Fr. Athanasius Akunda, Parish Priest 2009 – 2015 (St Nicholas of Japan Orthodox Church)

 

 

Father Athanasius was born Amos Akunda in Kenya in 1971. He was the eldest of six children whose father is a theologian from St. Tikhons Theological Seminary.  He became Orthodox at the age of 8 after his parents converted to Orthodoxy. He attended Makarios III seminary in Kenya and graduated with a Diploma in Theology, followed by a Master of Divinity at Holy Cross School of Theology.  At the International institute of Church Management he graduated in a Doctor of Divinity and at the University of South Africa a Doctor of Theology. He also completed a Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Education Management at the India Institute of Management, and a Certificate in teaching English as a foreign language at the Cambridge Institute of English Language in Boston.

Father Athanasius worked in African literature, Christian religious education, Social education and Ethics at Ebukhaya High School, Ebusiloli High School and Ngoro Orthodox High School, all in Kenya. He held the position of Catechist in Western Kenya, and Secretary in the office of the Archbishopric of Kenya.

He was ordained as a Deacon in Kenya in 1998 by His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim and ordained as a Priest at Pantanassa Church also by Archbishop Seraphim in 2002. In 2010 at the Church of St Athansios in Benoni, on the feast day of that church, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Damaskinos. He has served as the Parish priest St. Seraphim in Soshanguve and at St. Raphael,  Irene and Nicholas in Yeoville,  Johannesburg. He was also Dean and lecturer at Petros VII seminary. He was the parish priest at St. Nicholas of Japan from 2009 to 2015.

Other positions he has held include Director of missions from 2003 to 2008 and Vicar in charge of missions since 2010. Father Athanasius has represented the Patriarchate of Alexandria at the World Council of Churches, and the All African Conference of Churches.

Father Athanasius left St Nicholas to serve at the Patriarchal Seminary “Makarios III” in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

http://orthodox.co.za/st-nicholas/clergy/fr-athanasius/