Greek Orthodox Church Ordains Zimbabwe Woman as Its First Deaconess

In a historic ceremony on May 2, 2024, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all of Africa name Angelic Molen from Zimbabwe as the first deaconess in the global Eastern Orthodox Church.

The event, held at St. Nektarios Mission Parish near Harare, Zimbabwe, marked the culmination of efforts to revive the female diaconate within the Church.

Metropolitan Serafim, the Archbishop of Zimbabwe, conducted the ordination ceremony on Holy Thursday just before Orthodox Easter.

According to Religion News, Molen expressed her initial nervousness about entering the altar but felt comforted and ready after receiving blessings from Metropolitan Serafim.

“Historic moment” for the Orthodox Church and Zimbabwe

In a press release announcing the ordination, the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess, an advocacy group for the revival of the female diaconate, noted Molen’s ordination was a historic moment and would set a precedent for other branches of the Orthodox Church.

“Being the first to do anything is always a challenge, but the Patriarchate of Alexandria has courageously chosen to lead the way with Metropolitan Serafim laying his hands on Deaconess Angelic,” wrote Dr. Carrie Frost, the chair of St. Phoebe’s board, in the press release.

For years, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and Africa has intensified efforts to establish the female diaconate on the continent.

After unanimously voting to revive the female diaconate at its synod in Alexandria in 2016, the Patriarchate ordained six sub-deaconesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2017.

Molen’s ordination as a full deaconess goes further. Her responsibilities, and those of future deaconesses, will include assisting priests in the liturgy and sacraments and addressing the specific needs of parishes in her country, explained Serafim.

Growing need for priests and deacons in African parishes

In its press release, the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess noted that her ordination was a response to the growing need for priests and deacons in African parishes.

“The Alexandrian Patriarchate in Africa felt the need to revive this order to serve the daily pastoral needs of Orthodox Christians in Africa,” read the press release.

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center article, Orthodox Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa represent 15 percent of the global Orthodox Christian population. The share of African Orthodox Christians has grown significantly over the last century, most residing in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Molen is currently studying geography and environmental studies and has served Orthodox Christians in Zimbabwe for years, working with youth and establishing church schools. She has also created a number of mothers’ groups to serve women.

According to the St. Phoebe Center, reviving the female diaconate could help congregations address the needs and concerns of women in churches.

In November 2023, the center organized a conference on the revival of the female diaconate and highlighted that deaconesses could “help overworked priests” and offer “woman-to-women ministry for many issues.”