New ECC Missionary Begins Work in Russia

Matthias Burgtorf, 28, was recently commissioned by the Halle, Germany, church to serve as a Covenant short-term missionary (1-2 years) in Magadan, Russia. He was approved by the denomination at the 115th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) last month in St. Paul, Minnesota, and left for Russia July 3 to begin his work as the first German ECC missionary to that country.

There has been a great need for a Covenant presence in Magadan, where the Covenant works with the St. James Bible School and New Life Radio, according to Jan and Richard Epps-Dawson, regional coordinators for the ECC's Department of World Mission in Europe and Russia. Burgtorf, a German who also speaks English and Russian, will provide accommodation and host services for visiting teachers, will teach Bible classes, and will interact with various churches in Magadan as a link between the Covenant, the German partner church and ECC ministries in Magadan.

"That the Halle church is involved is interesting, for it was August Hermann Franke, whose pietist foundation still resides in Halle, who sent pastors to Russia in the early 18th century to care for Swedish prisoners of war," noted Jan Epps-Dawson. "As a result, revivals among Swedish prisoners from Moscow to Tobolsk in Sibera broke out. Upon their return to Sweden in 1722-24, the ex-prisoners continued to evangelize," she continued. "The Swedes, influenced greatly by the pietists via Russia, were some of the immigrants to the USA who eventually formed the Covenant church. Now it's the Covenant church sending another German to continue the circle of mission back into Russia."

All of the details for Burgtorf haven't been finalized, said Epps-Dawson, but his financial needs are taken care of for at least six months. About 80 percent of Burgtorf's support is coming from Covenanters in North America and the rest will come from his German circle of friends.

Although the new mission work in Russia has excited those in Germany, news of Christ's work in that country has also been encouraging.

Some 1.4 million people participated in a recent evangelistic outreach called ProChrist 2000, including more than 1,300 state churches, 1,000 free churches and 30 Catholic churches. A total of 10,000 individuals gave their lives to Christ.

For more information about mission work in Europe and Russia or the ministry of the Epps-Dawson family in Germany, contact the Epps-Dawsons at eppsdawson@csi.com or visit the ECC web site at www.covchurch.org under World Mission.

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