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U.S. Africa Command

The AFRICOM chaplain delegation, led by U.S. Army Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker, concluded a series of meetings with key religious leaders in Cairo, Egypt, including His Holiness Theodoros II, Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, to foster peace and stability across the continent, March 17, 2025. Hosted at St. Nicolas Church, the delegation discussed shared values of resilience and service with diverse faith leaders, recognizing their critical role in supporting vulnerable communities through schools, hospitals, and orphanages in conflict zones. This engagement laid the groundwork for Strategic Religious Leader Engagement (SRLE), including a collaboration with an Egyptian university to train chaplains and religious leaders in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, positioning Egypt as a regional hub for interfaith training. By leveraging the Patriarch’s extensive influence and AFRICOM’s expertise in ethical guidance, this partnership underscores the importance of addressing social, economic, and religious factors to achieve lasting security, with plans for continued collaboration to promote unity, resilience, and mutual understanding across Africa. U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, and security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity. (US. Navy photo by Courtesy Contributor)

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Photo by: Chief Petty Officer John Pearl 

U.S. chaplain delegation led by U.S. Africa Command Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker conducted collaborative meetings to bring stability through faith and new avenues of collaboration in support of the warfighter while in Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2025.

Together AFRICOM’s engagement with the Patriarch plays a role in fostering unity, especially in regions facing extreme poverty, disease, violence, drought, and insecurity. The Patriarch has dedicated his life to establishing schools, hospitals, churches, and orphanages in conflicted areas. Regional cooperation with this alliance promotes resilience and fostering unity with a shared vision. 

“This visit shows how religious leaders can find common ground and work together towards a common goal such as peace and security,” said Chaplain Meeker. “We look forward to continuing this dialogue and exploring opportunities for collaboration in conflict resolution among peoples and nations.” 

Received at St. Nicolas Church, the team met with His Holiness Theodoros II, Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and Fr. Meletios, Chaplain General of the Hellenistic Forces General Staff. His Holiness Theodoros II traces his two-thousand-year lineage to St. Mark. The Patriarch oversees twenty-one archdioceses throughout East, West, North and Central Africa. Their discussions focused on shared values of resilience and outreach to vulnerable communities. 

This meeting laid the groundwork for AFRICOM to follow-on strategic religious leader engagements. It will also foster a collaboration with an Egyptian University that specializes in conflict resolution and character development. This program has successfully trained Jordanian Armed Force imams with tools to support peacebuilding efforts across the Middle East.

“The chaplaincy’s commitment to confidentiality and trust is a model for dialogue, both within the military and across communities.” Meeker noted. “It’s through this foundation that we can have the difficult conversations necessary for reconciliation, healing, and peace.”

AFRICOM is exploring how to adapt this model and empower chaplains and religious leaders across Africa with theological knowledge and practical tools for peacebuilding in their communities. This connection with Egypt is a regional hub for interfaith training addressing the conflict with wisdom, empathy, and leadership.

“Religious accommodation is a critical component of ensuring all individuals—whether in uniform or in community—can practice their faith freely and safely,” said Meeker. “Our shared work with religious leaders across Africa is not only a gesture of goodwill, but a tangible investment in the future of regional peace.” 

His Holiness Theodoros II extended a gracious invitation for AFRICOM to continue engaging with faith communities across East, West, North, and Central Africa. These efforts reflect the deep potential of religious diplomacy to complement traditional security strategies. As AFRICOM continues to deepen its partnerships with religious institutions and local communities, the command reaffirms its commitment to inclusive diplomacy, ethical leadership, and a vision of security rooted in mutual understanding.

Military chaplains offer spiritual, emotional, and ethical guidance to service members, particularly in high-pressure or combat settings. In addition to providing spiritual support, they serve as trusted confidants and advisors, assisting soldiers’ families and addressing the distinct challenges of military life.

U.S. Africa Command, one of 11 U.S. Department of Defense combatant commands with an area of responsibility covering 53 African states, more than 800 ethnic groups, over 1,000 languages, vast natural resources, a land mass that is three-and-a-half times the size of the U.S., and nearly 19,000 miles of coastland. Working alongside its partners, AFRICOM counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises.