At the moment, in fact, there is none. I know several Protestant organizations engaged in missionary work among Muslims, but among the Orthodox I have not seen anyone who would seriously do this today. Father Daniel was an exception, and in many ways. His missionary work, no matter how you treat him, was rather polemics and apologetics – he saw Muslims on the streets of our capital, as a priest and simply as a Christian, he understood that he was obliged to accept this challenge, and he accepted it without a shadow of a doubt. But it is impossible not to notice that this is quite different missionary work from that which was shown to us by St. Stephen of Perm or St. Macarius of Altai—each of them lived among a different people, learned its language and customs, invented a written language for it, translated the Scriptures for it, and created a truly national community as part of the one universal Church. Father Daniel reacted to what he saw around him, to the change in our usual life – they themselves went to people they had never seen before to change their lives. Very different approaches!

To repeat the unique experience of Father Daniel, you will need a fiery character, complete fearlessness, and confidence in the righteousness of your own cause. There are never too many such people, and most importantly, now anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps will clearly understand what can await him at the end of the path. You can demand obedience and diligence from a seminary graduate, but you cannot demand martyrdom from him, so this path will remain the path of bright loners.

How do Protestants manage organized missionary work? There are many answers. Among them, there are also ardent loners who begin their preaching with the words "no, Islam is a false religion" – but there are also very few of them, and their fate is no less tragic. Those who do missionary work in an organized way can start small—with books and pamphlets, even wall calendars, that introduce Muslim audiences to the texts of the Tawrat, Zebur, and Injil, as the Pentateuch, the Psalter, and the Gospel are called, respectively in this tradition (the Qur'an considers them holy books). They tell listeners and readers how the prophets Ibrahim and Musa lived and what they proclaimed, how Yahya washed all those who came to him as a sign of repentance, and what Isa, the Son of Miryam, taught, how He was killed by evil people and then resurrected.

With this approach, the missionary seems to say to the audience: "Yes, I respect your religion very much, and therefore I would like to supplement your knowledge of God and His messengers." After all, many people do not even know that all these people – Ibrahim, Musa and Isa – are spoken about in both the Koran and the Bible, but the Bible is much more detailed. There is also an approach when the missionary rejects any overtly Christian symbolism, does not even call himself a Christian – he talks about God and the prophets, remaining as if within the framework of Islam, but speaks as much as he can in a Christian way.

The latter, perhaps, is not applicable to the Orthodox mission, but does this mean that the only possible approach for it is an open and deliberate confrontation in the spirit of Father Daniel? Not at all sure. Listeners and circumstances are different, and preachers are not the same, so it is impossible to demand any one template from them. In addition, the tasks of teaching and baptizing can be understood as interrelated, but still separate. Then you can think about the fact that a patient and friendly story to Muslims about Christianity will be of great value: even if not all listeners will be baptized, at least they will learn what their neighbors really believe. Perhaps then there will be fewer people who want to wage holy wars.

That is why I do not see much point in arguing about "how right was Father Daniel in what he did?" He has already given an account of this to his Lord, and we should consider another question: What are we doing, what are we ready to do? The harvest field in front of us is simply huge, there are not so few workers – they are practically invisible. Personally, I am sure that in this field there will be a place for quiet conversation, and for heated polemics, and for scientific research, and for rhetorical brilliance, and for much more. Apparently, we do not have to wait for any explicit instructions from above - this is too delicate a political matter, the protocol makes too many demands. But not everything is regulated from above!

We habitually talk about Russia as an Orthodox country. But for a considerable number of its inhabitants, Orthodoxy remains the ethnic religion of Russians, but they hear about Christianity as the truth for all peoples in their native language only from Protestants. And if they agree with the truth, but do not want to become Russians, they pass by us and go to those who are ready to accept them. And for some reason, we do not say a word about this.

18. Not Our Mission?

I come to this city in the "near abroad" on business. I get into a minibus, where a green shield with a saying from the Koran or an icon hangs above the driver's seat, depending on the nationality of the driver. I settle into a hotel a stone's throw from the Orthodox church, where the relics of St. Luke rest, and go to eat pasties and to the national café "Marakand", also nearby. All the locals, everyone has lived here for a long time - and the city also has two names: the Greek Simferopol, "City of Use", and the Crimean Tatar Akmesjit, "White Mosque". In the XIX century, both names were written on maps.

I consult Bible translators into the Crimean Tatar language. I am the only Orthodox Christian in this project, and I participate in it as a private person – neither the parish, nor the diocese, nor any synodal department sent me to Simferopol. It's just that I work in an organization that deals with this business, it is called the Institute for Bible Translation, and people of different faiths cooperate in it. And the picture that I see in Simferopol is quite typical for many regions of Russia with a Muslim population: Russians who have settled here for a long time are considered Orthodox, the indigenous population is considered Muslims. The two peoples live quite peacefully, although it is not without friction and suspicion, and sometimes conflicts. In order not to strengthen them, no one tries to change the status quo: neighbors of different tribes can congratulate and treat each other on holidays, but a Muslim usually does not try to convert an Orthodox Christian, and vice versa.

However, in recent years, it has become increasingly common to hear the preaching of Islam among the Slavs by radical Islamists. And on the Christian side, the stereotype is broken by Protestants. They come to this city, and to other cities of the former USSR, to talk about Christ to Muslims. Among them there are Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars and even Americans, and the point is not that they came on some business of their own, but at the same time decided to proclaim the Good News. No, they came for this very purpose and, of course, they are supported in one way or another by communities and various organizations at their homes: they raise funds, send materials, organize conferences for the exchange of experience. In short, it is an organized and purposeful work, the purpose of which is Christian evangelism among Muslims.

At the same time, you should not think that these people walk the streets and shout in a loud voice "repent!" No, they settle in the city, learn local languages and customs, as, in fact, real missionaries do always and everywhere. And then they prepare various materials—brochures, calendars, and, of course, editions of Bible books—and distribute them. But the matter is not limited to this: missionaries really try to live together with the people among whom they preach. They come to orphanages and teach English in educational institutions, arrange periodic meetings for those local residents who believe and have been baptized. And so gradually this work passes into the hands of the locals, who, of course, know their people, their customs and language better than any newcomers. This is exactly how things are in Simferopol.

I foresee the reaction of some readers: well, these are sectarians, these are the wrong bees, and they make the wrong honey (by the way, it is the bee that is depicted on the coat of arms of Simferopol). Of course, there are Orthodox churches there, divine services are held in them, and in general there is a normal diocesan life, as in other cities. If a Tatar comes to the church, no one will drive him away, and he will be able to buy books in the church in his own language. But I did not notice an active sermon addressed specifically to the Crimean Tatars there. Maybe he was not looking attentively.

They understand everything in Russian, of course, for some it is even their native language. Even the older generation understands Uzbek, after all, they lived in Uzbekistan, and now many have mastered Ukrainian... So, in fact, why do something special for them? Let them read the Bible in Russian, listen to the sermon in the same language, and if they are baptized, they will come to church and pray in Church Slavonic.