On the grounds of the Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya, a gleaming, two-story building is paving the way for the growth of the Church. Made possible by a Mission Center grant to the Archdiocese of Nairobi, the recently completed building will house 200 students from the neighboring Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute.  

“The rental income from this building will generate critical revenue for the operations of Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary, which is a vital institution of the Church in East Africa.  The ongoing income assures that [it] will continue to educate current and future generations of clergy and lay leaders in the region,” expressed Mission Center Grants Director, Santhe Loizos.  

The seminary and the technical college were built on land gifted by the Kenyan Government to the Orthodox Church in the 1970s, but the seminary did not begin operations until 1981, when Archbishop Anastasios, of blessed memory, was named locum tenens Archbishop of East Africa. Since then, hundreds of students from East Africa and other regions have been trained and ordained to lead their local communities–– including Bishop Neofitos of Eldoret and Northern Kenya, Bishop Panaretos of Nyeri and Mount Kenya, and Bishop Constantine of Juba and Southern Sudan. 

Forged with the future in mind, the new building was constructed with the capability for up to three additional floors to expand student housing, generate additional revenue, and realize the seminary’s vision for long-term growth.  As Loizos concluded, “Supporting theological education is one of our main priorities at the Mission Center.” Why? “Because training local leadership is essential to firmly establishing the Church.”