The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

The present article uses the example of the activity of Nikolay Neplyuev (1851–1908), founder of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Labour Brotherhood, to consider pastoral care as an activity of gathering church assembly (Fr. Nikolai Afanasiev’s term), which is not, however, an exclusive attribute of hierarchical ministry. Not being a holder of holy orders and having no other institutional assignment to his ministry, Neplyuev founded a church brotherhood in 1889, which possessed, if not all, then many ecclesiological properties characteristic of the church assembly structure. Neplyuev consistently tried to implement the most important apostolic principles, particularly those articulated in 1 Peter, where the author of the epistle calls on the younger in the assembly to submit themselves to their elders, and finally concludes: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another” (1 Peter 5:5). In his pastoral practice, Nikolay Neplyuev sought to overcome the abstract symbolism of pastoral ministry, which presupposes the gathering of church people, firstly, in a parish, and secondly, around a clergyman symbolizing Christ or an Apostle. Neplyuev carries out his ministry primarily as a gathering of the church assembly. Taking care of an individual becomes integral to taking care of the assembly as a whole, in its specific personal composition. At the same time, the assembly also appears not as a symbol of the Church, but as a personal gathering of its living members having its certain boundaries: the members of the assembly know everyone who is part of this assembly. Various particular aspects of Neplyuev’s pastorate, such as the teaching of the faith, common work and life on Christian principles, and the establishment and preservation of both the formal canonical and informal spiritual boundaries of the brotherhood are also being discussed. It is emphasised that Nikolay Neplyuev was in direct communication with the members of the brotherhood, sharing with them all aspects of life. Special attention is given to Neplyuev’s relationship with the hierarchical priesthood: the local bishop and the priesthood of the brotherhood. Сalling himself “guardian of the brotherhood”, Neplyuev did not usurp the canonical position and the related authority of the local bishop, but built relationships with the hierarchy on Evangelical principles.