The clergy of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia took part in the congress of missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the VI All-Church Congress of Diocesan Missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church was held in Moscow from May 14 to 16, 2021. More than 250 participants of the Congress, chaired by the head of the synodal missionary department of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Starooskolsky, considered topical issues of spiritual enlightenment and discussed the most effective methods and ways of developing missionary service in modern Russia and in the external mission of the Church.
In the direction of “External Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church”, the co-chairs were: Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, member of the Academic Council of the Orthodox Missionary School and Priest Anthony Skrynnikov, Head of the Missionary Department of the Stavropol Diocese. Father Cornelius in his report touched upon the problems of the impact of the practice of shamanism on the Filipinos, with the severe consequences of which Orthodox priests have to face in their ministry. And Priest Dimitri Lavrentiev continued the topic with the report “Organization of missionary activity in the Philippines”.
Missionaries, translators, and representatives of foreign and Russian dioceses also made presentations:
- Elena S. Mahler, representative of the Argentine and South American diocese in Russia, organizer of the Orthodox missionary society “Southern Cross”.”Prospects and directions of the Orthodox Mission in South America”
Hieromonk Innokenty (Karpov), Cleric of the Argentine and South American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church ” Modern Orthodox Mission in the territory of the Argentine and South American Diocese»
Mark S. Dasic, Serbian Orthodox missionary and translator “Current missionary projects for the South American region”
Missionary work with foreigners in Russia
Priest Dionysius Grishkov, member of the Commission for Missionary Work and Catechism in Moscow, responsible for the mission among migrants, founder of the “Near Home” migrant aid fund. “Experience and problems of missionary work with migrants in Moscow»
Konstantin Dmitrievich Gorditsa, responsible for missionary work in the Moskvoretsky deanery of the Central Vicariate, teacher of the Orthodox Missionary School. “Features of missionary work among foreign diasporas in Moscow»
Erofeeva Natalia Anatolyevna Japanist, guide, translator; head and author of the project “The Way of St. Nicholas of Japan from the Birch to the Cherry Tree” “Missionary and educational projects for the 150th anniversary of the Orthodox Mission in Japan”.
The participants performed both remotely and in person. Representatives of foreign dioceses got in touch via zoom, and the audience could ask their questions to the speakers from the conference hall in Moscow. At the end of the session, the participants took a general photo and continued to communicate and exchange experiences of missionary service in the context of the pandemic in an informal setting.
