Bakery building offers bread of life for Russian congregation
Bakery building offers bread of life for Russian congregation
Feb. 12, 2004
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
UMNS photo courtesy Brentwood United Methodsit Church
A
former bakery in Russia has been transformed into a United Methodist
church thanks to the vision of a congregation in Brentwood, Tenn.
A
former bakery in Russia has been transformed into a United Methodist
church thanks to the vision of a congregation in Brentwood, Tenn. The
building housing Perovo (Russia) United Methodist Church is now offering
the �bread of life,� says the Rev. Galina Gonchukova. The Perovo
congregation uses the back of the building; the church does not own the
entire property. UMNS photo courtesy Brentwood United Methodsit Church,
Photo number 04065, Accompanies UMNS #055, 2/12/04
BRENTWOOD,
Tenn. (UMNS) - A former bakery in Russia has been transformed into a
United Methodist congregation, thanks to the vision of a church in
Tennessee.
The
building housing Perovo (Russia) United Methodist Church is now
offering the "bread of life," says the Rev. Galina Gonchukova.
The 110-member congregation had been meeting in basements, halls or any space it could rent for the last 10 years.
"It
was very common for them to be evicted from the spaces they rented when
the owners found out they were Methodists," says Wanda Stone,
international lay leader at Brentwood United Methodist Church.
Brentwood
has had a financial relationship with the Perovo church since the
Russian congregation was founded and pays half of the salary for a
pastor. In 2000, a Brentwood team visited Perovo, just outside Moscow,
and returned to America on fire. The team members were determined to
give the Russian church a permanent home.
"The
trip to visit our sister congregation in Perovo was one of the most
rewarding experiences of my life," says Keith Lawrence, a member of the
Tennessee congregation. "After returning to Brentwood, I began exploring
the possibility of our church helping the Perovo congregation obtain
the item most needed, a church building of their own."
Perovo's
congregation consists mainly of elderly women living on limited income
and with no means of raising money on their own, Stone says. The church
has about 110 members.
UMNS photo courtesy Brentwood United Methodist Church
Sabine and Don Barnett traveled to Russia for Perovo United Methodist Church's 10th anniversary celebration.
Sabine
and Don Barnett traveled to Russia in November to represent Brentwood
(Tenn.) United Methodist Church at Perovo (Russia) United Methodist
Church's 10th anniversary celebration. Sabine (left, rear) enjoys a
celebratory meal at the home of the Rev. Galina Gonchukova. UMNS photo
courtesy Brentwood United Methodist Church, Photo number 04066,
Accompanies UMNS #055, 2/12/04
When
the first team returned from Russia and told Brentwood's serving team
(outreach committee) of the need to send $250,000 to Russia, Stone says a
few people were more than a little skeptical.
"Some
thought they had lost their minds," she says. "Others where untrusting
of the Russia government. But God was working through several of the
team members, and they would not stop seeking funds."
"My
most important and significant impression came from the opportunity
that we all had, which was to be guests in the homes of the church
members," says Sandra Miller, part of the team that went to Russia in
2000. Seeing the distance the Russians traveled "just to get to the
church was amazing," she said.
Bishop
Ruediger Minor, who oversees the church's Eurasia Area out of Moscow,
and the Rev. Lydia Mikailova, then pastor of Perovo, visited Brentwood
one Wednesday night in 2001. After they spoke to the church, a love
offering of $75,000 was raised. With that offering, the church had
raised $150,000 and needed $100,000 more.
The
church decided to focus its 2003 Easter offering on raising funds for a
building for the Perovo congregation. Church members were asked by
letter to consider giving $80 per household.
In
part, the letter read: "Our church could take comfort in knowing that
many, many others would hear the true message of hope in Christ and His
wonderful saving grace. It is not often that our dollars can have such
an immediate impact in saving a future generation by bringing them to
Christ."
UMNS Photo courtesy Brentwood United Methodist Church
When renovations are complete, this room will be the main sanctuary of Perovo United Methodist Church.
A
former bakery in Russia has been transformed into a United Methodist
congregation thanks to the vision of a church in Brentwood, Tenn. When
renovations are complete, this portion of the building will be the main
sanctuary of Perovo United Methodist Church. UMNS Photo courtesy
Brentwood United Methodist Church, Photo number 04064, Accompanies UMNS
#055, 2/12/04
The goal was achieved and the money sent to Russia.
Sabine
and Don Barnett traveled to Russia in November to represent Brentwood
at Perovo's 10th anniversary celebration. The couple, members of
Brentwood, have lived, worked and studied in the former Soviet Union. To
see the United Methodist Church flourish there is amazing, Sabine says.
"The
Russian Orthodox Church is so powerful in Russia, they have so many
beautiful buildings, they are a visible sign of the church," she says.
"Protestant churches have had a hard time. The Methodist church has a
good reputation, but our sister church had no place of their own to
met."
Despite the need for many repairs, the congregation joyously celebrated its anniversary in the new building, she says.
"Just
the ability to celebrate this anniversary in a place that we can call
our own, by God's grace and your help, is a tremendous testimony to the
reality of God's work in this world and in our lives," the Rev.
Gonchukova said in a letter to the congregation of Brentwood United
Methodist Church.
Brentwood
will send a team to Russia to help the congregation transform the
bakery into a sanctuary. "We are going to send a team of very
construction-oriented people hopefully in April or May," Stone says.
"God
wanted this to happen," she says. "We are a large church, but the
majority of us are just everyday working people. I hope other churches
can see what we were able to do and realize they can do it too."
*Gilbert
is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville,
Tenn. News media can contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newdesk@umcom.org.