Chapter 2. General Principles of Conducting Missionary Activity
Any discussion of how to conduct religious and missionary activity on the basis of the new laws must first begin with a definition of what is and what is not missionary work.
This is a very important step, since most of the issues related to missionary work will disappear as soon as we clearly define the concept of «missionary activity».
For believers, the concept of missionary activity is inextricably linked with their faith and beliefs, and by extension, their daily lives. The Christian faith is by its very nature missional. As believers it is normal for us to do things such as preach to friends or acquaintances or post pictures and comments on social media sites quoting scripture. Is this considered «Missionary Activity» under the new laws?
Can I visit my friends and talk to them about my faith, or is this an illegal activity prohibited by law?
How do I know if I am engaging in prohibited activity or am within my legal rights? Where is the boundary?
The answer to this important question can be found in the articles of the Law «On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations, particularly in paragraph 1, Article 24.2:
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.
As we read this law, we see that it defines several marks or characteristics of Missionary Activity. It is very important for us to understand these characteristics, as they differentiate «missionary activity’ from other religious activities.
We have identified four main characteristics of Missionary Activity: