Representing the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of RussiaInnercircle Perspective
. . . I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14).
In 1998 in Novosibirsk, Siberia, a young university student, Eugene Bakhmutsky, asked the regional pastor to arrange a meeting with me. He would soon graduate from a top university, first in his class in the field of scientific economics. A devoted young Christian in his home city of Kemerovo, Eugene had organized and staffed an outstanding summer camp for the children. The Lord had blessed his efforts even in the obtaining of support for the camp from secular businessmen.
As graduation approached, Eugene was offered a full scholarship to pursue a doctorate in scientific economics. At the same time, we were making plans to launch a Strategic Bible Institute (SBI) in Novosibirsk that would lead to the founding of Novosibirsk Biblical Theological Seminary. Wanting to serve Christ, Eugene turned down the doctoral program and enrolled in the SBI. His studies intensified his love for God’s Word and after completing the SBI, he enrolled in the new seminary.
While pursuing his Master of Divinity degree, Eugene served as the youth leader of the Novosibirsk Baptist Church. With coaching from our son, Todd, he developed a thoroughly biblical youth ministry program. At the same time, he had an extremely popular youth outreach on secular radio, which attracted great opposition and even death threats from Satanists.
After graduation, the Baptist Union president asked Eugene to move to Moscow and lead the development of youth ministries in Baptist churches spread all over Russia. Since then, working night and day, he has developed a national network of outstanding leader-trainers at the regional and state levels, and a great and zealous youth movement is now underway. More than 20,000 young men and women are blessing their churches and impacting their communities for Christ all across Russia, and the movement is spilling over into neighboring countries.
SGA staff members have been involved behind the scenes in discipleship, encouragement, and support capacities since I first met this visionary university student ten years ago. Today the Lord is fulfilling this faithful young man’s vision in extraordinary ways.
I am writing while on the way home from the most encouraging Christian conference I have ever attended. 350 local church youth leaders came from 61 of Russia’s 88 states and also from other countries including Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Moldova, and even from Israel.
The theme of the conference was "Be Strong!" from 1 John 2:14, “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." The expository preaching and teaching were powerful. Fifteen seminars were taught by area pastors and covered such topics as prayer ministry, personal evangelism, creative evangelism, outreach work in public schools, purity and holiness, evangelizing young men, coordinating youth ministry with rehab ministry, etc.
The worship experiences were rich. They praised the Lord with their instruments and through the singing of praise songs. Before and after the preaching and prayer times, in one great a cappella voice, they sang all the verses from beautiful hymns of the faith. One evening, they stood praying enthusiastically for 105 minutes. It was glorious!
The entire conference program was led by gifted young leaders whom Eugene has discipled — most of them supported by SGA partners. An extremely gifted expositor, Eugene was the main preacher. At one session, he challenged them all to read through the Bible in 2008, and then exhorted them to go to one of the sign-up sheets posted on the back walls and sign their name in commitment to do so. What a thrill it was to watch them line up quickly to record their pledges!
Everything about the conference was excellent. Volunteers from area churches prepared delicious meals for the attendees.
We gave each attendee four Russian language books including God and Man by Dr. Roman Dechtiarenko, The DaVinci Code Quest by Josh McDowell, Preaching with Passion by Pastor Alex Montoya, and Our Sufficiency in Christ by Dr. John MacArthur. And we have never had a more enthusiastic response to a book distribution.
As for the cost, their churches paid the travel expenses for their men and half of their conference expenses. The remaining costs of the conference were covered by a faithful SGA partner.
Please put Pastor Eugene Bakhmutsky, his wife Tanya, and their two young children, as well as the Russian Baptist youth ministry on your prayer list. As the movement grows, the opposition is intensifying. The youth are the future of the church in that vast unreached country, and the future couldn’t be more promising. In the meantime, thank you again for all your prayers, all your encouragement, and all your support.
