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In November, an ACCTS staff member traveled to Bulgaria to participate in the first ever Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF) gathering to discuss Orthodox chaplaincy issues. Excerpts from his report follow.
The Orthodox Consultation for chaplains in the Orthodox tradition took place from 10 to 12 November in Sofia, Bulgaria. The conference was attended by senior Orthodox priests and lay experts (senior officers) from Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Russia.
The formal consultation on 11 November was held at the Theological Faculty of the University of Sofia. The theme for the consultation was: "Military Chaplaincy-Past, Present and Future" and the program was designed to facilitate sharing chaplaincy experiences and discussing best practices for the spiritual care of Orthodox military members. The day was divided into four sessions:
- Session One: Greetings and introductions
- Session Two: Reports from each country on the structure, responsibilities, and challenges of ministry within their military. A special prayer for the fallen was offered by the Russian delegate in honor of Veteran's Day
- Session Three: Presentations by lay organizations: "Faith and Honor" in Belarus; a talk on "Field Chapel Construction in Battle Zones"; and a report on the mission and ministry of ACCTS
- Session Four: discussion, questions, and the official closing of the Consultation.
On 12 and 13 November, day trip pilgrimages were organized for the delegates to tour the historic Orthodox monasteries at Troyan and RIla. Dating to the 10th century, these famous monasteries attract more than a million visitors annually. At Troyan, we had a guided tour by a bishop who had been an instructor for one of the lay delegates who attended seminary there.
 This consultation provided a unique opportunity to compile a detailed report on Orthodox chaplaincy issues for distribution to the chief chaplains of Orthodox countries unable to attend. Although just six countries participated (Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Russia), the time was well spent. Shared experiences demonstrated similar chaplaincy responsibilities and challenges, despite differing Orthodox traditions:
- Lasting personal relationships were developed.
- Future meetings were proposed to continue the dialogue on Orthodox chaplaincy issues.
- The importance of sharing Orthodox chaplaincy issues with MMI and ACCTS was highlighted, since many of the Eastern European militaries to which we minister are largely Orthodox.
- Evangelical and Orthodox military Christians need to meet more often in the context of the AMCF motto from Galatians 3:28 - "All one in Christ Jesus" - to discuss our unity in Christ rather than the issues that divide us.
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