On March 19, 2026, Father Antoniy Skrynnikov, head of the missionary department of the Stavropol Diocese, baptized 33 people in Faisalabad, Pakistan, home to one of the country’s few Orthodox Christian communities.

According to the diocesan website, Father Antoniy traveled to Pakistan with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, responding to an invitation from local priest Father Pavel Sushil, the only representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country.

The baptism took place at St. Nicholas Church, where Father Pavel serves. After the ceremony, Father Antoniy addressed the new members of the Church with a pastoral message and presented each with an icon and Russian chocolate. Liturgical supplies, purchased with personal funds from Metropolitan Kirill, were also donated to the parish.

“It is indescribably moving to baptize our Punjabi brothers and sisters, giving them familiar Christian names: Feodor, Ksenia, Anna, Savva, Nikita…” Father Antoniy wrote on social media. Many of the newly baptized had undergone lengthy preparation, with special attention given to those recently freed from slavery with support from international Orthodox believers.

Father Antoniy shared that the mission also assists people enslaved at brick kilns, where families—including children as young as five—are forced to produce over 1,000 bricks per day for minimal wages. Rescued families have received financial support to relocate and buy food, with over 100 people freed so far.

The priest emphasized that Orthodox missionary work in Pakistan combines spiritual ministry with humanitarian aid, a model he has applied in Burma and other Southeast Asian countries, along with online educational outreach through the diocesan website.