George Maximov says the mission respects the continent’s people and only operates where it is invited
The Russian Orthodox Church has never been a church of colonizers, and its growing mission in Africa should not be associated with colonial ideology, George Maximov, a priest and chairman of the Missionary Department of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, has told RT.
Maximov made the remarks on the sidelines of a training workshop for African bloggers held last week in the Russian city of Bryansk, where he spoke about the Orthodox faith and its role across the continent.
“We work with full respect to people, and only in countries where people invite us. We don’t want to fight with someone in Africa, or against someone in Africa,” he said when asked whether Africans should be concerned about the increasing activities of the church in their countries.
“Nobody should worry. We came for people who decided to be members of our church and they have this right because in all African countries the freedom of belief is legal,” Maximov added.
The Russian Orthodox Church has recently expanded its footprint in several African nations, with parishes in more than 30 states, including Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa. The outreach comes amid broader Russian engagement on the continent, strengthening its diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation.
Maximov dismissed suggestions of Kremlin influence, saying the church conducts its work independently and only engages with government or business representatives when advocating for the social needs of parishioners.
He told RT that, unlike many international organizations that provide food aid to African countries and create long-term dependency, the church promotes a model focused on economic empowerment.
In February, the patriarchal exarchate launched a project to provide clean drinking water to villages in northern Cameroon, following similar initiatives in Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia.
“We want to find ways to help them. For example, not just giving them food, but providing fertilizer at better prices so that local farmers can feed themselves. It is just one example of our position, and we try to present this position to businessmen and to our government,” he noted.
Speaking on the promotion of homosexuality by Western countries, Maximov criticized donor responses that suspend humanitarian support for African governments over local anti-LGBTQ policies.
“It is an inhuman action,” he said, likening the withdrawal of aid, such as over Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ laws, to punishing “innocent” children for decisions made by political leaders.
“I am very impressed by African leaders who stay strong. In my opinion, now Africa is a leader in the defense of traditional family values from this destructive ideology,” the priest added.
