The expansion of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Africa has generated debate across the international community about the relationship that exists between religion and geopolitical influence. The Moscow Patriarchate established the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa in December 2021, through which it extended its ecclesiastical presence to many African countries, including Ghana, which falls under the jurisdiction of the North African Diocese of the Exarchate (Russian Orthodox Church, 2021).
The Orthodox Times (2022) reports seem to confirm this assertion by noting that the Patriarchate of Alexandria’s Nigerian Metropolis confronted the Russian Church’s activities in Nigeria, suggesting that Russia’s presence goes beyond religious activity and serves political and ecclesiastical purposes. Gorokhov et al. (2025) also identified a relationship between ROC’s African activities and Russia’s broader geopolitical culture, pointing out connections between religious activities and other Russian soft-power institutions. In Ghana, however, the Church’s influence should be seen as emerging rather than already decisive.
The ROC reported establishing more than 200 parishes across Africa in about 25 countries by 2023 (Russian Orthodox Church, 2023). This development has sparked debates among scholars and analysts about the motive behind the ROC’s expansion in Africa, particularly in Ghana. Ray (2024) and Kulkova (2021) argue that Russia’s engagement with Africa moves beyond conventional diplomacy.
They noted economic, military, humanitarian, cultural, media and religious activities as aspects of its broader strategy for strengthening relationships in Africa. Thiani (2024), on the other hand, posited that the expansion of ROC cannot be separated from Russia’s geopolitical interests.
Avanesova (2021) postulated that the Orthodox Church has been identified as one of the instruments Moscow uses to project its influence abroad. Similarly, Beyate (2025) noted that religious diplomacy, alongside education and cultural engagement, is part of Russia’s broader soft-power strategy towards Africa.
In this regard, can foreign religious expansion develop forms of influence that affect Ghana’s socio-economic and diplomatic environment? To answer this question, it is important to situate the argument within the context of Ghana’s church history. Thus, this article examines the ROC expansion and foreign influence in Ghana using religious soft power as its framework.
The motive of this article is not to challenge Christianity or limit religious freedom, but rather to critically examine the relationship between religious institutions and actors playing a crucial role in diplomacy.
Religious soft power as a concept emerged from Joseph Nye’s theory of soft power. Nye (2004) posits that desired outcomes can be gained by states through values, culture, and relationships, instead of material inducement or coercion. Religious soft power develops on this argument by identifying institutions as potential channels of international influence.
Religious institutions and actors become resources within foreign policy strategies because they possess moral authority, networks, identities, and transnational relationships (Mandaville and Hoffman, 2023).
The transnational relationship can be represented in three dimensions: institutional influence, that is, the establishment of schools, cultural centres, churches and humanitarian programmes; secondly, relational influence, that is, the development of relationships among clergy, political leaders, diplomats, academics and communities; and finally, discursive influence, which may emerge through public statements, religious teachings and narratives about Russia, Africa and the West, traditional values and international affairs.
Thus, this framework posits that the influence may not be directly political. Furthermore, the framework does not equate religious activities with political interference; rather, it asks if religious networks create avenues through which foreign influence can operate.
As pointed out earlier, the expansion of ROC in Ghana (Africa) cannot be understood outside the history of Christianity in Ghana. This history is characterised by religio-cultural colonialism, European imperialism and African nationalism (Mwombeki, 2024). The missionary enterprise in the Gold Coast operated within the context of a complex relationship with European political and colonial interests.
In this regard, the contemporary expansion of the ROC raises questions about the relationship between Russia, foreign policy interests, and religious expansion. Nevertheless, historical parallels should not automatically be perceived as proof that the ROC is simply reproducing Western Missionary colonialism or that all missionary activities are for the purposes of political influence.
Kuusaana et al. (2025) argued that while acknowledging the intersection between missionary activity and colonial structures, missionaries had genuine religious motivations. Thus, Christianity simultaneously became an instrument of cultural transformation and, in some circumstances, a resource that colonial administrations could utilise.
This historical context provides an important framework for examining the contemporary Russian Orthodoxy in Ghana. The expansion of ROC occurred after a major ecclesiastical dispute between Moscow and the Patriarchate of Alexandria, regarding the recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Scholars have argued that the expansion in Africa can be perceived through two main lenses, that is, ecclesiastical and geopolitical (Thiani, 2024; Voronina, 2023). Ray (2024) further extended this relationship to include spiritual guidance, humanitarian assistance and education, which may contribute to Russian influence among African elites (Ray, 2024).
The importance of diplomacy lies in the fact that religious institutions and actors can create networks of education, humanitarian activities, cultural exchange and interpersonal relationships that complement formal diplomatic relations. In this regard, the expansion of ROC may provide Moscow with an additional channel of religious or faith-based diplomacy in Ghana.
The question is not whether the expansion of ROC can serve as an avenue for the Russian government to exert influence in Ghana, but to what extent. As it has already been established, religious institutions through education, cultural exchanges and interpersonal relationships shape public opinion, deepen strategic relationships and build political influence through advocacy.
However, the existence of an Orthodox institution does not establish that Ghanaian foreign-policy decisions are being influenced by Moscow. Instead, it creates a potential channel through which religious, cultural and diplomatic relationships may develop. The Western missionary experience provides the historical context within which the contemporary Russian Orthodox presence should be critically examined. Thus, an important question to consider is whether the ROC’s expansion in Ghana remains primarily ecclesiastical or has/will develop into an instrument of Russian cultural diplomacy and foreign-policy engagement.
The expansion of ROC, thus, represents an important development at the intersection of religion, diplomacy and international relations. The establishment of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, its rapid growth and the inclusion of Ghana within its declared jurisdiction make the subject increasingly relevant to Ghanaian scholarship and public discussion.
Author: Samuel K.B. Nkrumah-Pobi, Ph.D
Author bio
Samuel K.B. Nkrumah-Pobi is a lecturer in the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, and the Department for Leadership and Management, SALT University College, Ghana. His area of research is the intersection between African Spirituality, Religion and Contemporary Issues.
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