wfn.org | Why are Russians becoming United Methodists?

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Nov. 10, 1998	Contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville,
Tenn.     {656}

NOTE:  A photograph is available with this story. 

A UMNS Feature
By Tom McAnally*

MOSCOW -- Why did you become United Methodist?  

That was the question put to Vladimir and Valentina Biryokova, following
an Oct. 25 Sunday morning worship service in a new United Methodist
church outside Moscow.

"My seeking led me to God," Valentina responded through an interpreter.
"I didn't believe in God from my childhood. Then I started to ask
questions: Why am I here? Is there any God, and who am I to him?"

Valentina and husband Vladimir are third-year students at the United
Methodist Theological Seminary in Moscow. During the Sunday service at
Vnukova United Methodist Church, Valentina had been the worship leader.
In addition to their seminary studies, she is a social worker and he is
an air flight controller.

"I read a lot but didn't find an answer," Valentina continued. "I went
to the Russian Orthodox Church but still didn't find an answer."  

In 1992, she heard about a United Methodist worship service in a nearby
community and decided to attend. "I didn't know what it was but I liked
the way everything was said about God.  I learned I could ask questions
and get answers."  

This observation was often given by Russian United Methodists who place
a high value on education. 

After her visit to the United Methodist service, Valentina turned to
prayer. "I opened myself to God. I felt his grace and his hand on my
shoulders, and I found love overflowing in my heart." 

She asked God to help her husband, who at the time was having serious
health problems. "I felt a great wave of love come over me," she
recalled. "I felt we are not alone in this world. God loves us the way
we are now. He loves us because we are his children, and he will never
leave us. I cried because of gratefulness. Someone understands me.
Someone hears me."

At that point, Valentina made a commitment. "If it is your will," she
told God, "I will devote all of my life to you. I will lead my children
and husband to you, if it is your will. I will speak to everyone I meet
about your love."

Her husband did come to embrace faith for himself, and together they
decided to pursue a theological education. 

"In seminary I found out more about Methodism," Valentina said. "It was
the very thing I longed for. Now I rely on God for everything. My
primary task is to serve him."

The Biryokovas have a son, 17, and a daughter, 14. While her son has not
made a public commitment to Christianity, Valentina said, "I know he
prays to God."  

"In the Soviet time, nobody talked about God," said Vladimir, a native
of Azerbaijan. "It was the time of atheism, and we were told there is no
God --- he didn't exist."

He said they were warned against having anything to do with Baptists and
were told that Jews kidnapped children. He was baptized in the Russian
Orthodox Church but said it was "just a ritual, something everybody
does."  

"I didn't have Christ in my heart," he continued. "What I understood was
with my mind, not my heart."

Reflecting on why men are noticeably absent from United Methodist
worship services, he surmised that it might be because women have been
able to express their feelings more than men.  "Before I became a
Christian, I never cried," he said.

Both Valentina and Vladimir said that through United Methodism they have
been able to be part of a larger community of believers. 

"I especially felt this when I was a delegate to our annual conference,"
Valentina said. "It was wonderful to be with United Methodists from
other cities, town and countries. I felt unity in Christ. That's a great
support in my life."

Methodism had several congregations in Russia early in the century, but
they died out during the communist period. Today, there are 40 churches
in five districts, representing 5,000 members  and 15,000 constituents.
They are led by Bishop Rudiger Minor, who was appointed to head the
church's new Eurasia Area in 1992. He was reared in the former East
Germany, where he was required to learn the Russian language, a distinct
advantage for him now.

A team of church leaders visited Moscow Oct. 23-25 as part of a "global
experience" trip sponsored by the denomination's General Council on
Ministries (GCOM). The team consisted of Bishop John Hopkins of
Minnesota and Marilina de Carvalho of Angola, members of the GCOM
board; David Lundquist, the agency's staff executive; and Tom McAnally,
director of United Methodist New Service.

The team was one of 22 that visited United Methodists in Europe, Africa
and the Philippines before GCOM's regular semi-annual meeting in
Switzerland Oct. 26-30. One other team visited Russia. That group, which
went to St. Petersburg, consisted of the Rev. Gordon Goodgame, Lake
Junaluska, N.C.; Stephanie Gray, Evanston, Ill.; and Jody Moxley,
Titusville, Fla.

The Global Experience trips were aimed at equipping GCOM members with a
"perspective that will shape a vision of global ministry in all places
and all structures" of the denomination.

The council met at a United Methodist-owned hotel in Hasliberg-Reuti,
Switzerland, marking the first time in the denomination's history that
the governing board of a churchwide agency has met outside the United
States. The global nature of the church has emerged as a major concern
in recent years, as critics have questioned whether it is simply a U.S.
denomination with overseas appendages. The church has 8.5 million
members in the United States and another 1 million in other countries.

As GCOM member teams reported on their Global Experience visits during
the council meeting, common themes emerged. Primary among them was the
desire of United Methodists in countries outside the United States not
to be forgotten or overlooked. 

Teams visiting Africa reported rapid church growth and hope amid
poverty, corruption and even war. Before leaving Angola, members of one
team were detained until they paid what they described as "bribe" money.
A planned visit to the Congo was cancelled because of conflict there. 

Teams visiting the Philippines reported incredible strength in the
church despite grinding poverty and devastating natural disasters.
There, churches are springing up so quickly it is hard to provide
adequate leadership. Twenty-four churches were organized in one year by
one district alone.

Teams that visited the former Soviet bloc countries reported a tiny
presence in countries where most citizens have never heard of United
Methodism. Driving that point home, Bishop Minor told the team visiting
Moscow that only one of every 150,000 citizens in the country identifies
with the United Methodist Church. In Hungary, there are only 2,000
United Methodists. 

Though the church is small, one government official in Prague was
reported as telling people in his area, "If you want to know about Jesus
Christ ask the people called Methodists."  

Teams also reported difficulties faced by small United Methodist
churches overshadowed by strong "state" churches or Orthodox churches
with strong nationalistic identifications. 

In several instances, teams reported that United Methodist churches,
though small, were leading the way in helping their respective countries
deal with growing multiculturalism. In Graz, Austria, individuals from
23 nations were represented at the Sunday worship service. 

United Methodists may contribute to work in other countries through the
Advance program where 100 percent of each donation goes to the
designated project. Consult the Partnership In Mission catalog mailed in
October to every United Methodist pastor. Additional copies of the
catalog may be ordered by calling 1-800-305-9857.

# # #

*McAnally is director of United Methodist News Service, based in
Nashville, Tenn.
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