A letter from Gary Payton in the United States (regional liaison for Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia and Poland)
November 1, 2010
Dear Friends in Christ,
Advent! The season of hopeful waiting stretches before us until the joy of Jesus’ birth again bursts forth upon our troubled world!
A modern Belarusian icon captures the mystery and the love of the season.
Advent — a time of reflection and longing, a time of waiting for “God with us.” Since my childhood I’ve loved the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” With eyes closed, the medieval melody stirs deep longings within me for God’s presence. And, as a mission co-worker, the final stanza represents the hope for our participation in God’s mission. How many times have we sung: “O come, desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind; bid envy, strife, and discord cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”
As 2010 draws to a close, I look back upon a year of ministry with church partners in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland and with mission colleagues here and “over there.”
- Colleagues Garth Moller, Joe and Hannah Kang, Ellen and Al Smith, and Bob and Stacy Bronkema have continued their faithful service with Lutheran, Baptist and Orthodox partners. Extraordinary outreach from Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy took on new forms. Doug and Liz Searles have deepened their engagement with the Reformed Church in Poland.
- New leadership emerged with the election of President Alexey Smirnov of the Russia Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists and the consecration of the Rev. Dietrich Brauer as Visiting Bishop of European Russia. Joe Kang was one of Dietrich’s seminary professors in St. Petersburg!
- At the PC(USA)’s 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis, Archpriest Siarhei Hardun of the Orthodox Church of Belarus served as an Ecumenical Advisory Delegate — a first for our denomination.
- Also at General Assembly, the Rev. Nadia Ayoub was commissioned to new mission service in western Ukraine. Nadia will be engaged in early childhood development, particularly with Roma children, through our partner the Reformed Church in Carpath-Ukraine.
- Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver hosted our best ever Russia Mission Network meeting drawing Russian guests and folks from across our church into a living example of “community of mission practice.” (See my October 18 letter.)
- So many points of engagement to recount: expanding congregational “twinning,” new publications and children’s ministry training from the Narnia Center in Moscow, energy for the “basket project” of Presbyterian Women empowering Roma women in Carpath-Ukraine, the enthusiastic support of Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship and the Outreach Foundation of the Presbyterian Church, and more.
As our Advent journey continues, I wait with longing for what the New Year will bring.
Last summer I was asked if I would expand my ministry to include the historic churches in Armenia, another republic of the former Soviet Union. After prayer, lengthy conversations with family and friends, I said “yes” to this expanded call. So, in the first half of 2011 I will fly to Yerevan, the capital of the land-locked Caucasus nation of Armenia. Building upon the long-standing ministries of the Jinishian Memorial Program, I hope to deepen the church-to-church connections between the PC(USA) and the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenia Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church in Armenia. This new aspect of call is exciting, daunting and fills me with new energy!
Even as this is on the horizon, I am ever mindful of changes coming to our mission partnerships in Russia. Bob and Stacy Bronkema will depart the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy mid-year following five years of extraordinary service. We await God’s leading on whom will be called to serve this special congregation. Joe and Hannah Kang conclude 10 years of seminary service in Russia mid-year. Our partnership with the Lutheran Church will continue, though the manner will change for now. With the financial crisis still gripping much of Russia, we pray the Kargel and Baedeker School directed by Garth Moller will receive the resources to continue teaching in a caring Christian environment. Ellen and Al Smith will return to the mission field from home assignment, even as Doug and Liz Searles begin home assignment and itineration across the States.
December 2011 will mark the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The historic churches have moved great distances to restore congregations, seminaries and church life. Still, the legacy of almost 70 years of communism runs deep. So, where we are invited, the PC(USA) will continue our walk “alongside” these renewing pieces of the Body of Christ in the world.
I close, friends, with requests. I ask for your financial support only once a year. Would you join me by enabling my travel when I am with partners abroad? Travel expenses, lodging, meals and administrative costs are covered almost exclusively by gifts from you who read my newsletters. Each contribution goes to purchase a part of an airline ticket, a ride on the night train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, a bus ticket from Warsaw to Lodz, cell phone minutes in Russia to connect with partners and colleagues, metro tickets, etc.
If you or your congregation can offer support, the addresses are below. Write “Regional Liaison for Russia/ECO #051663” both on the subject line of the check and on your cover letter or note.
Contributions from individuals may be sent to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Contributions from congregations may be sent to their normal receiving site or to the same address above. To give online, give using ECO E051663. (To give online, go the Give box in the left column. —Ed.)
It remains my great joy to serve as a part of God’s mission in former communist countries. My life is greatly enriched through service with partner churches, mission colleagues and all who have an interest in the renewing churches there.
I ask for prayers for our partners, for my family and for me. I ask for your financial support for travel ahead. And may the Lord richly bless you and yours in 2011!
Yours in Christ,
Gary
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, pp. 195, 196, 204, 355, 192
