wfn.org | Build Peace in Russia

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3271 notes).

Note 3266 by UMNS on Nov. 4, 1996 at 16:14 Eastern (5654 characters).

SEARCH: Texas, United Methodists, Tomsk, Siberia, peace,
conference, Russia, Partners in Peace, Bakchar, orphanage

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Ralph E. Baker                         552(10-71B){3266}
          Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             Nov. 4, 1996

Texas United Methodists build 
lasting peace in Russia

by David Martin*

     TOMSK, Siberia, Russia (UMNS) -- "Peace, more than the
absence of conflict between nations, is the positive
relationships that exist between human beings," said a Texas
pastor after a two-day international peace conference here.
     The denomination is taking great strides toward building this
lasting peace with the Russian people, said the Rev. Chappell
Temple, of Alvin (Texas) United Methodist Church.
     Temple is co-chairman of the first-ever Partners in Peace
Conference, held here in October.  Twenty-eight Texas
United Methodists traveled here to participate with several
hundred Russians in the conference at Tomsk State University.
     This is the first meeting of its kind in the Tomsk region
bringing together American business people, scientists, educators
and United Methodist clergy with their Russian counterparts as
well as government officials, university professors, students and
Russian Orthodox Priests.
     The Russians organized the Partners in Peace Conference in
response to more than two years of humanitarian work by Texas
United Methodists providing food, medicine, clothing, toys, and
facility construction and renovation to orphanages in Tomsk and
nearby Bakchar.
     Temple said the conference helped to allay common
misconceptions the people of each country have toward one another
and gave each group a forum to exchange knowledge about business,
government, economics, science, education, social issues and
religion.
     The Rev. Richard W. Goodrich, pastor of Seabrook (Texas)
United Methodist Church, a conference participant, said, the good
will and credibility created by the Church's humanitarian work
inspired the Russians to want a closer relationship with
Americans.
     "With our work over the last few years and in this peace
conference, we have shown the people of Tomsk that Americans are
not all like what they see on CNN or MTV.  We're not the
stereotype many Russians have -- arrogant, aggressive, selfish and
only motivated to do something by greed.
     "And we have learned Russians cannot be personified by their
Cold War leaders like Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev.  Russians
are not to be feared and hated. We fed on that fear in the 40s and
50s with China falling and McCarthyism ... and the fear of a
nuclear holocaust with Russia."
     Goodrich said Russians are warm, understanding, good-humored
and deeply spiritual.  He is hopeful the new relationships formed
at the conference will lead to increased American/Russian
partnerships in business, medicine, education and religion. 
        Perhaps one of the most important relationships forged at
the Partners in Peace Conference was between the United Methodist
Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, which traditionally has
not been enthusiastic about working with other churches,
especially those from the West.
        For the first time in Tomsk, representatives from the
Russian Orthodox Church [most notably Father Leonid Haraim, Tomsk
Arch Bishop] and the United Methodist Church came together to
discuss how they can make a difference in this community,
according to United Methodist Bishop Ruediger Minor of the Moscow
area.
        "I think it is an important and hopeful sign that we are
meeting together to find new ways to be partners in peace and to
understand one another," he said.
        The Russian Orthodox and United Methodist Churches will
work together in the future to provide food for the hungry and
medicine and medical treatment for the orphans here.
        Plans also are underway to help renovate a Russian
Orthodox Church with labor provided by Russian Orthodox Church
seminarians here and students from Southern Methodist University's
Perkins School of Theology, Dallas and Perkins School of Theology
South, Houston.
        "We approach the Russian Orthodox Church as Christian
colleagues," said Bruce Weaver, Russian Initiative coordinator for
the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.  "As members of
the same body of Christ, we can assist one another in Christian
work."
        Weaver said the United Methodist approach to ministry in
Russia alleviates some of the apprehension of the Russian Orthodox
Church. Methodist churches are not simply "planted" in a
community.  Humanitarian work comes first.  Then, only at the
request of the local people, Methodist Bible Study Fellowships are
formed.  From there, Methodist churches may develop.
        Also as part of their trip to Russia, the Texas United
Methodists dedicated a new 18,000 square-foot housing facility
they funded at the orphanage in Bakchar.  Bishop Minor and the
Rev. Sam Duree, co-chairman of the Partners in Peace Conference,
conducted the ceremony.
     The Russian Partners in Peace Conference was sponsored by the
Russian Peace Foundation, Tomsk State University and the United
Methodist Texas Annual Conference.  The Russian Peace Foundation,
a semi-government organization with dozens of branches across the
former Soviet Union, is dedicated to humanitarian and peace
promoting activities.
                              #  #  #

     * David Martin is a freelance writer from Houston, Texas.

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