In 2017, an historic step was taken by the Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, when he consecrated five women to be deaconesses in the Congo. On May 2, 2024, Angelic Molen of Harare, Zimbabwe, was ordained Deaconess Angelic in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa (the Orthodox Church in the continent of Africa). This is a giant stride for The Orthodox Church, (and inevitably controversial).
We deacons in the west rejoice with Deaconess Angelic, and thank God for the vision and courage of the Patriarch and Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in Africa in publicly recognising the call of these women to the diaconate. Their consecration, and now their ordination, will contribute enormously to meeting the spiritual and material needs of women and girls in their localities. We pray for them.
The full story of this groundbreaking news can be found on the website of the St Phoebe Centre for the Deaconess:
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 