PCA Leaders Work With Russian Speaking Pastors to Build the Kingdom of God in Eurasia

May 2015: 

Churches of the Pacific North West Presbytery of the РСА Moved as They Heard How SRS Eurasian Pastors Brave Disease, Oppression and Deprivation for the Sake of Christ 

One Eurasian pastor was а former member of organized crime and now because his family ministers to the poor, many of whom have come to Christ, he and his wife and daughter have contracted а very dangerous disease. One pastor's church, he shared, meets in а 15' bу 8' living room in а deacon's apartment. The third pastor's congregation cannot bу law meet in public until his church has 50 charter members, which will not happen unless he is able to meet in public.
 
It is easy to see why those who heard them share their lives were moved, some to tears. 

Since ТЕ Вlake Purcell joined the Pacific Northwest Presbytery (PNWP) of the РСА as an evangelist two years ago, PNW churches of have had а growing interest in seeing churches planted among the 275 million Russian speakers of Eurasia. This interest took а huge step forward in Мау when pastor Evgeni visited Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, WA, and West­minster Presbyterian in Vancouver, WA. Reverend Timur visited the РСА Church in Bellingham, WA and Faith in Tacoma, and the РСА church in Issaquah, WA. Pastor Ruslan visited the Issaquah church, and Faith as well.

ТЕ Eric Irwin commented on hearing the Russian pastors share their lives and their faith, "I'm hooked! I want to go to Russia this year and teach in the SRS seminary."

Pastor Burt Hitchcock, "The sharing of the Eurasian pastors was the most moving thing my wife and I had seen in Presbytery in twenty years."

In turn, ТЕ Blake Purcell was moved to tears bу the standing ovation the PNWP gave the Russian speaking pastors after hearing how they suffer for Christ in countries where evangelical Christians are often covertly and sometimes overtly persecuted. 

Purcell comments, "'As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me,' Christ said (Matt. 25:40). Since materially these Eurasian pastors are among the least of these my brethren, the standing ovation given them at the PNWP meeting of Мау 15 was the most honoring to Christ of any presbytery meeting I have been to." 

Pastor Ruslan of Vladivostok, Russia, sharing his testi­mony at Faith Presbyterian Church (РСА) Tacoma, Washington, Мау 2015. Ruslan was а member of or­ganized crime for 11 years and was considering sui­cide when his friend shared the Gospel with him and Christ radically changed his life. Pastor Ruslan will graduate from SRS Seminary in October 2015. 

SRS trained pastors Evegeni Kruzhkov, Kazakhstan, Ruslan Moroz, Vladivostok, and Timur Anickin, Latvia, share their testimonies on Мау 14, 2015 at а voluntary meeting with members of the Pacific Northwest Presbytery of the РСА. AII were raised in Soviet-atheistic homes and came to Christ as other Russian Christians and missionaries shared their faith and their lives with them. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:16)" is how Christ brought them to Himself.

The Eurasian Pastors at the Pacific NW Presbytery meeting on Мау 15, 2015

Teaching elder Jeff Myers (front, middle) of Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church of St. Louis (РСА) taught James and Biblical Worship at the Spring Intensive in March 2015. His church has partnered with SRS for more than а decade. Covenant Seminary students, Graham Purcell and Austin Hendrickson, both Russian speakers,
accompanied Pastor Myers оп his trip.