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Russia Initiative Newsletter October 2006
To Participants and Friends of the Russia Initiative, a program of
Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church :
The recent Mini-Consultation series of October 1-12 took us into 8
Annual Conference Areas in all four time zones of the US. Bishop Hans
Vaxby shared information about the current state of the United Methodist
Church in Eurasia. Some of the highlights Bishop Vaxby mentioned are:
We expect to have Bishop Vaxby's Power Point presentation on the GBGM
Russia Initiative web site in a few days:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/initiatives/russia/
Learnings and reflections: The gatherings for the
Mini-Consultation series were enthusiastic in every setting across the
country. Meetings were held in Atlanta, GA, Montgomery, AL, Shreveport,
LA, San Diego, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, Minneapolis, MN and Madison,
WI. In many instances people traveled considerable distances to
participate.
Our meetings showed again that US and Eurasian churches have developed
strong and wide-ranging relationships. Our support has enabled the
churches in Russia and surrounding countries to develop a variety of
holistic ministries with emphasis on making disciples for Jesus Christ,
social outreach, youth and educational programs. At the same time, the
meetings confirmed that the Eurasian churches continue to deal with
scarce resources and societal attitudes that hinder their ministries. A
major issue is in the general lack of church buildings and the challenge
of raising funds for permanent ministry facilities.
We are learning the value of providing opportunities for people to
dialogue with Bishop Vaxby and each other in mini-consultations and
other gatherings. While we may never take on an itinerary as rigorous
as this again, we are already beginning to plan for future visits to new
areas.
Bishop Vaxby and a delegation of Eurasian pastors attended the
Leadership Institute at the United Methodist Church of
Resurrection in Leawood, KS October 5-7. This was part of
the comprehensive plan for the training of pastors and laity in
Eurasia. Rev. Adam Hamilton, Sr. Pastor at UM Church of the
Resurrection, will travel to the Ural District in Russia and to Ukraine
next spring for another series of seminars there. The Eurasian
delegation who attended the Institute in Kansas will serve as additional
local trainers in Eurasia.
We are grateful for the new interest shown in the
mini-consultations for the Supportive Congregation Program. We
still have a handful of Eurasian churches that need supportive
partner relationships in the US. Currently we are in conversation with
a few churches whose new partnerships should further reduce the list of
Eurasian churches in need of support. At the same time, we welcome new
inquiries to join in the support of a church and its pastor in Eurasia.
We are eager to confirm supporting partnerships for all of the Eurasian
churches as we enter the new year in 2007. We still have four churches
without any prospective supportive congregations and these
congregations need immediate help. Please feel free to forward this
information to your friends and colleagues and encourage them to become
involved in this vital mission program.
We are grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment that continues to grow
for the partnerships that we have through the Russia Initiative and for
the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Eurasia.
Dr. W. James Athearn
Coordinator, Russia Initiative General Board of Global Ministries The United Methodist Church 116 Frasher Drive Clear Brook, VA 22624 Tel.: 540-662-2066 Fax: 540-662-6998 jathearn@starband.net
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