Bishop Yuri Novgorodov Underlines Lutheran Church's Position in Kazakhstan

State Award Honors Bishop’s Contribution to the Country’s Development

Bishop Yuri Novgorodov of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan (ELCRK) says a special award he received from the country’s president is an honor for the whole church, “and above all, a way of recognizing the church’s public position.”

At the end of 2012 President Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev awarded Novgorodov the Republic’s Certificate of Honor, in recognition of the bishop’s achievements in promoting the country’s social and cultural development and in fostering international friendship and cooperation.

“We regard this award by the state as a sign that we are faithfully carrying out the mission God has entrusted to us,” Novgorodov told Lutheran World Information (LWI). He pointed out that although the Lutheran church has diminished in numbers to about 2,500 members in the last few decades it is highly respected in the country. As bishop, he asserted, he can never be perceived independently from this role, but as a spokesperson for the church and the Christian message.

As the Lutheran church representative, Novgorodov is also involved in the international Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions organized by the state in the Kazakhstan capital Astana every third year since 2003. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has been represented in these gatherings, which according to Novgorodov, help to create greater trust between religions and to facilitate dialogue. “They offer us an opportunity to gain a hearing for our positions both inside and outside our country,” he noted.

Many Different Nationalities and Religions

Novgorodov explained that the church’s good position in society is due to over two centuries of Lutheran tradition in the country, and its good relations with ordinary people. “I would call Kazakhstan a strange kind of Noah’s Ark. You can find members of more than one hundred nationalities living here, and also many different religions.” This diversity, he said, has given rise to a special spirit of friendly coexistence in which the Lutheran church, too, has been able to thrive.

The new law on religion in 2011 has made it clear, however, that the general conditions for religious communities are still not always easy. It requires every single congregation to register again in order to safeguard the legality of its activities. With the assistance of international partners, the Lutheran church has been able to complete the necessary steps and can now concentrate on its real work—carrying out its mission in society. That is a big job for a small church, Novgorodov added.

The ELCRK is a regional church of the Federation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS), a member church of the LWF since 1989.

(This LWI article includes material from the Martin Luther Association.)