthodox Mission Team members are challenged to view the world with God's eyes and seek how He wants to use them to fulfill His plans. This cross-cultural experience, combined with outreach, offers participants a life-changing learning experience. This experience is about people, culture and missions. It is also about prayer, for you and others; it is about God, those you serve, and about yourself, as you serve Him.