The Church

Christ at the centre

Jesus Christ is the centre of the Church's life. Orthodox Christians confess Him as the incarnate Son of God, crucified and risen for the life of the world. The Church proclaims His Gospel, receives His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and follows Him through prayer, repentance and love for one another.

From the Apostles to the present, this faith has been handed on through the worship and teaching of the Church. The Scriptures, the confession of the councils, the witness of the martyrs and the wisdom of the Fathers form an inheritance that continues to nourish Christian life.

An Alexandrian inheritance

The Church of Alexandria traces its apostolic foundation to Saint Mark the Evangelist. Here, Christian teachers opened the Scriptures, Athanasius and Cyril gave enduring expression to the faith, and the martyrs bore witness to Christ. In the Egyptian desert, Anthony, Pachomius and generations of ascetics shaped the monastic life that spread throughout the Christian world.

This inheritance continues in the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Its liturgical life, theological learning and missionary vocation connect the ancient see with the communities it serves today, including the faithful of Arusha and Central Tanzania.

Sources: Patriarchate of Alexandria — Historical account

The Church in Arusha and Central Tanzania

On 17 November 2016, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria established the Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania and elected Agathonikos as its first bishop. The new Diocese brought together communities within the continuing growth of the Orthodox Church in Tanzania.

Clergy, monastics and parishioners share in the worship, teaching and service of the local Church. With the support of volunteers and benefactors, its parishes and mission centres nurture the faith, welcome new believers and respond to the needs of their neighbours.

Sources: Patriarchate of Alexandria — Synodal elections, 17 November 2016

Worship, teaching and the life of a parish

The Divine Liturgy gathers the community in prayer, Scripture and the Eucharist. Baptism, chrismation and the wider sacramental life belong within that community of faith. The calendar gives shape to the year, while daily prayer and reading carry the worship of the Church into ordinary life.

A parish is a community in which people learn, pray, repent, receive pastoral care and take responsibility for one another. The directory connects this life with the practical information needed to meet a local community.

Faith lived in care for others

In Matthew 25:31–46, Christ calls His people to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, care for the sick and visit the prisoner. This love is lived together, through the relationships and responsibilities we share as members of the Church and as neighbours.

Across the Archdiocese, that shared life finds expression in education, healthcare, water projects, pastoral outreach and community care. Each ministry grows through the prayer, work and generosity of the people who take part.

Eight regions, a shared pastoral home

The Archdiocese’s pastoral territory includes Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya. Its communities include urban parishes and village churches, with local histories, languages and patterns of worship that give each place its own character.

The parish directory is the starting point for meeting those communities. A parish profile brings together its dedication, village or neighbourhood, clergy, worship information and local stories. The regional map connects that local setting with the wider territory of the Archdiocese. The Metropolitan, priests, deacons and faithful share responsibility for the life and witness of the Church.

Pastoral territory

Arusha · Kilimanjaro · Manyara · Singida · Dodoma · Iringa · Njombe · Mbeya

Ecclesiastical home

Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa

Worship, formation and service

The Archdiocese was established as a diocese in November 2016. The missionary organisation supporting its work announced its elevation to a Metropolis in October 2025. Its continuing task is lived locally: gathering people for the Divine Liturgy, teaching those discovering the faith, forming clergy and parish communities, and responding to the needs of neighbours.

The mission pages follow that work through particular places and projects. They include church construction, education, community water, pastoral outreach and care for people facing hardship. Reading the dated project accounts shows how a community develops over time and how worship, learning and practical care belong within the same Christian life.

Sources: Patriarchate of Alexandria — Synodal elections, 17 November 2016 · Missionary Shelter — Elevation of Arusha to a Metropolis, 8 October 2025