2010 Articles

Time for the Exchange of Gifts': Sharing with the Poor in Developing Countries

Talley, Sue Lane

This article shares observation of two particular Orthodox missions, conducted by me, my husband, Dana, and my son Johnathan, as well as some reflections on our own personal philosophy, based upon years of domestic and international travel as Orthodox Christians in the music ministry. We have been inspired by the open attitude to the Orthodox concept of mission to the poor, as demonstrated by the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios in Albania, and by some of the modern followers of the V. Rec. Fr. Alexander Men, in Russia. Their love for Orthodox Christianity has been so open-hearted that it has caused some less bold hearts to express concern about the fact that both of these prominent Orthodox evangelists were willing to evaluate and use experiences and wisdom from non-Orthodox source in their own missionary efforts to be to bear in their mission useful things, which benefited the poor.