Covenant News

Future Ministry in Russia Is Focus of Trip

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (January 21, 2005) - The future for ministry partnerships throughout Russia has been the focus of a nine-member delegation representing the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) and World Relief International during an eight-day visit that concludes today.

Members of the delegation include Richard Epps-Dawson, regional coordinator for Europe and Russia for Covenant World Mission; Keith Tungseth, World Mission facilitator for Russia ministries; Leonid Regheta, Russia project missionary designate; Richard and Lois Trinity, (Richard is a member of the World Mission Committee of the ECC Executive Board); Dwight Nelson, pastor of Libertyville Covenant Church in Libertyville, Illinois; Kathryn Rose and Kristen Nelson, both students attending North Park Theological Seminary; and Oleg Voskresensky, a staff member of World Relief International in Richfield, Minnesota. (Delegation members and others are pictured in the accompanying photo.)

Delegation members visited theological seminaries, radio facilities, drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities and orphan ministries and spoke with church planters during visits to St. Petersburg and Vologda, according to Voskresensky. Conversations centered on ways in which various can partner together in outreach and support efforts.

"There is more than one way to worship God, there is more than one language to pray to Him, and there is more than one field to serve Him," Voskresensky observed. "The team has been immersed in this cross-cultural and cross-denominational prayer dialogue since our day one in Russia. We've learned to pray on the go, on the fly, on the road, on the snow, on the train and while waiting in line.

"Our experience both in St. Petersburg and in Vologda, both in the Russian Evangelical Church and in the Russian Orthodox Church, was very enlightening and enriching," he continues in an email update of the visit. "Their commitment to serving Him through the drug rehabilitation and orphanage ministries - even with the very limited resources they have - humbled us. Their interest in reaching out with the Good News of Christ to their countrymen, even without a blessing (to put it mildly) of their own church authorities, encouraged us. Their prayers for us, for our churches and our country blessed us! We were glad to be of service to them as we opened their eyes to the dialogue and partnership those different denominations and traditions can and should have serving the same God, ministering to the same people, proclaiming the same Gospel. We have been meeting and praying along with them for the spirit of unity and love to fill their hearts."

To learn more about the mission experience and opportunities for partnered ministry in Russia, email Epps-Dawson at eppsdawson@t-online.de or Tungseth at Keith.Tungseth@covchurch.org.

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