Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan Meets with the Administration and Students of the Almaty Theological Seminary

November 13, 2026. Almaty. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan held a meeting with the administration and students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary at the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Spiritual, Cultural and Administrative Centre of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan.

The meeting was attended by Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology; Priest Ioann Livinsky, Vice-Rector for Student Formation; Priest Peter Bakhtiyarov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs; Priest Evgeny Bessonov, Inspector of the Seminary; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; and L.E. Goricheva, Vice-Rector for Extracurricular Activities of the theological school, Honoured Worker of Culture.

Addressing those assembled, the Metropolitan shared his reflections on the particular nature of pastoral ministry.

“You are future pastors, and what our Church will become in the years ahead depends on each of you. St. John uttered these majestic, profound and powerful words, which each of us should know and which pastors should carry in their hearts: ‘A priest must be an adornment of the Church, a reliable support for those within it and an insurmountable barrier to those outside it.’

“To become a worthy pastor, it is not enough to master theological terminology or memorise a list of events in Church history. The church is referred to as ‘classroom number one’ in theological schools. Anyone aspiring to receive holy orders must make prayer, standing before God, and participation in the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion an integral part of his existence. ‘A theologian is one who prays much,’ the Holy Fathers used to say. Theoretical knowledge alone is insufficient for a clergyman, and here we may recall the words of St. Gregory the Theologian, who warns us: ‘Before teaching others, one must first learn oneself; before enlightening others, one must first be enlightened oneself; before healing the infirmities of others, one must first become healthy oneself.’

“In conclusion of our meeting, I would like to recall an account shared by my spiritual father, Archbishop Meliton (Solovyov) of Tikhvin. In his youth, this venerable hierarch was fortunate enough to see the Righteous Father John of Kronstadt. From the lips of this luminary of the Church, he heard the following words: ‘Love the Church of God with all your heart!’ I would like to address this exhortation to the administration, teachers and students of the Almaty Theological Seminary. Only by coming to love the Church of Christ can we reveal God to people and manifest the beauty and power of our beloved Orthodox faith to all those seeking salvation.”

At the conclusion of his address, Metropolitan Alexander wished those assembled God’s help in all their good works and endeavours.

During the meeting, Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, and representatives of the administration informed the Head of the Metropolitan District about the organisation of the academic and formative processes, the students’ current academic performance and their participation in the liturgical life of the theological school. Particular attention was devoted to improving the quality of theological education, enhancing the practical training of future pastors, strengthening academic discipline and developing students’ research activities.

The archpastor held a separate conversation with the students admitted to the first year of the Pastoral and Choir Conducting Departments following their entrance examinations. The Metropolitan congratulated those assembled on their admission to the Almaty Theological Seminary, spoke about its history and shared his recollections of his years of study at the theological schools of St. Petersburg, particularly of the entrance examinations conducted by the current Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

As a memento of the meeting, Metropolitan Alexander presented each student with a copy of the Holy Gospel, a calendar of the Metropolitan District for 2027 and an icon of the New Martyrs of Kazakhstan.