Worship and pastoral outreach
The Divine Liturgy, catechesis and pastoral visits gather communities in towns and villages, including places where a permanent church is still being developed.
Meet the communitiesThe Orthodox Church in Tanzania
About the Archdiocese
Living the Orthodox faith in Arusha and Central Tanzania.
Established as a diocese in 2016 within the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, the Archdiocese brings together communities in worship, teaching and care for one another.
The Archdiocese at a glance
- Established as a diocese
- 201617 November · Patriarchate of Alexandria
- Regions in the pastoral territory
- 8From Kilimanjaro to Mbeya
- Parishes · working total
- 43 For reviewRoster reconciliation in progress
- Clergy · working total
- 30 For reviewIncluding 2 deacons, as supplied
Local review: working totals follow the reconciled roster; parish and clergy figures await confirmation.
An Alexandrian inheritance · A Tanzanian home
A local Church within the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The Orthodox Archdiocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania belongs to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Established as a diocese in November 2016 and elevated to a Metropolis in October 2025, it brings together parish communities, clergy, monastics and the faithful across northern and central Tanzania.
The Divine Liturgy, prayer and the sacraments stand at the heart of its life. Teaching the faith, welcoming those discovering Orthodoxy and caring for neighbours grow from that same life in Christ. Local priests and communities carry this work together, under the pastoral leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Agathonikos.
The Archdiocese in Tanzania
Eight regions.
One pastoral home.
The territory brings together Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya. Explore a region to meet its recorded parish communities.
TanzaniaPastoral territory
Explore a region
Churches recorded
Arusha Region
2parishes recordedWorking roster · for review
The Annunciation parish connects the city’s earlier Orthodox community with its present life. The Panagia cathedral and mission-centre project form a further chapter in that presence.
Explore these parish communitiesTerritory region
Kilimanjaro Region
0parishes recordedWorking roster · for review
The pastoral territory includes the whole Kilimanjaro Region, including Moshi. Orthodox witness in the Moshi area belongs to the earlier history of the Church in Tanzania.
Open the parish directoryParish information for this region awaits confirmation.
Territory region
Manyara Region
0parishes recordedWorking roster · for review
Manyara forms part of the Archdiocese’s pastoral territory, connecting its northern and central Tanzanian regions.
Open the parish directoryParish information for this region awaits confirmation.
Churches recorded
Singida Region
1parish recordedWorking roster · for review
Saint Nectarios parish serves the Orthodox community in Singida. Its parish profile introduces the life and worship of the local Church.
Explore these parish communitiesChurches recorded
Dodoma Region
1parish recordedWorking roster · for review
Holy Trinity parish in Nala brings the Church’s worship and pastoral life to the Dodoma area. Its profile follows the local community and the development of its church.
Explore these parish communitiesChurches recorded
Iringa Region
38parishes recordedWorking roster · for review
Village parishes, the mission centre at Kidamali and the monastery connect worship, clergy formation and community care across the Iringa area.
Explore these parish communitiesChurches recorded
Njombe Region
1parish recordedWorking roster · for review
Saint George Karslidis parish at Makambako belongs to the Church’s presence in Njombe Region. Its community shares in the worship and mission of the Archdiocese.
Explore these parish communitiesTerritory region
Mbeya Region
0parishes recordedWorking roster · for review
Mbeya lies in the south-western part of the Archdiocese’s pastoral territory. It is one of the eight regions brought together on this map.
Open the parish directoryParish information for this region awaits confirmation.
Counts follow the reconciled working roster. “0 recorded” means no parish is listed in that region in the current roster; regional details await confirmation.
Territory: the eight regions supplied for Archdiocesan review. Boundaries: Tanzania NBS / UN OCHA ROSA, via geoBoundaries (2018), CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Pastoral leadership
His Eminence
Metropolitan Agathonikos
Serving the Church of Arusha and Central Tanzania.
Agathonikos Nikolaidis was born in Giannitsa, Greece, in 1964. He studied education in Florina and theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His ministry brings together monastic life, teaching and mission.
A monk of the Monastery of Saint Dionysios of Olympus since 1986, he was ordained deacon in 2001 and priest in 2003. He served in African mission fields and in Church administration before becoming Dean of the Saint Athanasios Patriarchal Academy in Alexandria in 2013.
In November 2016, the Holy Synod elected him the first bishop of the new Diocese. His pastoral ministry unites care for parish communities, the formation of clergy and the continuing development of the mission.
The story of the Archdiocese
From earlier communities
to a growing local Church.
The establishment of the diocese in 2016 brought a new pastoral structure to an existing Orthodox presence in Tanzania. These milestones follow its development.
- Before 2016
An earlier Orthodox presence
The Annunciation church in Arusha preserves the history of the city’s Greek Orthodox community. Mission accounts also remember Archimandrite Nikodimos Sarikas and his witness in the Moshi area. These communities and missionary relationships form part of the foundations on which the present Archdiocese grew.
Read the earlier history A new diocese and its first bishop
The Patriarchal foundation Tomos of the Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania was read before the Holy Synod in Alexandria. The Synod elected Archimandrite Agathonikos Nikolaidis as its first bishop.
Patriarchate foundation and election report · 1Episcopal ordination in Alexandria
Patriarch Theodoros II ordained Agathonikos bishop during the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint Savvas the Sanctified in Alexandria.
Patriarchate ordination report · 2Enthronement among the faithful in Iringa
The first bishop was enthroned at Saint Demetrios church in Iringa. Baptisms at the Kidamali mission centre on the preceding day joined the celebration to the growing life of the local communities.
Patriarchate enthronement account · 3A Patriarchal visit to Arusha
Patriarch Theodoros II celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Annunciation church. His visit also encouraged the development of the new Panagia church and mission-centre project.
Patriarchal visit report · 5Elevation to a Metropolis
The Holy Synod elevated the Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania to a Metropolis, continuing its development within the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.
Published Synodal communiqué · 6
Faith lived together
In prayer.
In care for one another.
Worship, teaching and care for neighbours belong to one Christian life. Clergy, monastics, parishioners, volunteers and supporters share in the work, each bringing their gifts.
Explore the mission in Tanzania
Education and formation
School support, learning resources and clergy formation help children, young people and parish communities grow in knowledge and faith.
Explore education
Water for communities
Water points built at parishes serve the whole community, without charge and regardless of faith.
Follow the water projects
Healthcare and wellbeing
The mission includes clinical care and health-related support in the Iringa area. Enquiries about medical volunteering, equipment and supplies can begin with the Archdiocese.
Explore healthcare
Food, children and family care
Shared meals, help for families and support for children and orphanages express the responsibility we have for one another. Local accounts give each activity its people and context.
Read about community care
Prison ministry
Pastoral visits bring prayer, encouragement and practical support to people in prison. The ministry’s public accounts respect the dignity and privacy of those it serves.
Learn about the ministryMission photographs: Missionary Shelter of Saint Dionysios of Olympus · supplied research collection.
Places that sustain the mission
Parishes, centres
and places of formation.
The life of the Archdiocese is rooted in local communities. Its centres bring together worship, pastoral leadership, formation and practical care.
Arusha · Cathedral and mission-centre project
A home for worship and mission
The Panagia cathedral project forms part of the development of the mission centre in Arusha. Its story follows the work of building a permanent setting for worship and the wider service of the Church.
Explore the cathedral project
Kidamali · Iringa
Prayer, formation and community care
The Iringa mission centre provides a setting for clergy gatherings, teaching and pastoral coordination. Archangel Michael Monastery and the healthcare work at Kidamali form further parts of the Church’s presence in the area.
Mission-centre source 7 · Photographs show documented construction stages.
Become part of the conversation
Meet a community.
Learn about the mission.
Whether you are looking for a place to worship, beginning to explore the Orthodox faith, or hoping to support a particular ministry, the Archdiocese welcomes your enquiry.
History and institutional information
Sources and review.
Historical milestones are linked to their source accounts. Territory and working totals follow the information supplied for this Archdiocesan review.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Foundation Tomos and hierarchical elections17 November 2016 · Establishment of the diocese and election of its first bishop.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Ordination of Bishop Agathonikos11 December 2016 · Episcopal ordination at Saint Savvas, Alexandria.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Enthronement in IringaEvent: 30 April 2017 · Account published 14 May 2017.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Biography of Agathonikos NikolaidisEducation, monastic life, ordinations and earlier service.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in Arusha29 May 2022 · Worship at the Annunciation church and the developing mission centre.
- October 2025 Synodal communiqué · reproduced by Orthodox TimesElevation of Arusha and Central Tanzania to a Metropolis.
- Missionary Shelter of Saint Dionysios of Olympus · Iringa mission centreKidamali, clergy formation, monastic life and community care.
- Patriarchate of Alexandria · Historical accountThe apostolic tradition of Saint Mark and the Alexandrian Church.