Implementing Missionary Activity. Theory and Practice

Igor Vladimirovich Yanshin

The manual is designed to help full-time ministry workers and lay-people understand legislation concerning missionary activity, and how to conduct oneself while preaching, or engaging in outreach activities.

© Igor Vladimirovich Yanshin, 2017

© Lusiko Emmanuilovna Adamia, 2017

© Evgeny Nikolaevich Shestakov, 2017

ISBN 978-5-4485-6522-9

Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

Chapter 1. Legislation Concerning Missionary Activity

Constitution of the Russian Federation

Article 28.

Everyone shall be guaranteed the freedom of conscience, the freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or together with others any religion or to profess no religion at all, to freely choose, possess and disseminate religious and other views and act according to them.

Article 29.

1. Everyone shall be guaranteed the freedom of ideas and speech.

2. Propaganda or agitation instigating social, racial, national or religious hatred and strife shall not be allowed. Propaganda promoting social, racial, national, religious or linguistic supremacy shall be banned.

3. No person may be forced to express their views and convictions or to renounce them.

4. Everyone has the right to freely seek, receive, transmit, produce and disseminate information by any legal means. The list of information constituting a state secret is determined by federal law.

5. The freedom of mass communication shall be guaranteed. Censorship shall be banned.

Federal Law «On freedom of conscience and religious associations» №125-FZ

Chapter III.1. Missionary Activity

Article 24.1. Content of Missionary Activity

1. For the purposes of this federal law, missionary activity is recognized as the activity of a religious association, aimed at disseminating information about its beliefs among people who are not participants (members, followers) in that religious association, with the purpose of involving these people as participants (members, followers). It is carried out directly by religious associations or by citizens and/or legal entities authorized by them, publicly, with the help of the media, the internet or other lawful means.

2. Missionary activity of religious organizations can be carried out:

— On religious premises, buildings and structures, as well as on land on which such buildings and structures are located;

— In buildings and structures belonging to religious organizations or provided to them in order to carry out their statutory activities, as well as on land on which such buildings and structures are located;

— On premises belonging to religious organizations or provided to them in order to carry out their statutory activities, as well as on land on which the buildings containing the relevant premises are located, by agreement with the owners of such buildings;

— In premises, buildings, and structures and on land owned by or provided to institutions established by religious organizations;

— On land owned by or provided to religious organization;

— In places of pilgrimage;

— In cemeteries and crematoria;

— On the premises of educational institutions historically used for religious ceremonies.

3. Sharing beliefs is not permitted in residential buildings, except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of this Federal Law.

4. It is prohibited for a religious association to disseminate information on its doctrine while on premises, in buildings or structures, or on land on which there are such buildings and structures, which belong to another religious organization without the written consent of the relevant governing body of the religious association which owns said property.

Article 24.2. The Legal Conduct of Missionary Activity

1. Citizens engaged in missionary activities on behalf of a religious group, are required to be in possession of a decision of the general meeting of the religious group authorizing their activity. The authorization must contain details of the written acknowledgment of receipt and registration of the establishment and commencement of activities of the religious group, issued by the territorial body of the federal body of state registration.

2. Missionary work on behalf of a religious organization may be carried out by the head of a religious organization, a member of its governing body and (or) the clergy of a religious organization.

Other individuals and legal entities have the right to carry out missionary work on behalf of a religious organization if they have a document issued by the governing body of the religious organization confirming the authority to carry out missionary work on behalf of the religious organization. This document must contain details of the document confirming the entry of the religious organization to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, issued by the federal body of state registration or a territorial authority.

These rules do not apply to missionary work provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 24.1 of this Federal Law.

3. Foreign nationals and stateless persons who are lawfully in the territory of the Russian Federation shall have the right to carry out missionary work:

On behalf of a religious group — only in the territory of the Russian Federation in which the religious group is registered and was issued a written acknowledgment of receipt and registration of the establishment of the beginning of activities of the specified religious group, in possession of the document referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article;

On behalf of a religious organization — only in the territory or territories of the Russian Federation in which the organization is registered and only in accordance with the scope of the activities of this religious organization, in the possession of the document referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article.

4. Foreign nationals who have entered the territory of the Russian Federation at the invitation of religious organizations in accordance with Article 20 of this Federal Law shall have the right to carry out missionary work only on behalf of the said religious organization only in the territory or territories of the Russian Federation in which the organization is registered in accordance with the scope of its activities with the document referred to in paragraph 2 of this article.

5. It is prohibited to engage in missionary activity on behalf of a religious association whose objectives and actions violate the law, or who have been liquidated by a court decision, or whose activities are suspended or prohibited in the manner and on the grounds stipulated by this Federal Law, Federal Law of July 25, 2002 №114-FZ «on countering extremist activity» or the Federal law dated March 6, 2006 №35-FZ «on Combating terrorism», as well as individuals referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 of article 9 of this Federal law.

6. Missionary activity with the following objectives or aims is prohibited:

Violation of public security and public order;

Extremist activity;

Forcing the break-up of a family;

Infringement of a citizen’s personal rights and freedoms;

Activities damaging to the morals, health, and well-being of citizens, including the use of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, hypnosis, indecent behavior, or other unlawful acts in connection with their religious activity;

Encouragement of suicide or the refusal on religious grounds of medical assistance which jeopardizes a person’s life or health;

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.