Monthly Archives: August 2022

Editors Note: In the run-up to the seventh Congress of Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions to be held on Sept.14-15 in Nur-Sultan, The Astana Times has started a series of articles on the diversity of spiritual life in Kazakhstan. The first one focused on Islam. This week we profile the second-largest religious group in Kazakhstan Orthodox Christians.

NUR-SULTAN Orthodox Christians, one of the largest religious communities in the world, have existed in Kazakhstan for several hundred years over the periods of Islamic dominance, Tsarist Russia, the Soviet period, and the independence that followed. They continue to live in harmony with other religious communities in Kazakhstan that respect the principle of equality of all nations and religions. In the interview with The Astana Times, Archpriest Dmitriy Baidek, ecclesiarch at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, spoke about the history and holy sites of the Christian Community, and the importance of the upcoming Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Nur-Sultan. Photo credit: mitropolia.kz

Christians in independent Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is home to some 3,834 religious associations deriving from 18 religions and confessions. Among them, Orthodox Christians are the second-largest religious group in Kazakhstan after Muslims with 345 registered organizations which constitute around nine percent, according to the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Kazakh Ministry of Information and Social Development.

Being secular country, Kazakhstan nevertheless celebrates Orthodox Christmas along with Muslim Kurban Ait (Eid al-Adha) as official days off for all citizens.

Baidek explained that the church has always been open to people. It is supranational as Baidek puts it.

Indeed, in the letter of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians he says here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all, emphasizing the unity and equality of all believers in Christ.

Describing the community of Christians in Kazakhstan, Baidek said thatthe vector is shifting away from the exclusively Slavic population to a more diverse population of Christians that includes more ethnicities.

History of Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan

The rise of Christian communities in the midst of a predominantly Muslim population is associated with the settlement of Russian Cossacks on the southern lands of Kazakhstan that were annexed to the Russian Empire around the 17th century.

On the territory of modern Kazakhstan, Russian Cossacks founded the first fortresses and built the first Orthodox churches along with them.

Archbishop Sophoniya Sokolsky, the first bishop of the Turkestan diocese. Photo credit: pravoslavie.ru

Last year Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan diocese, the first in the region. In 1871, an imperial decree approved the decision to open the Turkestan diocese and in the same year Archbishop Sophoniya Sokolsky, known for his active temper and enthusiasm, was appointed the first bishop of the Turkestan diocese.

In his biography there are words that say he was like a young man running around the diocese preaching, doing works of mercy, opening new churches, even though he was already well into his seventies, said Baidek. His energy, his temperament was that of a young man. Those were such unique people, and since then Christianity, namely Orthodox Christianity, has been strengthened in those parts of Kazakhstan.

Although the Orthodox eparchy was established in the 19th century, communities preaching the Holy Trinity have lived in the territory of Kazakhstan for many centuries back.

There are monuments that indicate that there were settlements that professed Christianity back in the ninth and in the 13th centuries. For the most part, they were communities worshiping Nestorianism, which was rejected by the Orthodox church. Nevertheless, they were the people who revered the Trinity, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, said Archpriest Baidek.

The Soviet period was a period of hardship for representatives of all religions in Kazakhstan, said Baidek and the Orthodox Christians were no exception. Many in the Christian world felt humiliated by a colonial system that undermined their beliefs and religion. Bolsheviks certainly used our land rather barbarically. In the 20s and 30s, the Bolsheviks destroyed many churches, he said.

Alexander Nevsky athedral. It was built in 1891 in the central part of the current Nur-Sultan city between Abay and Bigeldinov streets. In 1930 the cathedral was closed and shortly after the building was pulled down. Photo credit: kazislam.kz

Kazakhstan has also been a place of exile for many people. Karlag, one of the largest labor camps in the Karagandy Region, was full of people who have been at the forefront of some of the great struggles for liberty.

Yet even amid the hardships, there were people who had not lost their faith in a better future. One of them was Sebastian, the elder of Karagandy, who had spent six years in Karlag camp. After he was released in 1939, he decided to stay and selflessly preach Christianity in the region which largely contributed to the formation of a religious community.

Despite the atheist agenda of the Soviet era, many Christians were able to preserve their religious traditions. Upon becoming an independent state, Kazakhstan gave an opportunity for many people to express their religion freely.

Independence caused the rising interest in religion, intellectual interest. People began to read, think, and pay attention to matters of spirituality. They wanted to answer the questions of why and for what. This kind of rise at least in Christianity was during the 1990s and in the early 2000s, including among the young population, said Baidek.

Orthodox Christian sacred sites in Kazakhstan

What makes one place holy? According to Baidek, people make a place holy in honor and remembrance of the saints whose blood was shed there.

When, in 1995, Patriarch Alexy II visited the Karagandy Region, he called the land of Kazakhstan the antimins (a piece of silk or linen cloth for liturgy rite) stretched out under the open sky referring to the holiness of the whole Kazakh land, where many pastors, monks, and laity have been exiled from all parts of the Soviet Union. Many of them ended their lives in Kazakhstan.

Aksai Seraphim-Feognost skit. Photo credit: mitropolia.kz

There are many holy sites in East Kazakhstan, Karagandy, and around the Zhetisu Regions. Of particular interest is the Aksai Seraphim-Feognost skit, which is located on the territory of Ile-Alatau national park near Almaty at an altitude of 1,850 meters above sea level.

More than 100 years ago the place was occupied by monks-priests Seraphim Bogoslovsky and Feognost Pivovarov, who renounced a comfortable life to serve God in solitude among the mountains.

But the two saints could not enjoy their peaceful solitude for long, for in 1921, the Red army soldiers came. The monks received them with gratitude, fed them, and gave them tea, however, the soldiers then brutally murdered the monks the next morning.

In 2000, Seraphim and Feognost were consecrated to the list of saints for general church veneration. Many people visit the skit every year to honor the martyrs.

The importance of the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

As an Orthodox Church representative, Archpriest Baidek said that Kazakhstan sets a good example for the region by declaring its peacekeeping mission through the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions that it will host on Sept. 14-15.

The uniqueness of this congress is that it has been raised to a level where spiritual leaders and leaders of traditional religions are brought together directly by the state, and therefore the dialogue is conducted on a high level. And any dialogue always serves the good, said Baidek.

The human mind is built so that we are afraid of what we do not know, what we do not understand. Our fears, our fantasies, are born of ignorance. When we get to know a person better, they cease to be scary to us. They may be interesting, they may not be interesting, but they are not scary, he added, highlighting the importance of bringing together the representatives of diverse religions.

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Orthodox Christian Community in Kazakhstan Emerges Strong in the Midst of Islam and Soviet Period Atheism - Astana Times

Former gay atheist Becket Cook is revealing new details about his remarkable testimony, showing how God can use anyone, anywhere to plant a seed that can lead others into the Kingdom of God.

'Surprising Encounter'

In a recent episode of "The Becket Cook Show", Becket introduces Joy Durham-Schafer, a Christian model, who was instrumental in his conversion to Christianity.

"On the set of a shoot in 2004, I heard that the model was a Christian. I thought it was gross," Becket explained. "Years later, after I came to faith in Christ, she and I had an incredibly surprising encounter."

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In his book, A Change of Affection: A Gay Man's Incredible Story of Redemption , he shares how he moved from Dallas, Texas to Hollywood and launched a successful career in show business.

"At this point in my life, I was very successful in my career as a set designer, production designer. I mean, I was doing covers for Vogue and for Harper's Bazaar. I worked with a lot of pop stars like Katy Perry and Paris Hilton and Oprah. Like, everyone you can imagine I worked with them. And I also started my own men's fashion line that was successful. Our clothes were in, you know, L.A., New York, Paris," he told CBN.

Despite all of his success, Becket said he still felt a deep emptiness.

"I went to all the shows. I went to all the after-parties. I was at this one after-party in Paris, and I remember, just everyone was there from the fashion world. I think Kanye was there that year, and I was kind of looking out over the crowd, it just struck me so profoundly. I was like, is that all there is to life? Just going to parties for the rest of my life, is this what it's all about? And I really started to panic that night. I was overwhelmed with a sense of emptiness."

During that time, Becket met Joy, a brand-new believer. On his show, he says her story of breaking off an engagement with a non-believer became a "seed" that would help turn him from a practical atheist to a believer.

"It was literally the first time I had met a Christian in Los Angeles," Becket recounts. "That was kind of a turning point for me because I remember you and Frankie started dating and then you got to a point where you were like 'he's not a believer, this can't go anywhere else'. And you made a really tough decision to break up with him."

"It really touched me and kind of freaked me out in a way," Becket continued. "[Frankie]told me the story of you breaking up with him and he said you collapsed on the floor and you were weeping. And he went to hug you and he said he could feel like the Holy Spirit on you. He sensed something supernatural was going on."

"It was a frequency and a vibration of the Spirit moving and indwelling in me," Joy explained. "I was so completely transformed. I didn't even know who I was anymore."

"I remember when he told me that story it was, maybe, the first spark of me thinking... 'There must be something real to this kind of Christianity-thing.' ...It definitely planted a seed in me."

But that is not the only "seed" God used that ultimately led Becket to turn his life over to Jesus and leave his gay lifestyle.

'Desperate Prayers of Petition'

Ten years before meeting Joy, his sister-in-law, Kim Cook, felt a burden to pray for his salvation.

"I was doing a Bible study on Revelation and...that all of a sudden became my concern that if the rapture happens, you are not going to go," she recounted. "I just remember being so burdened that you would not be in eternity with me."

Kim says the Lord gave her Acts 16:18 as the scripture to stand on for Becket's salvation.

"'Lord please just save him,'" she had prayed. Appearing in a separate episode of his YouTube show, Kim explained, "I really wasn't worried about you being gay. I just wanted you saved, and then let God deal with that when the time came."

"God wants us to come with those desperate prayers of petition and bear everything to him," she continued. "And then let him go to work...and then I have to trust [His]timing."

"Your battles are won by being on your knees," she added.

Becket gave his life to the Lord at a Hollywood church on September 9, 2005.

"It was like the road to Damascus moment," he told CBN's Faithwire. "God's like 'I'm real. Jesus is my Son. He's real. Heaven's real, hell is real. You are now adopted into my Kingdom. You are my child now.' And I was so blown away I couldn't stop crying for the rest of the time. I was crying because of two things: the joy of meeting God, and my sin. It was my most intense cry since I was an infant."

Grace and Redemption

Cook said at that moment he knew who he was, and being gay was not part of his identity.

Becket asked Kim how she would encourage Christian parents and grandparents believing for the salvation of a loved one who is living an LGBT lifestyle.

"The most important thing that we have to do is love, and we have to have grace," she replied. "You have to have truth, but I think the grace has got to be before the truth and that love."

"Embrace prayer, do not turn your back, and keep loving them," she continued.

Becket believes God is the ultimate writer of his redemption story, but he credits believers, like Joy and Kim, as being instrumental in opening his heart to the Lord.

"God is sovereign over all of it," he shared during his podcast. "If you can rest in God's sovereignty and know that it is his timing. It's his will."

"You can't bludgeon or badger somebody into the kingdom of God," he added. "It's God's work. It's a supernatural act from God."

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'Supernatural': Ex-Gay Hollywood Insider Becket Cook Reveals 2 Women Were Pivotal to His Salvation - CBN.com

Perhaps the strongest antidote for optimism or for misplaced faith in our fellow man is watching the news. Of course, much of the media we consume is voyeuristic, so in a sort of supply-and-demand scenario, bad news makes headlines more than good news. At the same time, this is more than a problem of clickbait filling our newsfeeds. A series of events in recent years suggests that our cultural center cannot hold much longer.

Not decades but just a few days ago, prominent novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed, not in some shady part of the world, but in public at a lecture in upstate New York. Also, dogs in San Francisco are becoming hooked on meth. Apparently, human excrement is so common in public areas, pets have learned where to go for a quick high from the residue of addicted residents.Radical ideologies continue to dominate headlines, which few outside of ivory towershad heard of until a few years ago. They are now compulsory at some schools. And, those who challenge the new orthodoxy are oftenostracized from what is an increasingly impolite society.Healthcare now involves practices that, until yesterday, wouldve rightly been considered abuse, including children having otherwise healthy organs turned inside out.

Clearly, the state of our world is largely rotten. For some Christians, this indicates that the end is nigh. Particularly in the last century or so, many books and sermons have declared that we are living in the last days, so the best we can hope for is to go down fighting this increasingly fallen world.

Its easy to forget in all these headlines that things have been bad before, in some ways even worse than today. In that time and place, God called His people to keep the faith, commit to the tasks at hand, and steward the time they were given by remaining faithful. Sometimes they won against the forces of darkness and death. Sometimes they lost. Either way, their calling remained the same, and Gods Kingdom marched on.

William Wilberforce was among those followers of Christ who faced down great obstacles. He deserves all of the recognition he receives as an archetype for faithful Christian engagement in the world. Eventually, because of his efforts, he won a long battle over the entrenched power of slavery in the British Empire, what he called one of the great aims that God had set before Him. But none of it happened in a day.

Wilberforce began his fight against human bondage in the late 1780s, but he did not see the fruit of his work for decades. The slave trade wasnt banned until 1807 across the British Empire and was not fully brought to an end until 1833, just days before he died. How often must he have wondered at his impossible task? How often did he consider giving up?

Closer to our own time and less well known is a story out of Russia. Detailed in a new book by Matthew Heise, The Gates of Hell: An Untold Story of Faith and Perseverance in the Early Soviet Union tells of the trials of Lutheran Christians living under the newly founded Communist tyranny. The book is encouraging and heartbreaking at the same time. The constant determination of these Christians to be faithful to their Lord in the midst of some of the 20thcenturys most intense persecution is encouraging. Yet, by all earthly terms, their resistance absolutely failed. They fought to retain their freedom and their faith, but few managed to even retain their lives.

They had no way to know their storys endthat all were wiped out by atheist totalitarianism. Regardless, they were faithful to the end.

Our task is no different. We dont know if ours is a Wilberforce moment, when the enduring faithfulness of Gods people standing athwart the tides of history will push this world back to reality. Or if this is a Russian Lutheran moment: We will lose our lives in our quest to be faithful. What we do know is that Christ has called us to this time and this place. As Gandalf said to Frodo,when he wondered why he should have to live in such times, beingmeantto be here and now is a very encouraging thought.

So, whatever comes, great victories or the full evaporation of progress, our task is the same: faithfulness, not success.

Continued here:

Faithful in This Time and Place - BreakPoint.org