The First Meeting of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in 2025 Took Place in Almaty

February 17, 2025. Almaty. The first meeting of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan this year was held in the Synodal Hall of the spiritual, cultural, and administrative center of the Kazakhstani Metropolitan District, named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The Synod of the Kazakhstani Metropolitan District consists of: Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk, Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Chrysanthos of Shymkent and Turkestan, Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau. Honorary member—Archbishop Antony (Moskalenko).

After a common prayer, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan welcomed the hierarchs with an opening address and announced the agenda.

The members of the Synod of the Metropolitan District prayerfully honored the memory of the newly reposed Archbishop Serapion (Kolosnitsyn) of Akmola and Kokshetau, who tragically passed away on January 28, 2025. The hierarch had led the Kokshetau Diocese for more than ten years. “Eternal Memory” was chanted in his honor.

Metropolitan Alexander opened the Synod’s proceedings with a report on his meetings with state officials from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus, as well as religious leaders. Among them were Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.G. Balaeva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus P.V. Utyupin, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Almaty D.A. Turaev, and Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan Archbishop George Panamthundil.

The Head of the Metropolitan District informed the hierarchs about the presentation of the published works of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, dedicated to the 16th anniversary of his primatial enthronement, which took place in the Southern Capital.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan also spoke about his pastoral visit to the Shymkent Diocese, during which he met with the Akim of the metropolis, G.A. Syzdykbekov. The main topic of discussion was the establishment of a memorial chapel at Lisya Balka in memory of the New Martyrs of Shymkent, a project initiated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’.

The Synod heard reports from Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, who shared details of his participation in the round table discussion “Christian Ethics and Social Justice.”

Hierarchs presented reports on the activities of their dioceses for 2024, including: Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhtinsk, Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo, Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Bishop Chrysanthos of Shymkent and Turkestan, and Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau.

The Synod reviewed current issues concerning the life of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and adopted a series of resolutions.

The records of the Synodal sessions of the Kazakhstani Metropolitan District are published after their approval by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ (see Article 9, Chapter XIII of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church: “The records of the Synod of the Metropolitan District are submitted to the Holy Synod and approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’”).