Academic Dean’s Blog

This weekend Christianity Today features an article on Evangelical Church in Ukraine on its main page. Faith and Hope in Ukraine: How Eastern Europe’s most missional evangelical church is rethinking tradition and the Great Commission, by Susan Wunderink.

The article has its permanent address as well: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/october/25.70.html.

Kyiv Theological Seminary administration and faculty along with other evangelicals of our country contributed to this article. I might comment on the article later since my answers to author’s questions are included as well.

From Video Introduction:

Author Philip Yancey explores the influence of faith and spirit on his writing in this interview with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: Writer’s Symposium By The Sea [4/2008]

From yesterday’s blog post at Desiring God:

Discernment is not created in God’s people by brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance. It is created by biblical truth and the application of truth by the power of the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds. When that happens, then the brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance will have the strong fiber of the full counsel of God in them. They will be profoundly Christian and not merely religious and emotional and psychological.

Test Revival with Doctrine :: Desiring God

Among many things that the article and quoted source provoked me to think about was importance of seminary education for evangelical churches in Ukraine. Particularly I focus my attention on importance of teaching believers the whole counsel of God and Christian doctrine that comes out of Biblical data with illumination of the Holy Spirit. Teaching believers discernment with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is also important aspect. This is vital to any church in the world, North American, Eastern European or Pacific. Ukrainian evangelical churches are in great need of biblical preaching and teaching, relevant to contemporaries and true to heart of the Gospel.

Thus I read about evidence why ministry of Kyiv Theological Seminary is of vital importance for Church in Ukraine and other neighboring countries.

Please pray with our seminary faculty and staff to be used by God mightily and gloriously for causes of His wonderful and blissful kingdom. Please pray for our 168 students (Enrollment Statistics for Fall 2007) to grow in knowledge of God and his will for this generation and for obedience to follow his call.

As St. Paul wrote in Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (ESV)

Rick Warren is known worldwide. He is well known in US and recent TIME Magazine features him in its article The Global Ambition of Rick Warren. I found even an article in Encyclopædia Britannica Online on him, not mentioning Wikipedia’s article. But he is known beyond America. He is known in former USSR, several of his books translated into Russian and gained popularity among local evangelical churches as well.

In my church in Kyiv, Ukraine we had men’s group meetings that were based on one of his books: Purpose Driven Life. Few other churches in Ukraine even try to follow Saddleback Church model, adapting it to our local culture. Celebrate Recovery program started in Saddleback Church and makes its steps into Eastern Europe. Kyiv Theological Seminary hosted the Celebrate Recovery Conference on June 23-27, 2008. People from around Ukraine came for the training to experience the program themselves and take it to their churches.

Professors of our seminary require students in church planting program read his books and write book reports. Students then also required analyzing how they can contextualize the principles in their communities. Warren’s books are not the only books we use in our church planting curriculum, many of other authors are required of students to read, but his books definitely in our reading focus.

Rick Warren’s church is one of top influential evangelical churches in America and globally. My heart is burden with this question: will evangelical church in Ukraine have her own national Rick Warren someday? Hopefully, our seminary could do its part by training, equipping and forming next generation of leaders. For the future of evangelical church. To the glory of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I just uploaded all photos that I took during commencement ceremony today to my web album. Not many pictures this time, I had to charge my battery right there in the church building during the event.

Kyiv Theological Seminary celebrated achievement of 13 faithful men today. Trust my words even when you look at this picture. Only 12 graduates are there. But 13 names where announced. Thanks to my wife who practiced with me last night at home and guided me to the best announcement style. Does anyone of those who attended agree with me, or I just boasting in vain?

I must add that It was God’s service today! Yea. Just two examples.

Photo Caption:: Dr. Grigory Komendant speaks at KST Commencement 2007

Firstly, former President of Ukrainian Baptist Union Dr. Grigory Komendant spoke prophetic words. He said that some people may say that we have no reason to celebrate today: Kyiv Seminary exists for 13 years and today we have 13 graduates. But it is God’s day, he said – and very next year we will celebrate KTS commencement in new and renovated conference-hall of Kyiv Theological Seminary. His words received a great applause from the audience! I wish we would have official video recording of his speech, but the school has no video equipment. I have a ‘digital 8′ format of the video camcorder but have difficult time of getting tapes for it, outdated format. So no video I have to show you here. But what I have I want to share. My Zooomr Photo Album has a Commencement 2008 Photo Set. Go and see for yourself.

Secondly, I want to share at this moment that God kept speaking to us at commencement. Dr. Yount, our commencement speaker, shared the message on building on the foundation of Christ with gold, silver and precious stones. He gave great and – importantly – simple and clear explanation of difference between building with gold and building with hay and straw. Motivation and Focus - these are two main things that define what we build with.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, ESV)

I am thankful and glad that Dr. Yount kindly agreed to teach at KTS faculty in-service Monday through Wednesday next week. All KTS faculty are expected to attend his lectures, of course those who are available and are still in Kyiv. I personally look forward to his class.

As I greeted and congratulated each fresh alumnus after the ceremony I wished him (and myself) to go on and build with gold for God’s glory and be satisfied with nothing cheaper. Could you pray for me and our graduates as we going and living our lives to do the very best thing that God expect us to do, just as we’ve heard today and may read every day in the Book.

Our church went to a picnic on May 11, 2008. Our part of the city has wonderful park and woods. There are three small lakes there and many people spend they week-ends there having a picnic or just going for a walk. This picture of our son Matviy was taken on our way to the picnic. You can also see pictures from the picnic in my photo album where I made a ‘church picnic‘ set.

Just as a reminder, future Easter Dates (also called Orthodox Easter) as celebrated in Ukraine.

• April 19, 2009
• April 4, 2010
• April 24, 2011
• April 15, 2012

Source: http://www.interfaithcalendar.org

This month is specially filled with meetings and events for me. Some things develop with great pace. I even feel that I hardly catching up with them, monitor them or contribute to them. At the same time I am deeply grateful for being a part of many things that happen in our seminary and that I am able to contribute.

Tomorrow’s faculty meeting is special

We’ll focus our attention on ATutor – an Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System. I believe that ATutor will help us to enhance our educational influence on our students directly by utilizing its features but also indirectly by improving our faculty – staff – student communications. Do you know any other open-source web-based systems that could be used in higher education institution for collaboration and/or learning, please leave your comment below.

Past meeting with Indiana Wesleyan University leaders

A notable meeting happen on Monday, March 10th, when group of administrators and doctoral students from Indiana Wesleyan University arrived on Kyiv Seminary campus. Seminary President Dr. Anatoly Prokopchuk hosted the meeting in his office. This was our first meeting of formal introduction and acquaintance with IWU educational resources that might be of interest to KTS. I deeply appreciate the attitude of the group that came to Kyiv to explore opportunities available in our country. I am glad that our seminary is one of their stops on the way of serving. I pray for Lord’s guidance in our relationships between IWU and KTS for the sake of His glory and kingdom. We particularly discussed their programs in leadership and learned more about their desire to expand leadership program to a place like KTS, Lord willing.

Indeed, we can talk about current leadership crisis in our country in every sphere of life – political, social or religious. Businesses and churches alike need revitalization with new leadership blood. But difference between the two is warranty of security for latter that rooted in Jesus’ promise to preserve his church from even gates of hell. Even when church leadership does poor job, Christ’s church still has a hope of bright future. History of the church is filled with evedences of this. Foundational principles for leadership must be instilled again in new generation of leaders with renewal of mindset, which is impossible without God’s word and principles that are found in it. This country desperately needs educational programs that address leadership crisis with biblically derived solutions.

Whatever the program we establish independently or in partnership with another institution of any kind, my responsibility is to make sure it harmonized with our mission, shares our values and help us to make another step towards our dream expressed in vision statement, that particularly reads, “an international center of relevant training, instructive resources, and nurturing networks for evangelical Christians in ministry, through collaboration with local churches and parachurch organizations.” More on that you can read in recent post Driving Statements for the Seminary.

Forthcoming visit of Talbot School of Theology leaders

Another notable event of the month is a visit of some members of Talbot School of Theology administration. Next Wednesday I have a meeting with Dr. Dennis Dirks. Main item for meeting’s agenda is Talbot’s Master of Arts program that is offered here at KTS.

On September 18, 2007 Mission Network News published news article entitled Theological School in Ukraine Begins New School Year which asks for prayers on behalf of our Seminary and SEND International. I want to add one clarification to the article though. The article reads “The school starts with a new class every four years”. I am glad that this is a history now. We start new class every year now. The statement is still partially true: we start our full-time residential class every four years. We can not start full time residential program every year because we have limited class-room and dormitory facilities. We are able to start new class of modular (part-time residential) program every year now. I am very excited about this business and noise that our campus experience throughout semesters. I am deeply thankful for faithful partnership for many years of SEND International with Kyiv Theological Seminary. Majority of our residential faculty came to Ukraine through this missionary organization and now minister with us here at KTS.

I am so glad that we have qualified and experienced faculty who help the seminary to do our mission “to prepare believers for an effective ministry who are able to lead others in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ”. I am also praying for God raising new generation of qualified and experienced Ukrainian faculty to partner together with brothers and sisters in important work of educating, equipping and training others for ministry of the Gospel of Jesus in Ukraine and other countries of Eurasia.

Article give this accurate description of our academic programs: “It’s a combination of careful teaching and a thorough coverage of Bible training. The reason it’s critical? While Russian Christians are not gladly-received to teach and preach outside Russia, especially in the Central Asian states, Ukrainian Christians are welcomed.”

For this purpose we have our undergraduate degree in theology with various emphasis: in Church Planting, in Pastoral Leadership, in Youth Ministry, in Christian Education and Biblical Studies. We also have Master of Arts degree with emphasis in Biblical and Theological Studies offered through Kyiv extension of Talbot School of Theology at Kyiv Theological Seminary. The purpose of this MA degree at KTS stated as such:

The Master of Arts degree is intended to provide opportunities for specialized focus on disciplines that are crucial to fulfill the mission of Talbot School of Theology. Its purpose, as offered in the extension, is to increase students’ understanding of Scripture and theology, building on a Bachelor in Theology (B.Th.) degree that offers ministry skill courses. It is expected that most students admitted to the extension program will already possess this degree. The M.A. degree is intended to provide students in Eastern Europe with the next level of theological education to prepare them for the challenges of pastoral leadership. The M.A. will equip leaders for the waves of theological challenges increasingly confronting the church in the region. Its goals and learning outcomes are consistent with the purposes of the extension program.

Christian Today recently reported about one initiative that some Baptists churches in Great Britain take to reach out to older generation. It caught my attention because – it seems to me – there are dozens of reports about reaching out to ‘generation X’ and younger generation, but older people are not getting as much attention as youngsters. Yet the world population is getting older, and many of the European countries soon will have majority of their citizens being of retired age group. But the churches in the Southern Counties Baptist Association think differently and make their outreach to silver generation, characterized as “‘buried treasure’, that lies within all our churches”. Thus Caleb Challenge was born in 2005 based on the story of Caleb, who at his 85 years old was successfully took charge of a part of the Promised Land (see Joshua 14:10-11).

The union website has this picture on front page that conveys the message of diversity in audience that the union serves and represents.

What about Ukraine? Two examples immediately come to my mind. First one is from Zhitomir region: wife of one regional Baptist Pastor made it her priority to minister to those widows whose husbands used to be Pastors in village churches of their region. What she discovered was that vast number of these old ladies lived in poor conditions, very often lonely and abandoned. What treasured most by these women is not food parcels or used but in good condition cloths, or other kind of help (bringing volunteer repair team), yet attention and care. Second example is from Kyiv region, where another village church conducts annual conference for senior women, primarily Christian aiming to encourage them in their faith and serve their needs. This village church has exemplary history of facilities use that many of city churches are not dare to boast. Our seminary faculty body had a picnic there some time ago and you can see the pictures of that church.

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