The Story of Ruslan Moroz’ Departure from the Russian Mafia

Typically the only way one “resigns” from the Russian mafia is when your “business associates” feign mourning at your funeral. But instead, the Lord Jesus made me an offer too good to refuse! My name is Ruslan Moroz. I was born on September 23, 1967 into an ordinary Soviet family. My father worked in construction and traveled most of the time, so I was more-or-less raised by my mother, who was a store clerk. She hoped I would join the Communist Party, because this was the only pathway to success in Soviet Russia. But her dreams for me weren’t realized. I was a poor student; I enlisted in the army, got married, and by the mid-1990s my wife and I had two children and it was virtually impossible to earn an honest living, because the USSR’s centrally-planned economy was crumbling to the ground. With rampant unemployment, the Communist dream of a worker’s paradise was proving to be a lie.

But even though it was hard to earn an honest living, there was real money to be made for dishonest thugs! So I fell in with the Russian mafia, selling stolen cars from Japan to any Russians who could afford them. I made lots and lots of rubles, and squandered them all on personal pleasures. These life choices were bringing much grief to my parents and family. My “rock bottom” moment came when my wife filed for divorce. I had valued my mafia friends and our illicit gain more than my family, and I was about to lose them. This nightmare went on for nine more months until I was on the brink of taking my own life.

Then out of the blue, I ran into Eduard, a childhood friend, whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while. Eduard had made the bizarre choice of becoming pastor of a local Korean Presbyterian church! Eduard told me that Jesus Christ has the power to bring forgiveness and restoration to my life and family. The next morning I attended Eduard’s church. God spoke powerfully to me and I believed and the Spirit filled my life. But the biggest miracle occurred when I able to leave the criminal gang alive. The usual method of leaving was death. I went to see the mafia boss and simply said, “I need to leave this business.” And he said “OK.” This was only by God’s great mercy. All of my friends from that time have since been killed in one way or another. I was the only one allowed to leave alive.

My wife and I reconciled and were married again, this time in the church. My family regained a husband and father. Soon my entire family including my parents trusted the Lord. I entered seminary in Vladivostok, and devoted all my time to the church. But new problems soon arose because I was at church continually and my wife worked full-time. We had communication problems and our family suffered. In 2006, the sixth year after my conversion I was sent as a missionary 100 km away in a neighboring city. Though I only saw my wife every six weeks, I was content because I felt like I was serving the Lord.

In 2009, I met Blake Purcell and began studying at HopeRussia Seminary in St. Petersburg. I became acquainted with the works of Calvin, and Chesterton, and learned about discipleship from Blake. My eyes were opened and I was convicted that the ministry was coming at the expense of my family, which was not pleasing to God. I could not continue to labor like this without serious consequences to my family. It was my second birth as a minister. Praise the Lord for his continued mercy. As pastor of the Light to the World Presbyterian Church of Romanovka, I began to realize that I was not adequately leading my flock. Enrolling in HopeRussia Seminary helped me develop a clearer vision for the role of the church and family. My studies in the seminary and time spent in sharpening fellowship with teachers and fellow students are making me a better pastor. Thankfully our studies are conducted in a practical way that I can take home and apply in my ministry. My seminary experience would be unimaginable without HopeRussia’s founder and visionary leader Blake Purcell. His spiritual mentoring of me has helped me to do a better job discipling the men in my church. His zeal and fatherly love for me has energized my learning process; but on the other hand he is also a tremendous encourager like a brother. I am also forever indebted to the many churches in America that have faithfully sponsored my church planting efforts and have built our church building in Romanovka.