wfn.org | Russia: Pastors' shortage compels regional church to seek outside help

[franki@elca.org]

Congregations in Siberia are isolated

OMSK, Russia/GENEVA, 29 November 2000 (LWI) - The Evangelical Lutheran
Church of the Urals, Siberia, and Far East continues to be dependent on
workers from other Lutheran churches, as it does not have enough pastors.

The church's bishop, Rev. Volker E. Sailer pointed out that as long as there
are no local pastors to minister to the congregations, this Lutheran church
would seek support from Western churches. He was speaking at the Ninth Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS), the
independent church with the largest surface area.
 
Fifty-one delegates from some 30 congregations attended the synod, which met
from October 19 to 21 in Omsk, Russia. Although each of the 200
congregations of the Urals, Siberia and Far East is expected to send a
representative per every 100 members, numerous Brethren communities could
not send delegates to the synod because on average such persons were of
elderly age, or travel was hampered by the long distances to be covered as
well as transportation difficulties.

Due to the huge surface area of the Siberian church and the lack of workers,
the church leadership found it necessary to improve the distribution of
church responsibilities and the structure of the regions. The regional
church is divided into four regions, Far East, Central Siberia, Urals and
Omsk. Attempts by the congregations of the Far East region to establish an
independent church have been abandoned. The regional church presently
comprises ten districts, out of which only five currently have a dean. The
deans are responsible for their local congregation and also provide support
for other congregations.

At the synod, the church leaders said that attracting congregation workers
remains a priority. This includes sending young people to the theological
seminary in St. Petersburg as well as developing possibilities for education
at a regional level. Another priority for church work in the next few years
is the establishment of a bible school in Omsk.

The members of the synod clearly stated that many regions were willing to
welcome missionaries or Western workers and that they hoped their
congregations would be inspired. This includes mainly the unification and
spiritual support of the congregations who are dispersed over the wide
Siberian territory and therefore live in isolation.

Recently, the regional church of the Urals, Siberia, and Far East concluded
a contract with the "Liebenzeller Mission Deutschland" mission society,
which agreed to send workers to the Urals region. The first Liebenzeller
staff person, Mr. Waldemar Jesse, started working in Ykaterinburg last
October. Bishop Sailer reported that pastors Mr. and Mrs. Fendler spent two
months working in Krasnoyarsk while Rev. Thomas Casper has been active in
Omsk. In addition, two graduates of the Novosaratovka theological seminary
served as assistant pastors in Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, another assistant
pastor is serving in Arsenyev. A woman assistant pastor from the Slovak
Republic is expected in Vladivostok.

At the October synod, 12 candidates between the ages of 39 and 78 were
affirmed in their congregational ministry as preachers and consecrated
during the closing worship. Six of these preachers come from the Far East
region, three from Chelyabinsk district, two from the Omsk area, and one
from Kemerovo. ELCROS Archbishop Georg D. Kretschmar, Bishop Sailer and
Oberlandeskirchenrat Jśrg Homann from the Hanover church, Germany
consecrated the preachers.

(The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries
representing over 59 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, normally held every six years.
Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council which meets
annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical relations, theology,
humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various
aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the Lutheran
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