With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Constantine of Cairo and North Africa, the Chairman of the Missionary Department of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, Priest George Maximov, visited Ghana.
On October 4, 2026, in the 18th Week after Pentecost, Priest Georgy Maximov celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ghana.
The service was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Ghana A.E. Ordash, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Serbia to Ghana Milutin Stanojevic, employees of the Russian diplomatic mission, as well as compatriots.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a water prayer and a requiem mass were served. Those who wished could confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, remember their loved ones, and receive holy water.
The day before, the priest performed the sacrament of the Baptism of a compatriot. The visit of the priest from Russia took place in response to a request from the children of the Russian Orthodox Church living in the country.
After the service, Priest George invoked God's blessing on the congregation and assured them that the spiritual care of the local faithful would continue. He also expressed gratitude to the head of the Russian House in Accra, who kindly provided a room for the service. On the same day, Father George performed the rite of consecration of the Russian House.
Russian Russian Orthodox Church Ambassador A.E. Ordash noted that the celebration of the Liturgy could be the first step towards establishing a permanent parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country: "This is the first Divine Liturgy in the history of the country celebrated by a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a cornerstone that in the future may become the foundation of a Russian Orthodox parish here in Ghana," the Russian diplomat said. The Ambassador stressed that the appearance of an Orthodox community would allow uniting compatriots living in Ghana who adhere to the Orthodox faith. In addition, he noted the humanitarian importance of the development of the Orthodox community. According to him, this is another bridge connecting the peoples of Ghana and Russia, because the majority of the inhabitants of both countries are Christians.
The importance of the first service was also noted by the Serbian Ambassador, who attended the service with his wife and a representative of the Serbian community: "I hope that this event will become permanent and will probably lead to the creation of a church, because there is a community here and it needs the Word of God," the ambassador said.