Synodal Department of Social and Church Ministry of the Russian Orthodox Church. Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service

Created date: 1991 Description:

Established in 1991. The main tasks are the coordination of church social initiatives in all dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, the creation of a church-wide mass volunteer charity movement, the development and implementation of methods of helping all categories of those in need, the organization of the exchange of experience and training of church social workers.

Areas of work of the Department:

assistance to orphans, large and single-parent families;
assistance to the elderly and disabled;
help for drug addicts;
help for alcoholics;
assistance in emergency situations;
assistance to the homeless;
creation of a church-wide database on social activities;
development of the Orthodox volunteer movement;
information support for social services;
publication of methodological manuals on social work;
organization distance learning.

The Department operates:

Coordination Center for Combating Alcoholism and Promoting Sobriety;
Society of Orthodox Doctors;
Coordination Center for Combating Drug Addiction;
Coordination Center for Work with the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing;
Group church assistance in emergency situations (CPES);
Homeless Assistance Coordination Center;
Legal service of the Synodal Department for Charity.

Distance learning course is being conducted social service, at least 5 are published annually teaching materials for social service, the Department supports Orthodox portal about charity Mercy.ru.

The social ministry of the Church in post-Soviet Russia began to revive in the 90s of the 20th century with the activities of the brotherhood of St. Anastasia the Pattern Maker in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Today the social ministry of the Church is (data as of May 2019):

more than 4500 church social institutions, projects and initiatives in the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia;
about 400 sisterhoods of mercy that are members of the Association of Sisterhoods of Mercy;
more than 500 charity groups in Russia;
60 crisis centers with shelters for women in difficult life situations in Russia;
over 180 humanitarian centers (warehouses) providing clothing and food assistance to pregnant women and mothers with children;
65 orphanages in Russia, where about 1.3 thousand children live;
more than 60 almshouses;
more than 400 projects to help people with disabilities;
about 300 drug addiction assistance centers, including more than 70 rehabilitation centers;
more than 500 Orthodox organizations and parishes that help alcohol addicts and their relatives;
95 Orthodox shelters for the homeless and 10 mercy buses (mobile aid stations).

In 71 Orthodox churches in 45 metropolises, work is carried out with deaf and hard of hearing people.

The department is subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 5, 2010 (), the cleric of the Moscow diocese, Archpriest Arkady Shatov (now Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsky), was appointed chairman of the Department.

Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service

Managers
Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Russian Orthodox Church
OCBSS ROC
Address:
Official languages:
chairman
Base

http://www.diaconia.ru/

Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Russian Orthodox Church- one of the synodal departments of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was created by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 31, 1991. The new concept of the Department’s work was approved by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on April 9, 2010.

Department Chairs

Mission and objectives of the department

The Synodal Department’s mission sees the connection of effective modern technologies charity with truly Christian service to one's neighbor.

The purpose of church social institutions and all charitable activities of the Church is to increase love, bring both those under their care and those who help them closer to God, restore the image of God in a person tormented by deprivations of various kinds, suffering, the consequences of sins (both his own and the whole society).

The task of the church social work- not to duplicate the system of state social institutions, but to help the state transform this system, bring into society the spirit of love, active faith, sacrificial service to others, offer new technologies, new forms of work. An initiative for active assistance should come from the Church, the goal of which is to return a person to society and give joy to life.

Mission of the Department of Church Charity and Social Service

The department was created to revive social service at the general church, diocesan, monastic and parish levels, to provide assistance to vulnerable members of society - orphans, disabled people, lonely old people and the sick, the homeless, alcohol and drug addicts, refugees, etc. The purpose of the Department’s work is to increase love and bring both the wards and those who help them closer to God. In addition, the goals of the Department include:

Support for family, motherhood and childhood;
Coordination and assistance in the work of church social initiatives in all dioceses;
Development and implementation of effective methods of assistance to all categories of people in need;
Organization of exchange of experience and training of church social workers, as well as interfaith exchange of experience;
Organization of effective cooperation with government agencies all levels, as well as public organizations and business structures;
Popularization of the idea of the need for personal participation in acts of mercy, drawing attention to the needs of the disadvantaged; attracting the widest possible range of people and organizations into the field of charity;
Creation of a church-wide mass volunteer charity movement;
Creation of church-wide programs for attracting massive private donations for social projects of the Church.

Areas of activity of the Department

assistance to pregnant women, orphans, large and single-parent families;
assistance to the elderly and disabled;
help for drug addicts;
help for alcoholics;
assistance to the homeless;
creation of a church-wide database on social activities
development of the Orthodox volunteer movement;
information support for social services;
publication of methodological manuals on social work;
attraction cash for social projects of the Church;
development of the ministry of sisters of mercy;
organization of distance learning in social service

The Department operates a Coordination Center for Maternity Protection, a Coordination Center for Combating Drug Addiction, a Coordination Center for Combating Alcoholism and Promoting Sobriety, a Coordination Center for Helping the Homeless and the Association of Sisterhoods of Mercy.

The department is subordinated to the Central Clinical Hospital of the Moscow Patriarchate of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow.

Emergency assistance

Unrest in Kyrgyzstan, June 2010 The department collected and sent 400 kg of humanitarian cargo to Kyrgyzstan: medicines (antibiotics, anti-burn agents, medicines for heart disease) and dressings worth 145 thousand rubles. Churches of the Russian Orthodox Church in places of interethnic clashes in Kyrgyzstan became points of appeal for a huge number of people for the necessary help . The abbots of the temples hid the victims in the temples, supported them spiritually, and provided food, shelter, and medicine to all those in need, regardless of religion.

Flood in Krasnodar region, October 2010 213 thousand 267 rubles were collected through the website Miloserdie.ru and the official website of the Department Diakonia.ru, the funds were transferred to the Krasnodar diocese, assistance was provided to more than 200 residents of the region.

Flight delays at Moscow airports due to bad weather, December 2010 Thousands of passengers have piled up at airports due to flight delays due to bad weather. Employees of the Department delivered 500 bottles of drinking water for children, hundreds of packs wet wipes and about a thousand packages of diapers to Domodedovo airport, where the problem was most acute.

Help for victims in Japan

In March 2011, as a result largest earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami, the churches of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church were seriously damaged. One Orthodox church burned down, two received major damage, another 15 churches were partially damaged. A fundraiser was announced in churches and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was coordinated by the department. As a result of fundraising, the Department’s account received 41,037,287 rubles. 1,438,310 US dollars (40,673,592 rubles) were transferred to the Japanese Orthodox Church for the restoration of destroyed churches and assistance to families affected by the earthquake and tsunami; bank services (conversion and transfer) amounted to 363,695 rubles).

Department publications

Social support for adolescents in prison and after release
Methodology for social rehabilitation of drug addicts in the church community
Pastoral and nursing care for people living with HIV
For life. Protection of motherhood and childhood. Experience and working methods
A petitioner came to the temple. Methodological recommendations for church social service
Homeless Handbook. 2011, 2012

Notes

Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church
Institutions	Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate Department of External Church Relations Publishing Council Educational Committee Financial and Economic Management Department of Religious Education and Catechesis Department of Church Charity and Social Service Missionary Department Department of Interaction with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies Department of Youth Affairs Department of Church-Society Relations Information department Department for Prison Ministry Committee for Interaction with the Cossacks Department for Monasteries and Monasticism Patriarchal Council for Culture Department for Foreign Institutions
Commissions	Biblical and theological On the canonization of saints Liturgical On interaction with the museum community On economic and humanitarian issues
Other	Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate Synodal Library

The social ministry of the Church today is on the territory of Russia.

The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Moscow Patriarchate, established by the decision of the Holy Synod on January 31, 1991, coordinates and assists in the work of church social initiatives in all dioceses, develops and implements effective techniques helping those in need, organizing the exchange of experience and training of church social workers. Thanks to the methodological and organizational support of the Synodal Department, over 100 new church social projects appear annually in Russia. Based on the results of training in 2017, 306 new social projects were developed.

May 1, 2016, the day of the Holy Day Christ's Resurrection, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited Moscow crisis center"Home for Mom" Orthodox service help "Mercy"

One example of the development of the Church’s social ministry is helping women in crisis situations. Until 2011, there was only one church-based shelter in Russia for pregnant women and women in crisis. As of July 2019, there are 64 such centers in Russia, with several new shelters opening every year.

Many social projects develop as models, first in Moscow, and then spread to the regions. So, in Moscow, with the blessing His Holiness Patriarch Kirill operates an Orthodox help service “Mercy”, which unites 27 social projects to help people. Many initiatives of the Mercy service serve as a model for subsequent replication of similar social projects throughout the country.

Help for the disabled

There are over 400 Orthodox organizations in Russia that help children and adults with disabilities. Work with the deaf is carried out in 71 parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, and 9 parishes provide care for deaf-blind people. A Coordination Center for working with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people has been created within the structure of the Synodal Department. The department regularly organizes courses to train clergy, social workers and volunteers to work with the deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing. Classes are taught by leading teachers and specialists of the Educational and Methodological Center of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf.

Help the homeless

In Russia, 95 church shelters for the homeless have been opened, and 10 mercy buses (mobile help centers for the homeless) operate. On the territory of the Synodal Department for Charity and Social Service, a “Hangar of Salvation” (a project of the Orthodox help service “Mercy”) has been organized, where the homeless can eat, receive clothing and assistance in restoring documents and purchasing tickets home.

Together with the Helper and Patron charity foundation, the Synodal Department for Charity annually organizes the “Nadezhda” motor rally in different regions of Russia. During the campaign, the homeless are given warm clothes, medical and social assistance. Employees of the Synodal Department share their experience with social workers and volunteers from regional NGOs that work with the homeless.

The Synodal Department for Charity operates a Coordination Center for Combating Drug Addiction, which regularly organizes training in different regions for clergy and laity in methods of helping drug addicts.

In 2011, the Synodal Department established Charitable Foundation saint righteous John Kronstadtsky to finance church initiatives in the field of combating drug addiction, developing a system of church rehabilitation and helping drug addicts.

Emergency assistance

The Synodal Department for Charity acted as a coordinator of assistance to victims of , from , in , in 2014 and 2015, victims of floods in natural disasters in other countries, notably Serbia and the Philippines.

It was created under the Synodal Department - these are sisters of mercy, priests and volunteers who are ready to go to the scene of a tragedy, catastrophe, explosion or terrorist attack. The tasks of the group include spiritual and psychological assistance victims, catering and temporary accommodation of people, legal, medical and social assistance.

As part of the Agreement with the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church are trained in educational and methodological centers. Special training allows priests to act professionally during emergencies.

Legal assistance

The Church Charity Department has a team of professionals who, in their free time from their main work, provide free services to those in need.

The service has been operating since 2013; by the end of 2016, more than 2 thousand people had received assistance.

The service of volunteer lawyers helps solve problems in the field social protection, housing, labor, family and other legislation of the Russian Federation.

Development of volunteerism

As of October 2017, there are 503 volunteer charity groups and 231 volunteer associations of various profiles in the Church.

Church volunteers help families with children, children without parental care, refugees, people with disabilities and their families, care for patients in hospitals, help the homeless and people with various types dependencies, organize transportation, organize various charity events and events.

The largest church services volunteers operate in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, as well as in the Rostov, Smolensk, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk dioceses.

According to surveys conducted by the Synodal Department for Charity, the number of volunteers participating in charity work is constantly growing. Middle age church volunteers - 35-40 years old.

The online seminars are hosted by the heads of the Synodal Department for Charity and invited specialists. The main audience of the seminars are laity and clergy responsible for social work in parishes and dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Every year, from 1.5 to 2 thousand new participants join online training. As of October 2017, more than 990 online seminars have been held since March 2011. Based on the results of training in 2017, 306 new social projects were developed.

Online classes are conducted in all main areas of church social activities: organizing volunteer work, protecting motherhood, helping addicts, helping people with disabilities and their families, working with petitioners, helping the homeless. In addition, online learning covers such important topics such as legal and accounting consulting, fundraising (raising funds for social activity), social design and spiritual foundations of mercy.

Edition methodological literature

The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Russian Orthodox Church publishes books, reference books, methodological manuals in various areas of social work. From 2010 to October 2017, 33 manuals were published, including such as “Shelter for expectant mothers: from plan to implementation”, “Methodology of social rehabilitation of drug addicts in the church community”, “Video tutorial on organizing volunteer activities”, “Spiritual , psychological and practical features helping the homeless", "100 phrases in Russian sign language: a phrasebook for clergy", "How to make a temple accessible to everyone: technical standards and architectural solutions." Two more manuals are planned for release in the fall of 2017.

Every year 5-6 new teaching aids are published.

The manuals can be downloaded on the Diakonia.ru website in the “” section.

Exchange of social work experience

The Synodal Department for Charity annually holds Church-wide congresses on social service, which traditionally bring together the heads of social departments, senior sisters and confessors of the sisterhoods of mercy of various dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church from Russia and other countries of the world.

Congress participants discuss issues of helping pregnant women and mothers with children in difficult life situations, organizing work with people with disabilities and creating a barrier-free environment in churches, issues of promoting sobriety and helping alcoholics, the development of church volunteer movement and others current problems social service, share their work experience.

In addition, the Synodal Department annually holds interregional conferences on church social ministry. Such conferences have already been held in the name of the Kazan Icon Mother of God. The goals of its creation are the consolidation and unification of the sisterhoods of mercy in the development and improvement of church social service, exchange of experience, participation in social projects different levels. The Association unites all the sisterhoods of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the list of its members is constantly growing.

The Association is engaged in the formation and updating of a publicly accessible unified database on the sisterhoods of mercy of the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, the Association of Sisterhoods provides consultations on the activities of the sisterhoods of mercy, organizes conferences and seminars to exchange experiences and improve the skills of sisters of mercy and volunteers, and also oversees regular internships for senior sisters of the sisterhoods of mercy. The internship allows you to get acquainted with the work of existing sisterhoods on the spot - take part in helping the sick, feeding the homeless, spending a day with patronage service employees, etc.