The first meeting of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in 2025 was held in Alma-Ata

February 17, 2025. Alma-Ata. 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 Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), chaired by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The Synod of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District includes: Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhty, Archbishop Amfilohiy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevsk, Administrator of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Bishop Chrysanthus of Chimkent and Turkestan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Honorary Member – Archbishop Anthony (Moskalenko).

After the general prayer, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan greeted the archpastors with an opening speech and announced the agenda.

Members of the Synod of the Metropolitan District prayerfully honored the memory of the late His Grace Archbishop Serapion (Kolosnitsyn) of Akmola and Kokshetau, who tragically died on January 28, 2025. "Eternal Memory" was sung to the newly departed archpastor, who headed the Kokshetau diocese for more than 10 years.

Metropolitan Alexander opened the work of the Synod with a report on his meetings with government officials of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus, with religious leaders: 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, General Consul of the Russian Federation in Almaty D.A. Turaev and the Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Archbishop George Panamthundil.

The head of the Metropolitan District informed the hierarchs about the presentation of the printed works of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', dedicated to the 16th anniversary of his Primate enthronement, held in the Southern capital.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan told the participants of the meeting about his visit to the Chimkent diocese, during which a meeting was held with the akim of the metropolis, G.A. Syzdykbekov. The main topic of the conversation was the issue of creating a memorial chapel in Lisya Balka in memory of the new martyrs of Chimkent, the initiator of which was His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

The Synod heard reports from the Administrator of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen. The Most Reverend Bishop spoke about his participation in the round table "Christian Ethics and Social Justice".

The following presented reports on the activities of their dioceses in 2024: Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhty, Archbishop Amfilohiy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaev, Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Bishop Chrysanthus of Chimkent and Turkestan, Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau.

The Synod reviewed current issues in the life of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan and made a number of decisions.

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