November 29, 2006
Most readers of our newsletters will recognize that the huge
majority are written by Ellen in connection with the Russia Twinning
Program, AIDS issues, and ministry to orphans. This month, however,
it is my turn. Although I continue to teach math and science at
Hinkson Christian Academy here in Moscow, I have recently taken
on the task of coordinating the PC(USA)’s ministry to the
Roma (Gypsy) community in Russia.
Not surprisingly, we first became aware of ministry to the Roma
through the twinning program, when we visited a partner church
in Kostroma. The deacon there, Piotr, had been invited to move
to Kostroma from Siberia in order to minister to the Roma community.
In Siberia, Piotr had worked with a Baptist missionary, Frank
Dawson, who used to rent office space from Hinkson Christian Academy.
When Frank had to return to the United States three years ago,
there was no one to coordinate outreach to the Roma, and no reliable
source of support for this work. That’s where I got involved.
Outreach to the Roma is never easy—in Russia or anywhere
else. Four thousand years of oppression have taught the Roma to
be suspicious of outsiders and have forced them to survive on
the fringes of society. Excluded from most employment, many Roma
have been forced to operate on the fringes of the law, and sometimes
beyond, so that many Russians associate them with fortunetelling,
begging, thievery, and the drug trade. As a result, many Russian
churches and pastors are reluctant to reach out to them. They
maintain customs that outsiders regard as archaic or backward.
Failure to respect those customs will result in rejection of the
message. Until recently, there were no Bibles in any of the Roma
languages, no Roma churches, and no Roma pastors anywhere in Russia,
but that situation is beginning to change.
Piotr and Frank commissioned a taped translation of the gospel
several years ago, in order to reach out to the many Roma who
cannot read in Russian or their own language. Many Roma move frequently,
and many do not have legal registration where they are currently
living, which makes it extremely difficult for their children
to go to school. After a long spell of no news about the status
of the work, it now appears that the tapes will be ready for distribution
by the end of this year. There are, alas, several mutually incomprehensible
dialects spoken by Roma in Russia, so further translation work
will eventually be needed.
The situation with respect to Roma leadership is also beginning
to improve.
Kolya has been quite successful in business, and his family is
comparatively well off. He accepted Christ after he was stricken
with an illness that eventually led to paralysis of his arms and
legs. He now needs assistance from family members to care for
himself, but he is a tireless leader, prepared to reach out to
his fellow Christians. He recently moved from Astrakhan, where
the family business is centered, to Michurinsk, in order to assist
a struggling Roma congregation there. Additionally, he has translated
the gospel into his Roma dialect, although there are difficulties
in having his work published because he does not have a university
degree.
Andrei is another Roma leader. After coming to Christ in his
native Ukraine, he studied at a Baptist seminary in Kursk and
is now ordained. He has a small congregation of Roma, which he
has served without pay, supporting himself and his family by his
own small farming operation. Piotr and I were guests there in
July, and we saw firsthand how much time the farm took and how
much ministry Andrei accomplished in spite of the farm. In addition
to his other ministry work, Andrei organizes teams of Roma from
his congregation to evangelize in other communities, using a van
that belongs to the Russian congregation at the seminary. He has
now sold the farmstead so that he can buy a house closer to Kursk
and spend more time in his ministry activities.
The day after Thanksgiving, Piotr and I hosted at Hinkson Christian
Academy a gathering of everyone, both Roma and Russian, who is
involved in this ministry. As far as we know, it is the first
such gathering that has taken place since Frank Dawson left, and
we hope that it will not be the last. We discussed our visions
and plans for the future of the ministry, and scheduled visits
and evangelizations for the winter and spring.
The importance of Roma leadership can hardly be overstated. Dedicated
outsiders like Piotr can bring the good news, but it takes local
leaders, who live in the community and the culture, to support
new believers. As one of the Roma pointed out at our meeting last
week, they can see dynamics at work that Piotr, for all his dedication
and experience, cannot see, and that a newcomer like myself does
not even know to look for. Ellen and I know from personal experience
that worship and fellowship in a second language is never the
same as in one’s native language; it can be wonderful, but
it is always more of a challenge.
The Roma ministry here is in great need of support, both spiritual
and material. Several pastors have expressed interest in partnership.
Christians coming together from across the globe is a profound
witness. Local leaders sacrifice huge amounts of time and energy
to their ministries, but financial resources are very tight. We
have been working with our fellow mission co-worker Burkhard Paetzold
on funding some of this work, but with increased activity come
increased financial needs. If you are interested in contributing
to this work, there is an Extra Commitment Opportunity account,
number E040061, devoted to ministry to Roma in Europe. To give
online, click on the "give" button below.
We pray that God will richly bless each of you in the coming
year, and wish you all a very happy Christmas season.
Peace and blessings,
Al and Ellen Smith
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 188
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