At the invitation from the Scandinavian Diocese, and with the blessing of His Holiness, the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, the Head of the Missionary Department, Rev. Dr. Oliver Subotić, delivered three missionary lectures: in Helsingborg, Malmö, and Copenhagen.
The first lecture, entitled Artificial Intelligence: What We Know About It, and What We Can Only Assume, was held in Helsingborg, at the Church of St. Basil the Great, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 2 p.m. The moderator of this lecture was Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dragan Vučić, the parish priest of the church.
In his introductory presentation, Fr. Oliver Subotić explained the basic terminology and concepts related to the so-called artificial intelligence, and then referred to its historical development and current standing. The rest of the lecture dealt with dilemmas and challenges standing before us, as well as the uncertainties that await us in the foreseeable future concerning this topic. The lecturer presented his reflections on this issue, gave a Christian perspective on it, and then proposed some practical recommendations for the everyday life of Orthodox Christians, regarding the technological environment in which we live.
After the introductory lecture, a lively exchange with the audience followed, during which the topics were placed within a broader framework of faith and practical questions of living in the modern world. There was also a discussion on missionary strategies for the 21st century, especially in the Western world. The introductory lecture and the discussion lasted about two hours. After the lecture, the Head of the Missionary Department spoke with the gathered Orthodox Serbs, and then had the special pleasure of personally meeting young Orthodox Swedish converts, who are also the church’s parishioners. He also met a young Serb who had been the godfather to many of those Swedes. The zeal and missionary fervour that Prota Dragan Vučić, together with his collaborators, invests in the field of mission left a deep impression on the lecturer.
The second lecture, entitled Prota Milutin and Presbytera Georgina Tesla: The Parents of the Serbian Genius, was held on the same day in Malmö, in the parish hall of the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, after the evening service. The parishioners of that church attended the lecture, led by their priests, Protopresbyter Aleksandar Samardžić (parish priest) and Protojerej-Namesnik Nemanja Mirović.
The structure and overall duration of the lecture were similar to the previous one, with many questions from the gathered faithful. In the introductory part, Fr. Oliver Subotić explained in detail who Prota Milutin Tesla was and what qualities he possessed as a man of virtue, a self-sacrificing pastor, and an outstanding intellectual of his time, who exerted a significant influence on his genius son. The same was true of Georgina Tesla, the mother of the greatest Serbian inventor of all time, with special emphasis on the crucial role she played in rescuing her son from a destructive gambling addiction to which he had succumbed in his youth. The influence of his uncle, Fr. Petar Mandić, later Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabar-Bosna, was also mentioned.
In the dialogical part of the lecture, the focus of the topic shifted to the concept of holding regular parenting seminars for young married couples, due to the great importance that the foundations of parenthood have for shaping future generations. The lecturer stated that parenthood is one of the key issues when dealing with young parishioners, and that if this subject is treated adequately and systematically, with clear recommendations and directions for young Christian married couples, then we have hope of forming a healthier society. As in Helsingborg, in Malmö the lecturer was also warmly welcomed by the clergy and the faithful, who showed exceptional hospitality. In this parish the interest of young Swedes in Orthodoxy was as great as in the previous one.
The third and final lecture, entitled Faith – Prayer – Mission, was held on Sunday, October 12, in Copenhagen, at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. The lecture was held after the Divine Liturgy, which the lecturer celebrated together with Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Milan Gardović, the parish priest of the church. He is a priest with great experience, who has faithfully served in the Scandinavian Diocese for over three decades and has made a great contribution to the development of parish communities throughout Scandinavia. It was precisely at the suggestion of Fr. Milan Gardović that the Scandinavian Diocese extended an invitation to Fr. Oliver to come and deliver a series of lectures in Sweden and Denmark.
At the lecture in Copenhagen, the church where the event was organized was full. Fr. Oliver began his lecture by speaking about the interdependence of faith, prayer, and mission, and the way in which each of these realities gives birth to the other two. He went on to speak about how we, as Orthodox Christians, ought to change in terms of the quality of our faith and prayer, and also what our perception and experience of Christian mission should be. As with the previous two lectures, a lively discussion ensued, with the entire event lasting close to two hours, as on the previous two occasions. This lecture was recorded in its entirety and will be uploaded to the YouTube channel of our Department as soon as we receive it from the Scandinavian Diocese.
After the lecture, Prota Milan Gardović once again greeted and thanked the lecturer, and expressed his desire for continued future cooperation. He had already put forward some new suggestions and missionary lecture formats for the future. The lecturer expressed his gratitude for the great hospitality that Prota Milan, together with his family, had shown him during his stay, and gladly approved the initiative that the missionary cooperation should continue with greater intensity.
In addition to Fr. Milan Gardović and his fellow priests, who were involved in organizing these lectures and accompanying events, the lecturer extended special gratitude to Mr. Max Perišić from Malmö and Mr. Željko Glišić from Copenhagen, who invested considerable effort and time to make his stay in Scandinavia in between the lectures as pleasant as possible.
