The Orthodox Missionary Society in the Name of St. Innocent of Moscow (PMO), operating under the Synodal Missionary Department, held a seminar on "Legal Regulation of Missionary activity in the Russian Federation" on March 13, 2025.
E.O. Ivanov, Executive Secretary of the PMO, noted in his opening remarks that it is very useful for missionaries to know the legal norms related to the preaching of religious beliefs and missionary activities. This is also relevant for those Orthodox Christians who practice mission in a public space (on the street, at public transport facilities, etc.) and may face negative reactions. Knowledge of the relevant legislation can help a missionary to better understand and use the opportunities for preaching.
The main report at the seminar was delivered by N.S. Semenova, PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Church and Practical Disciplines at the Moscow Theological Academy. She spoke about the basic constitutional legal framework of religious organizations, in particular, that the principle of a secular state, laid down in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, cannot be equated with the principle of separation of Church from state and school from Church, which was established by a Soviet decree of 1918. The modern principle of separation of religious associations from the state is expressed in the fact that they cooperate without interfering with each other's exclusive competence, which is similar to the Orthodox principle of the "symphony of authorities."
N.S. Semenova listed and briefly described the main legal acts, including international ones, directly or indirectly related to missionary activity, starting with Federal Law No. 125-FZ of September 26, 1997 "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations", continuing with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 9, 2022 No. 809 "On the approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values" and other documents. It was noted that modern Russian law enshrines the system of Russian spiritual and moral values and the need to support religious organizations of traditional faiths, ensuring their participation in activities aimed at preserving traditional values, which provides good opportunities for Orthodox Christians to preach their faith.
Next, N.S. Semenova spoke in detail about the concept of missionary activity in the legislation, the legally established opportunities and limitations for the mission. The seminar also presented a sample of a legally significant document, a missionary's certificate, which a religious organization can issue to practicing missionaries.
The seminar ended with a lively discussion. The participants from the audience and in the online broadcast asked N.S. Semenova numerous questions and received answers to them.
A total of 70 people participated in the seminar, mostly online, including many representatives of diocesan missionary departments and missionary movements.