December 22, 2011
Metropolitan Hilarion called upon the Clergy to use Mass Media Outlets to summon the Faithful to Church

With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, on Friday, December 16, diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov participated in a reception hosted by the television network NTV America, in honor of the upcoming New Year. During the reception, held at the Russian Tea Room in New York City, the network’s benefactors and advertisers were given an opportunity to record holiday greetings, which will air on New Year’s Eve.

A free on-air spot was provided for the Diocese through the Orthodox Business Association (OBA), so that the voice of the Church could be heard during one of the busiest television nights of the year. On behalf of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Fr. Serge greeted viewers with the upcoming feast of the Nativity, and invited them to become participants of the Divine Glory of the newly-born Savior, through the sacrament of Holy Communion, which can only be received in the Church.

"Having the opportunity to speak to a large audience of Russian people on New Year’s Eve is a new and unique opportunity for the diocese," said Fr. Serge. "We went to this event to remind people that, although New Years is a joyous civil holiday, the main focus of the holiday season is the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior. One of the many negative outcomes of communism in Russia is the movement to substitute Christmas with the celebration of New Year’s. As the Russian Church is experiencing a revival, many of the old pre-revolutionary Christmas traditions are returning in Russia. We can participate in this process by addressing the faithful in our own community.”

His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, has appealed to the clergy on many different occasions about the importance of using mass media outlets to spread the gospel of Christ. The Patriarch himself can be seen addressing the faithful on television every week.

In a statement released on December 19, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion echoed the words of the Patriarch and called on the clergy of the Eastern American Diocese to use mass media as a missionary tool.

"I am grateful to the Orthodox Business Association for arranging the opportunity for a representative of the Diocese to address such a vast audience through the NTV network. I encourage our pastors, especially those with parishes in heavily populated cities, to use mass media outlets to call the faithful to church. There are many Orthodox people who may not know that a church is located in their city, and a message from a priest on TV, radio or the Internet could bring them into the saving fold of the Church. If at least one soul is able to acquire the spirit of peace, and be saved through these efforts, then by the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov, ‘thousands around him will be saved.’"

With so many new innovations in communication, there are more missionary tools available to clergy now than ever before. Sometimes, however, noted OBA president Igor Popov, the greatest missionary tool of all is simply the presence of a clergyman.

"When clergymen in ryasas enter a room where they would normally not be expected, the social dynamic is thrown off and the cultural divide between clergy and non-religious people gets smaller. People slowly start coming up and asking questions that otherwise they would not ask, and all of a sudden, an unexpected dialog emerges. Inasmuch as our Association is trying to help to the Church, we want to help the clergy reach out to the enormous population of non-believing Russians who live in America. It should not be extraordinary for a priest to be seen on Russian television or speaking to people at a non-religious social gathering."

Before leaving the reception, Fr. Serge met with NTV’s first deputy general director, Tamara Gavrilova, and thanked her on behalf of the Metropolitan for the opportunity to appear on the network. Tamara Gavrilova expressed her joy in seeing a Russian priest at such a function and welcomed the participation of diocesan clergy in future broadcasts.

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Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese