It discussed the activity in Russia of various evangelical sects, which has increased noticeably over the last year. In order to combat sects together, Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbis of Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Krasnoyarsk, and Armenia, and representatives of the Jewish religious communities of Belarus and other former Soviet countries. Roman Silantev attended the conference on behalf of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The propagandists, who come from the United States and Finland, are called representatives of Judaism and call upon all those who consider themselves true Jews to believe in Jesus Christ.
Informational work is our main way of combating the spreading of missionaries' organizations.
The most important thing is for people to understand that they are being deceived and that they know that true Jews, members of our community and synagogue, do not have anything to do with all this campaigning and propaganda. We have found complete understanding of our position with regard toward the sect members from both the Russian Orthodox and the Muslims. In his speech to the conference, Roman Silantev, an official from the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate's external relations department, also expressed concern about the sects' activity, although he noted that these missionaries do not represent an especially serious danger to Orthodoxy, but that the Moscow Patriarchate approves and supports Rabbi Lazar's initiatives. The first informational steps were made right away yesterday. A seminar to train specialists who will oppose the missionaries, chiefly in Jewish communities in the provinces, was held as part of the conference.