Orthodox cleric spoke on March 15, 2002

An Orthodox Christian priest noted for his effectiveness in a predominantly Muslim nation, as well as his insights into African-American spirituality, visited the Drury Diversity Center at Historic Washington Avenue Baptist Church on Friday, March 15, 2002.

Archimandrite Daniel Bambang Byantoro's talk focused on two themes: linking ancient African-American Christianity to the African-American experience and the suffering of African-American forefathers linked to the suffering of the Indonesian people.

Byantoro was born into a Muslim family; a spiritual re-evaluation led him to become Indonesia's first convert to Christian Orthodoxy. After more than ten years of missionary service in Indonesia, he has gathered over 2,000 believers. The accomplishment is especially noteworthy considering Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world; almost 90 percent of its 200 million residents practice Islam.