African Orthodox Church

The African Orthodox Church is a religious movement that began in East Africa as a search for a more authentic, African form of Christianity than that offered by mission churches. It was founded in Uganda in 1929 by Reuben Spartas, who was inspired by an independent, all-black African Orthodox Church in the United States.1

Initially, the church sought ordination from the U.S. group, but later discovered it was heterodox. The African Church then added "Greek" to its name and developed an affiliation with the Greek Orthodox Church's patriarchate in Alexandria. This affiliation eventually led to the church coming under the control of a Greek missionary archbishop in 1959.1

Tensions arose due to perceived paternalism and inadequate support, leading to a secession in 1966. This new group, the African Orthodox Autonomous Church South of the Sahara, sought autonomy while incorporating African customs and identifying with Eastern Orthodoxy. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, a separate autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia, has ancient roots and a distinct theological tradition.12