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In the 19th century things began to change. Large numbers of Greeks settled in Alexandria, which helped to revitalize the Church there. Also Greek and Syrian traders began settling in other parts of Africa, establishing Orthodox communities. At the same time, Western missionaries, both [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Protestantism|Protestant]], began evangelising in [[Orthodoxy in Sub-Saharan Africa|sub-Saharan Africa]]. Some Africans who had become Christian, however, began studying Church history, and discovered that the [[Orthodox Church]] was the original one, and therefore sought to become Orthodox. Different groups in East and West Africa made such discoveries independently of each other, and sought to be united to the [[Church of Alexandria|Patriarchate of Alexandria]]. This led to a great growth in Orthodoxy around Lake Victoria, in [[Uganda]], Kenya and Tanzania, and later in other parts of tropical Africa as well, especially in the second half of the 20th century.
Patriarch [[Petros VII (Papapetrou) of Alexandria|Pope Petros VII]], who was elected in 1997, actively encouraged mission [[missions]] until his untimely death in a helicopter crash on [[September 11]], 2004, along with three other bishops, including Bishop [[Nektarios (Kellis) of Madagascar|Nektarios]], a pioneer [[missionary]] in [[Madagascar]]. The new Patriarch, His Beatitude Pope [[Theodoros II (Choreftakis) of Alexandria|Theodoros]], himself has [[missionary]] experience, having been Archbishop of Cameroun and later [[Zimbabwe]].
Today the [[Coptic]] Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the largest Church in the Middle East and Africa. Besides the Coptic Orthodox Church bishops in Sudan (HG Bishop Sarabamon is the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Sudan (Atbara and Om Dorman) and HG Bishop Elija is the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Khartoum), Africa also currently has two dedicated Coptic Orthodox bishops, HG Bishop Antonious Markos and HG Bishop Paul (Boulos), serving in [[missions ]] in at least nine African countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Zaire, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, and as far as Johannesburg, South Africa in the south (see [http://www.geocities.com/copticafrica/]). (Bishop names correct as of August 2005--see [http://www.theholysynod.copticpope.org/].)
==See also==
*[[Missionary]]
*[[Orthodoxy in Sub-Saharan Africa]]
*[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e78f10494c7b26bc99e2fd2/t/5e7e1fa9844cdb3584ffeef5/1585323945878/18.We_Are_Going_to_Live_in_Paradise.pdf "We are going to live in Paradise: Orthodoxy in the Congo"] in ''Road to Emmaus''*[Missionary]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e78f10494c7b26bc99e2fd2/t/5e7e1fa247c7f816da9670a7/1585323938576/18.Letters_from_an_Apostle.pdf "Letters from an Apostle: The Inner Life of Father Cosmas of Zaire"]in ''Road to Emmaus''
{{OrthodoxyinAfrica}}