wfn.org | Methodists dedicate church and mission center in Estonia

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Sept. 18, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn. 10-71B{418}

NOTE:  A photo is available for use with this story.

By United Methodist News Service

Methodists from around the world formally opened and dedicated the Baltic
Mission Center in Estonia on Sept. 10 as a place of worship and teaching.

The day climaxed almost six years of construction of the Methodist Church in
Tallinn and the Baltic Mission Center. The building serves as the home for
the Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking Methodist congregations in
Tallinn and houses the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary, the Christian
Education program, youth ministry, book store and a soup kitchen for the
elderly and the poor.  The center will eventually house the area's
Korean-speaking Methodist congregation.

Methodists from around the world joined with "the people called Methodists"
in Estonia in the 700-seat sanctuary to officially open the Eesti Metodisti
Kiriku with the song "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." Bishop Hans Vaxby
of Northern Europe Central Conference, which includes Estonia, said the new
church and center "provides a window to God and to the world."  

Methodism came to Estonia in 1907 and was driven underground 37 years later
during the communist occupation. A Soviet bombing raid destroyed the
Methodist church in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, in 1944. During the
occupation, the communist government confiscated all church property. The
United Methodist Church survived for 50 years by holding secret meetings.

Under the leadership of the Rev. Olav Parnamets, district superintendent,
United Methodists began dreaming of a new church home in 1989. Four years
later, after the fall of communism, Estonia's new government gave the
Methodist church the right to retrieve the property that had been
confiscated by the communists. 

The building process for the Baltic Mission Center began with a $1 million
gift from the Kwang Lim Methodist Church of Seoul, South Korea. During the
dedication service, Bishop Sundo Kim, pastor of the Kwang Lim Church,
reminded the congregation that this is the church of Jesus Christ and called
upon them to "spread the good news of Jesus."

The Rev. Eddie Fox, world director of evangelism for the World Methodist
Council, called the new church and center "God's miracle." He reminded those
present for the dedication of the faithful leaders of the Methodist movement
in Estonia, which had suffered under an oppressive regime.

Pointing to the ship design of the new building, Fox challenged the
Methodist people to "offer Christ." He told them "a ship's purpose cannot be
fulfilled if it remains in the harbor. This church has raised the cross of
Jesus Christ high above this beautiful city and now we must spread the
gospel of Christ Jesus to bring wonderful news of healing, hope and
salvation."

In addition to financial support from the Kwang Lim Church, churches,
individuals and annual conferences in the United States gave money to build
the first "home" for the Methodist family in Tallinn in more than 50 years.

The Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church provided nearly
$1 million and special benefactors of World Methodist Evangelism gave
$700,000 to construct the new facility. More than $2 million was given
though World Methodist Evangelism during the six years of construction,
including support from the North and South Georgia, Oklahoma and Kentucky
annual conferences.  

The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries contributed nearly $1
million from the Millennium Fund and the Advance, and other support came
from the Mississippi Conference and "Friends of Estonia," a network of
people from across the United States who sought the most effective ways to
support the ministry and mission of the United Methodist Church in Estonia.

The Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary,  with more than 50 students, is
located in the center. The fully accredited seminary has one of the largest
student bodies of any United Methodist Seminary in Europe. Soundproof
translation rooms enable students to attend class and participate in three
languages simultaneously. Russian-speaking and Estonian-speaking students
pray side by side as they prepare for the many facets of Christian ministry.
One of the seminary graduates is serving as a missionary to Russian in the
Siberian region. Many of the graduates are serving as pastors of new
congregations in Estonia and Latvia.

# # #

NOTE:  Much of the information for this story was provided by the Rev. Eddie
Fox, director of world evangelism for the World Methodist Council. 

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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