From Russia with love
Van Marter to chronicle PC(USA) mission and blog his experiences
by Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — Presbyterian News Service Coordinator Jerry Van Marter leaves Feb. 1 for a 12-day assignment in Russia, where he will visit the 10 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission workers in that country and report on their ministries.
Accompanied by Gary Payton (see photo at right) — the PC(USA)’s area liaison for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland — Van Marter will travel to Moscow, Smolensk and St. Petersburg.
In addition to news features about the work of PC(USA) missionaries in Russia, Van Marter will share some personal reflections on a blog — “From Russia With Love.”
Missionaries he will visit include:
Alan and Ellen Smith, who since 2001 have coordinated the congregational twinning project in Russia and Belarus, a program that matches interested congregations in the U.S. and Russia and Belarus for friendship and mission. The program was begun in the 1990s under the leadership of the Outreach Foundation and the Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists. In addition to the twinning project, Alan teaches mathematics at Hinkson Christian School in Moscow and works with a group of pastors engaged in outreach to the Roma (indigenous) people. Ellen works with church groups to help fight drug abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Russia and Belarus.
The Rev. Don and Laurie Marsden, who have been in Moscow since 1997, with Don serving as founder of the Narnia Educational Center, an interdenominational organization that trains leaders for children’s ministry and produces Russian-language resources for them. He also works with the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship to train leaders for evangelistic outreach to previously unreached people groups in western Siberia. Laurie works with OPORA, a ministry that trains church and other professionals to confront acute alcoholism and drug addiction by creating Christian “twelve-step” programs. She is also developing ARK, a drop-in center for at-risk kids of alcoholics and addicts.
The Rev. Bob and Stacy Bronkema, who in July 2006 went to Moscow — after having previously served as PC(USA) missionaries in Naples, Italy — to serve with the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, an international faith community composed primarily of students and refugees from the developing world. The chaplaincy is heavily engaged in combating ultra-nationalist inspired racism, which is resulting in a growing number of physical attacks on immigrants, particularly those from Africa. The Bronkemas were involved in a PC(USA)-Russian twinning ministry while Bob was pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palatka, FL, from 1998-2006.
The Rev. Garth Moller, who has lived and worked in Russia since 1989 and is currently director of the Kargel and Baedeker School in St. Petersburg and of Sluzhenia (“The Ministry” or “Service” in Russian), a charitable organization that works with children in crisis. The Kargel and Baedeker School includes two schools — a Russian and International day school for kids and a Russian language school for foreign workers. Sluzhenia focuses its ministry on street children (there are more now than during World War II) and on children caught up in the criminal justice system. Moller, whose work is supported by Presbyterian World Mission and San Gabriel Presbytery also teaches Old Testament, Greek and Hebrew at two Korean Presbyterian schools and at St. Petersburg Christian University, where he heads the Biblical languages Department.
The Rev. Jin Eun Kim, who is professor of practical theology at Canaan Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg and pastor of Light of Christ Church. Ordained to serve in Russia in 1992 by National Capital Presbytery, Jin was initially supported by the Korean Center for World Missions in Seoul. His ministry has been supported by Lord Jesus Korean Church of Richmond, VA, since 2000 and by Presbyterian World Mission since 2005.
The Rev. Joseph and Hannah Kang, who have served in Russia since 2000 and are currently seconded to the theological seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS), where Joe teaches Old Testament and Johannine theology and Hannah, after serving as librarian, now studies Russian and doing ministry through the home. The Kangs first assignment in Russia was at the Moscow Presbyterian Theological Academy. Their current work is a partnership of ELCROS, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the PC(USA). Prior to their assignment in Russia, the Kangs served in Malawi from 1991-2000.
Van Marter to chronicle PC(USA) mission and blog his experiences
by Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — Presbyterian News Service Coordinator Jerry Van Marter leaves Feb. 1 for a 12-day assignment in Russia, where he will visit the 10 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission workers in that country and report on their ministries.
Accompanied by Gary Payton (see photo at right) — the PC(USA)’s area liaison for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland — Van Marter will travel to Moscow, Smolensk and St. Petersburg.
In addition to news features about the work of PC(USA) missionaries in Russia, Van Marter will share some personal reflections on a blog — “From Russia With Love.”
Missionaries he will visit include:
Alan and Ellen Smith, who since 2001 have coordinated the congregational twinning project in Russia and Belarus, a program that matches interested congregations in the U.S. and Russia and Belarus for friendship and mission. The program was begun in the 1990s under the leadership of the Outreach Foundation and the Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists. In addition to the twinning project, Alan teaches mathematics at Hinkson Christian School in Moscow and works with a group of pastors engaged in outreach to the Roma (indigenous) people. Ellen works with church groups to help fight drug abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Russia and Belarus.
The Rev. Don and Laurie Marsden, who have been in Moscow since 1997, with Don serving as founder of the Narnia Educational Center, an interdenominational organization that trains leaders for children’s ministry and produces Russian-language resources for them. He also works with the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship to train leaders for evangelistic outreach to previously unreached people groups in western Siberia. Laurie works with OPORA, a ministry that trains church and other professionals to confront acute alcoholism and drug addiction by creating Christian “twelve-step” programs. She is also developing ARK, a drop-in center for at-risk kids of alcoholics and addicts.
The Rev. Bob and Stacy Bronkema, who in July 2006 went to Moscow — after having previously served as PC(USA) missionaries in Naples, Italy — to serve with the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, an international faith community composed primarily of students and refugees from the developing world. The chaplaincy is heavily engaged in combating ultra-nationalist inspired racism, which is resulting in a growing number of physical attacks on immigrants, particularly those from Africa. The Bronkemas were involved in a PC(USA)-Russian twinning ministry while Bob was pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palatka, FL, from 1998-2006.
The Rev. Garth Moller, who has lived and worked in Russia since 1989 and is currently director of the Kargel and Baedeker School in St. Petersburg and of Sluzhenia (“The Ministry” or “Service” in Russian), a charitable organization that works with children in crisis. The Kargel and Baedeker School includes two schools — a Russian and International day school for kids and a Russian language school for foreign workers. Sluzhenia focuses its ministry on street children (there are more now than during World War II) and on children caught up in the criminal justice system. Moller, whose work is supported by Presbyterian World Mission and San Gabriel Presbytery also teaches Old Testament, Greek and Hebrew at two Korean Presbyterian schools and at St. Petersburg Christian University, where he heads the Biblical languages Department.
The Rev. Jin Eun Kim, who is professor of practical theology at Canaan Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg and pastor of Light of Christ Church. Ordained to serve in Russia in 1992 by National Capital Presbytery, Jin was initially supported by the Korean Center for World Missions in Seoul. His ministry has been supported by Lord Jesus Korean Church of Richmond, VA, since 2000 and by Presbyterian World Mission since 2005.
The Rev. Joseph and Hannah Kang, who have served in Russia since 2000 and are currently seconded to the theological seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS), where Joe teaches Old Testament and Johannine theology and Hannah, after serving as librarian, now studies Russian and doing ministry through the home. The Kangs first assignment in Russia was at the Moscow Presbyterian Theological Academy. Their current work is a partnership of ELCROS, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the PC(USA). Prior to their assignment in Russia, the Kangs served in Malawi from 1991-2000.
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