While the issue of inculturation has received great attention from theologians and practitioners of mission in Christian churches worldwide, it is still at an infantile stage in the Orthodox Church. Beyond vague declarations of principle, little is being said concerning the particulars. When the theological principle comes to implementation in concrete historical circumstances, arguments from tradition along with a conservative, perhaps regressive spirit, and even lack of empathy and feeling towards non‐traditionally Orthodox communities raise obstacles that seem insurmountable. In this paper we shall examine icon painting, and in particular the icon of Jesus Christ, from the viewpoint of contemporary Orthodox Missiology and as a backdrop to the needs of contemporary African Orthodoxy. We shall discuss the theology of the icon as it has been formulated and developed within our Orthodox ecclesial tradition along with evidence from our historical and patristic heritage with the aim of facilitating an encounter with the basic needs and quest of indigenous African Orthodox people, as well as with their cultural heritage and the struggle for liberation. A series of theological antinomies presented by the icon of Jesus Christ with direct reference to the historical presence of our Lord, will be analyzed from the perspective of systematic theology and missiology. The question of the Incarnation of the pre‐eternal Logos in human history will be examined in the light of contextual, incarnational theology, as well as the panhuman salvific function of the divine economy, beyond space and time. We shall discuss the different ways in which the Church has dealt with the tension between the historic and the dogmatic focusing on the formation of different examples and iconic types. Taking into account the didactic significance and role of Iconography, we shall argue that a black Jesus Christ is not only possible but also much needed in the Orthodox Church today.