Russian text here

The State of Christ’s Star will have more churches,

according to the participants of the First Slavic Christian Conference of Texas

As of July 24th, 2010, the state of Texas, which is known in the US as the Lone Star State, has a different name for the Slavic Christians of the state.  This, now historic day, commemorates the first conference of the Slavic evangelical leaders in Texas.

According to various estimates, the State of Texas, being second biggest state in the Union (after Alaska) and also having second largest population (after California), has at least 250 thousand Russian-speaking immigrants, mostly of Jewish background.  However, there are only three Russian-speaking evangelical churches and a few home groups in the entire state, numbering anywhere from a few to not more than fifty people in each.  Moreover, some of these groups were organized and are led by the Russian-speaking American Christians.  This is a rather paradoxical situation, considering how few of the Slavic evangelical churches are found in the state, not only known as the Bible belt’s buckle but also housing one of the world’s leading theological institution – Dallas Theological Seminary, which continues to train a significant number of evangelical leaders from Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union.  Some Russian evangelical associations and denominations in the USA have already been praying for Texas (the state’s name translates as a “friend” from the language of the local Indians).  According to Igor Dolbnya, representing the Northwest Association of Russian Baptist Churches, their churches have already been praying about the revival and opportunities to organize evangelistic outreach in this state..

However, before starting any significant outreach in the state, it was important to survey the spiritual landscape of the Slavic life.  Prior to the conference, there was no reliable information as to a number of Slavic churches and home groups in the state.  Gathering this information, together with a desire to get to know and pray for each other, was the main goal of the conference, which took place in  Duncanville's First Baptist (Greater Dallas area) on July 24th.  This meeting was also part of the so-called “500-2025 Vision” project of the Southern Baptist Convention.  This project consolidates efforts to plant 500 new Slavic churches in the USA and Canada by 2025 (project’s first conference will take place in Philadelphia, PA on 17-18th of September, 2010).  Consequently, Mark Habafkovich, coordinator of the Southern Baptist Convention’s national projects, and Patty Lane, director of the Southern Baptist Convention’s intercultural ministries were among the guests of the Texas conference.

An important conversation took place in the evening before the conference, on July 23rd. Mark Hobafkovich had a chance to meet with Aleksander Semenchuk, President of the US Slavic Baptist Alliance.  This was the first such meeting between representatives of the Southern Baptist Convention and US Slavic Baptist Alliance.  Both sides were excited to exchange and discuss information, vision and partnership strategies between the two organizations. Specifically, Aleksander Semenchuk expressed his support of the “500-2025 Vision” project and presented detailed information about the US Slavic Baptist Alliance and various churches and ministries that are its members.

The First Conference of Slavic Evangelical Churches of Texas was opened with the word of greeting on behalf of the organizing committee. Serge Taran, Chairman of the National Slavic Observance in the USA Foundation, welcomed participants to his home church (First Baptist Church of Duncanville, TX) and suggested that all participants in this conference are part of the spiritual and human history of Texas.  Serge Taran also has called everyone to glorify the name of Jesus Christ, which is “above all other names”, and not to exalt a particular denomination.  He also shared the vision of the conference, which took shape during the prayer meeting with other friends.

Leonid Regheta, another member of the organizing committee, moderated the conference.  Leonid Regheta is a project missionary of the Evangelical Covenant Church and the founder of “Prayer for Texas” movement.  From the very beginning of the conference, Leonid has encouraged all to “learn from one another” and “consider this conference not as a loud but brief display of fireworks, but rather as a fire that each participant can take to own home, city and church.”  According to Leonid, God will honor the attitude of humility and servant hood as Slavic Christians grapple with the task of ministering to so many Russian-speaking immigrants in Texas.

Mark Hobafkovich of the Southern Baptist Convention shared his vision for the “500-2025” project, which is quickly gaining national significance for the US and Canada.  Mark, having Romanian roots, recalled his own coming to Christ in an Australian city, where another Romanian immigrant knocked at his door and shared the Gospel with him.  “I am a product of the local national church’s ministry,” – shared Mark.  He has also invited all to “work together since we can do much more than apart.”  Mark has also invited Texas pastors to support “500-2025 Vision” and participate in the upcoming conference in Philadelphia.

“How to register a church as a non-profit organization in Texas” – that was the name of a seminar, presented by Mel Buck, a financial manager of Annistown Road Baptist Church from Georgia (also, managed a large US research budget in the past).  Mel Buck, together with his wife, Gloria, drove 14 hours in an automobile to support this conference and present his valuable seminar.  Mel and Gloria Buck have a special love for Russian people.  This American family has visited Russia 28 times.  Together with other pastors, they have helped to build 7 churches.  During his PowerPoint presentation Mel provided step-by-step instructions for registering churches in Texas.  Unlike other states, Texas does not charge sales taxes for church-related purchases and offers a number of other benefits to churches and non-profit organizations.  The speaker has also prepared a number of printed and electronic materials that can be useful for anyone planning to go through the process.  Moreover, Mel Buck has offered personal help to all Slavic pastors and leaders in Texas with issues pertaining to church registrations.

It is important to remember that Slavic population in Texas is very different from that of California, Oregon and Washington.  There are more than eighty churches in Sacramento, California.  On the contrary, there are few Slavic ministers in Texas and about a dozen or so of the evangelical congregations.  Most of the Slavic pastors of Texas were present at this conference.  During the introductions, they shared their background, ministry experience and love of Christ and His Church.  Sergey Khripunov, President of the “House of Treasure” ministry from Houston, for instance, shared of his “heart burning for the planting of new churches.”  Few years, Sergei was extradited from Uzbekistan to the United States for his Christian outreach activities.  He shared: “As my pregnant wife, three children and I were flying to the US three years ago, I had to make a choice between California and Texas.  The Lord commanded us to land in Houston.”  Together with a leadership team, Sergei organized a network of seven home groups in Houston, the oil capital of America.  “Houston is huge, so we have decided to organize groups in different parts of the city and we pray for new leaders that will lead new groups.”  Conference participants lifted up prayers for these groups growing into full-fledged churches over time.

Vadim Fatkullin is part of the House of Treasure Church leadership team.  He is responsible for social networking and high-tech aspects of ministry.  Vadim considers Internet as a tool for spreading the Gospel and he creates Christian websites and promotes the use of social networks.

Alim Gelyastanov is a student of the Dallas Theological Seminary.  Currently, he ministers to the Russian-speaking population of Dallas-Forth-Worth area. Alim and his wife Kira reported to the conference, they have a call to go to Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, one of the republics of Russia, to plant the new Slavic churches.

Yevgeniy Andreyev, Deacon of the Russian Bible Church in Dallas, and Ivan Piskun, talented photographer from Minnesota, have also participated in the conference.  Ivan was part of the team, aling with Konstantin Andrievskiy, director of the youth department of the Slavic Baptist Alliance, that came with Aleksander Semenchuk.

Ludmila Kachkar, Executive Editor of the “The Protestant” and “Protestant America” newspapers, shared her thoughts about mission outreach in the United States: “International outreach itself is good. It is Biblical, as our good Bible tells us “Go and preach to the nations.” But the world is changing; “nations” are coming here, to American soil. Aren’t we overlooking Bible commitment, if we are not preaching the gospel to the “nations” here, in America? Ludmila highlighted, “It’s not necessary for the American churches to send teams overseas in order to reach Russian, Chinese or Indian population. These international communities live here, in the US, in our own subdivisions or apartment complexes. For instance, there are around 5 million Russian-speaking immigrants in the US. Unfortunately, American churches often forget about these international minorities and sometimes mission work is simply used as an excuse for Christian tourism.”

Addressing conference guests and participants, Konstantin Andrievskiy reiterated: “the only thing that worries me is the salvation of people for the Lord.”  Konstantin used a song illustration/proverb about sea stars and the situation in the Lone Star State:  “One orthodox singer sings about a professor, who walks on the seashore during a low tide.  He then sees a little boy picking up and throwing sea stars back into the water.  ‘What’s the point of your efforts? – asks professor.  ‘I feel pity for them, they want to live!’ – sincerely answered a little boy.  ‘But there are so many of them, you will not save them all,’ responded professor.  ‘But I will save at least a few…’ – calmly answered a boy.  Intellectual professor was impressed by the wise response of the meaning of our own existence and joined this boy in saving as many sea stars as they could have mastered.  This proverb comes alive in Texas, where you have too many sea stars/people but very few saviors.  Let’s unite in our efforts and save at least a few of the many that need our help!  Konstantin also presented information about the First National Russian Youth Conference that will take place in March of 2011.  Additional information about the conference can be found on the his website: http://audioteka.org

Lutheran pastor Ed Holschuh is known among the Russian-speaking population of Arlington simply as "E.B."  Mr. Holschuh learned Russian back when he served in the US Army.  After retirement, he moved to Texas where he bumped into Russian-speaking people at a local wine shop.  E.B. started praying for these people and the Lord prompted him to start a Russian Bible study group.  After distributing invitations at the same wine shop and the “Taste of Europe” Russian food store for a few weeks, he felt himself as a lone star in such a huge state.  He felt there were no other Russian-speaking Christian leaders.  “After this conference I no longer feel like I live by myself on an island.  And the state of Texas is no longer an island,” he remarked in the end of a conference.  Toward the end of the day, EB Holschuh’s obvious dedication and commitment to the Russian-speaking people led Slavic pastors and Christian leaders to jokingly “baptize him into an authentic Slavic soul.”

Art Buecher, who served the conference as an official interpreter, learned Russian many years ago and that helped him during his many years of World Relief work and ministry.  Art has visited Russia and Ukraine eight (!) times and recently came back from yet another mission trip to Ukraine.  He continues to look for ways to serve Russian-speaking people in Texas and help Slavic ministers of the state in planting new churches.

Aleksander Semenchuk, President of Slavic Baptist Alliance of churches of the USA, was an honorary and long-awaited guest in Texas.  He supported the lifter-up the Texas ministers in  his mini-sermon: “One rich man was allowed by God to bring all his possessions – money, gold, stock, etc. – to heaven, but only after transferring them into a single currency or a precious metal.  This man chose gold, but when he was about to enter the Pearly Gates carrying huge golden brick, Saint Peter asked him: “Why are you bringing this brick here?  Here, in paradise, our streets are covered with what you have in your hands”.  God help us to understand the difference between the temporary and eternal, as we read in the I Corinthian 7:29,31 (NLT): ‘But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short.  For this world as we know it will soon pass away.’  God changes this world and it’s decorations, but heavens will have no end.  I believe Texas will have even more churches and it will be a blessing for us to uphold your hands…”

Patty Lane, Director of Intercultural Ministry, of the Texas Baptist Congress, offered Slavic ministers legal, spiritual, informational and even financial assistance for their church planting, evangelistic outreach and other ministry efforts.  All participants had a chance to receive invaluable materials – directory of the Baptist organizations in Texas, brochures with vision and goals of Texas Baptists, Texas Baptist Congress schedules, etc.

New churches in Texas will no doubt need Bibles, New Testaments and other Christian publications in Russian.  Michael Lindsey, vice president of the internationally known “World Wide Printing”, which prints the Word of God for more than one hundred countries of the world, introduced conference participants with new publications and resources.  With company’s offices in Dallas and Minsk, Michael promised new churches help with Russian Bibles.  Also, an informal agreement of cooperation was reached between Michael Lindsey and Aleksander Semenchuk.

Conference’s last accord was Serge Taran’s presentation of a hugely important national project – National Slavic Day in the USA.  Evangelical Slavic churches of the US can already start working on the spiritual foundation for this project, asserted Serge Taran.  Participating in the founding and realization of this vision will allow Slavic churches to share with the whole country not only their spiritual values, but also connect with non-Christian Russian-speaking diaspora.

Participants and guests of the First Conference of the Slavic evangelical churches in Texas agreed not only to continue fellowship and assist each other in the outreach efforts around Texas, but also to hold a number of family gatherings, such as picnics and various holiday events.  Leonid Regheta proposed a statewide monthly prayer and news e-bulletin.  This idea was unanimously supported and will be published by the “Genesis Press”, a publishing company, headed by Serge Taran and Ludmila Kachkar (this article’s author).

In the end, it is necessary to underscore once more the fact that as of 24th of July, 2010, Texas is no longer the Lone Star state.  Now Texas shall be the state of Christ’s Star, at least for all of its Slavic Christians…

Text by Ludmila Kachkar
Photos by Ivan Piskun, Gloria Back and Serge Taran

Translated from Russian by Leonid Regheta and Melvin Buck

You are encouraged to copy entire page and post it on your website, for the glory of God and for prayers for Texas!