Our Story

Our Story

National African Religion Congress

The Story of the National African Religion Congress

At the National African Religion Congress, we are dedicated to serving the needs of African religious communities. We are not a church, sanctuary, temple, Ile, Humofor, or place of worship. Instead, at NARC, we are a certifying board for priests, priestesses, spiritual workers, drummers, and devotees of African religions worldwide.


That has been our mission from the start, and it is still our mission today. Take some time to read about our story. If you're ready to learn more or join us in our mission, call us today! Since 1999, we've been a nonprofit group you can trust.

Our Beginning

The National African Religion Congress is an international organization founded by Gro Mambo Angélá Noványón Idizol to foster unity among religions of the African Diaspora. The organization came into existence by default. First, Gro Mambo received a message from Papa Ogu about the need for unity among African-based religions. Then, the Loa Mali Louise issued a mandate for the unification of all African religions of the Diaspora.


Gro Mambo attempted to implement these mandates from the Loa through existing organizations by passing on the Loa messages to the leaders of all the major religions of the African Diaspora. She met strong resistance and resentment. However, because she had received the message, she had no choice but to move forward, even if it became necessary to start a new organization.


She held a unity conference and ceremony in New Orleans, LA, visited the African Village in Sheldon, SC, and attended an international conference in San Francisco, CA. She then incorporated the National African Religion Congress in January 1999 and called the First African Religion Unity Conference and Ceremony of Ceremonies on Easter weekend in 1999. She assembled a board of directors representing the religions of the African Diaspora.


Following the Loa mandate, Gro Mambo invested her own time and money toward the effort of the organization. Following a period of four years, the National African Religion Congress became a major institution, working on behalf of all priests and priestesses of African-based religions, especially those religions of the Diaspora:


  • Voodoo (Haiti)
  • Candomblé (Brazil)
  • Lucumi or Santeria (Latin America)
  • Orisa Tradition (Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Ifa/Orisa Worship (Nigeria)
  • Akan (Ghana)

Our Purpose

One of our primary goals at the National African Religion Congress is certification. We certify that priests and priestesses of African religions are truly ordained. Because we are an organization designed to foster unity, our mission is clear with a four-fold purpose.


  1. To maintain an organizational structure in which spiritual houses, priests, priestesses, Babalawos, and interested associates may be represented through formal affiliation
  2. To create a registry and system of certification for practicing priests and priestesses
  3. To establish freedom of religious practice and to fight persecution of African-based religions
  4. To preserve tradition and to provide guidance and correct education for practitioners, priests, priestesses, and the general public


The National African Religion Congress is also the support organization that provides outside agencies with the verification needed for establishing that a priest or priestess is qualified to perform legal marriages, funerals, baptisms, and other religious practices anywhere in the world.


NARC also ensures the right to perform ceremonies or rituals involving the sacrificing of animals as well as the right to hold public ceremonies.

Our Background

From its inception in January 1999, our organization has grown rapidly. Today, we are an international organization of almost 2,000 priests and priestesses. The membership of the NARC board comes from the United States, Nigeria, England, Brazil, Trinidad, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Spain. The board represents every branch of the African spiritual family for their mutual benefit.


Representatives of all branches of the African religious Diaspora have found unity and brotherhood under the umbrella of the National African Religion Congress. They have discovered the strength of numbers and the effectiveness of having a body to represent their mutual interests. The accomplishments of NARC are impressive:


  • Certification of almost 2,000 priests and priestesses from around the world, especially the centers of religions of the African Diaspora
  • Publication of an annual international directory of priests and priestesses with in-depth descriptions of each African-based religion
  • NARC membership seminars in many cities, especially in the eastern United States (New York, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Atlanta, GA, and Houston, TX) and internationally (Trinidad, Haiti, and Brazil)
  • Requests for NARC certification seminars across the United States and around the world with future efforts pointed at Nigeria, Ghana, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago
  • License from the Department of the Treasury to legally travel to Cuba for any NARC member legally allowed to do so
  • Official branches or stations of NARC established in Nigeria (Ile-Ife and Lagos) and Haiti
  • A large movement in Nigeria called “NARC-Youth” to help return the Yoruba people back to traditional religion from the practices of Islam and Christianity
  • Recognition by medical insurance agencies for the healing practices of priests and priestesses, allowing them to receive insurance payments
  • The annual NARC International African Religion Unity Conference and Ceremony of Ceremonies to bring together priests and priestesses from around the world to celebrate and plan the progress of African religious unity
  • Forcing American institutions to grant time off for African-based religious holidays, celebrations, and initiations
  • Parking permits from urban municipalities for priests and priestesses
  • Secretariat of the National African Religion Congress and NARC World


We’ve come a long way, but our work is still ongoing at the National African Religion Congress.

Our Rationale

There are many people who are calling themselves priests and priestesses who have not passed through a single ceremony. The making of priests or priestesses is performed in the presence of witnesses and other priests and priestesses. Innocent people often find themselves being treated with readings, spiritual baths, counseling, marriage ceremonies, and more by those who have not been ordained as priests and priestesses. 


To combat this problem, the National African Religion Congress seeks to verify the credentials of priests and priestesses. This allows us to certify them for their protection and the protection of others.

Our Focus on Respect

African-based religions in the United States are growing, but at the same time, they are divided. African religions have trouble respecting one another, which doesn’t help any of them gain respect from outside institutions. Priests and priestesses all know what is needed to bring earn multifaceted respect. Many of the priests or priestesses will bring corrections within his or her spiritual house only. Many of the elders constantly say that unity among African religions is impossible, but we believe differently at the National African Religion Congress. If we truly want other religions to respect African traditions, then we need to start showing that unity.


Too many practitioners are reluctant to struggle with outside agencies. The National African Religion Congress is here to help. We can provide unity to clarify our message and increase the creditability of African religions worldwide. 


Although the United States of America welcomes the races, cultures, and religions of all people, we must reach the realization that the United States is not the homeland for any African-based religion. In recognizing this, we must be able to bring all African-based religions on the same page and represent the practices, ethics, values, and morality with a standard code. The certification process at NARC can be the governing voice needed to bring unity and finally earn respect.

Our General Principles

Our general principles ground who we are and everything we do at the National African Religion Congress. Consider them for yourself:


  1. All members and affiliate members of NARC must be registered. In addition, priests and priestesses must be certified upon verification of their initiation and training credentials.
  2. An international council of priests, priestesses, and other advisors will serve as board members of NARC. Active board members should have applications and certifications on file and be in possession of a valid NARC-issued identification card.
  3. NARC seeks to build a solid and consistent foundation in the protocols of African-based religions. Therefore, it is necessary that board members adhere to the dogmas and beliefs set forth by NARC in all of their public statements, speeches, writings, and other literature. In order to counter negative stereotypes and to advance legitimate representations of African religions, NARC stipulates that all board members refrain from characterizing the forces of African-based religions as polytheistic, pagan, fetishistic, or akin to Greek and Roman mythology with gods and goddesses.
  4. NARC seeks to promote the character and integrity of African traditions. It is the position of NARC that in order to re-establish the credibility of African-based religions, practitioners should return to the time-honored protocols by separating outside and external influences from their practices. For example, if a tradition demands seven years of training for priesthood, practitioners should not change this. If a tradition requires seven days for initiation, the tradition should not be altered in accordance with anyone’s own ideas, values, or exigencies.
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