First All-Kazakhstan Congress on Church Social and Charitable Work “Serving One’s Neighbor” Opens in Astana

August 28, 2026. Astana. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the First All-Kazakhstan Congress on Church Social and Charitable Work “Serving One’s Neighbor” opened at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Spiritual and Cultural Center.

The forum was preceded by the celebration of the festal Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral, which marked its patronal feast on this day. The service was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The organizers of the event are the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation (President – V.M. Kapsamun) and the Metropolitan District Commission for Charity and Social Ministry.

The conference was chaired by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

Members of the presidium included: Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk; Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Archbishop Varsonofy of Kokshetau and Akmola; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; and Archbishop George Panamthundil, Apostolic Nuncio of the Vatican.

The opening of the congress was attended by: Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), Dean of the Astana Church District; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Alma-Ata; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Archpriest Sergiy Kaliyev, Dean of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Astana; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Archpriest Anatoly Izmerov, Chairman of the Society of Orthodox Physicians of Kazakhstan; Archpriest Evgeny Korolkov, Dean of the Dormition Cathedral; Archpriest Vyacheslav Pugachev, Head of the Metropolitan District Commission for Charity and Social Ministry; Priest Bogdan Boiko, Head of the “You Are Needed by the World” project; Abbess Sebastiana (Plotnikova), Superior of the Convent of the Icon of the Mother of God “Recovery of the Perishing” in Astana, with the sisters of the community; A.A. Belimova, Senior Sister of the Sisterhood in the name of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers; R.M. Abakhanova, Coordinator of Volunteer Ministry; G. Galkina, participant in the “You Are Needed by the World” project; heads and staff members of the social ministry departments of the dioceses of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; sisters of mercy from the Alma-Ata and Kokshetau Dioceses; and clergy and faithful of the churches of Astana.

Opening the forum, Metropolitan Alexander addressed those gathered with a welcoming speech.

“I warmly greet the organizers and participants of the First All-Kazakhstan Congress on Church Social Ministry. Today, here within the walls of the Spiritual, Cultural and Administrative Center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, people have gathered who take deeply to heart the needs, illnesses and sorrows of others and do everything in their power to alleviate the suffering and pain of their neighbors.

“The doing of good works is closely bound up with the very essence of the life of the Orthodox Church and of every Christian, for, according to Scripture, faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:26). The mercy commanded by Christ is faith in action; it is love expressed in concrete deeds aimed at the good of one’s neighbor. It is no coincidence that we call service to our neighbor ‘social ministry,’ for nothing has such a profound influence on the formation of a healthy society as kindness. Moreover, without people supporting one another, society itself cannot exist – it will disintegrate and disappear.

“Therefore, what we call the Church’s social ministry is directed toward addressing pressing and vitally important needs. Through the doing of good works, the character of the person who performs them is itself formed. It is essential that every Orthodox community, alongside worship and preaching, should have organized forms of social and charitable work. I wish you all fruitful work and beneficial fellowship. May God’s blessing abide with you all,” the Head of the Metropolitan District said, in particular, in his address.

Following His Eminence’s address, Priest Bogdan Boiko, Head of the “You Are Needed by the World” project, read out a greeting from Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry, to the participants of the First All-Kazakhstan Congress on Social Ministry.

At the conclusion of the plenary session, a group photograph was taken.

The congress will continue on August 29.