May News from Moscow

Commencement in Moscow
On May 19, 2007, The Eurasian Theological Seminary held its third Commencement Ceremony. This cohort was our largest graduating class since the initial graduation five years ago — nearly triple the number from 2006. This year's graduating class has representatives from Russia(Ural Mountains Region, North Caucasus and Moscow, Ukraine (Nova Kakhovka, Kirovograd), Moldova, and Armenia. It was also the first year that we graduated students from our extension program.

The speaker was an ETSM Alumni (2002). Pastor Aghajan Pogosyan, Senior Pastor of 2 successful churches he planted in Novokuiboshevsk, Russia. One of the congregations is Russian, the other is Armenian. Aghojan reported how God is blessing both congregations with visitors and converts on a weekly basis. Aghojan and his wife Venera both studied in the very first group of ETSM between 1998 and 2002 and graduated at the dedication of the newly built facility in May 2002.

Peacemaking / Conflict Resolution and “Quakeproofing” Your Church
This past week, ETSM hosted the long anticipated seminar on Biblical Approaches to Conflict Management and Peacemaking / Quakeproofing Your Church with Richard Pettit and Nick Park. As any experience leader knows, interpersonal conflict is a normal part of working with people. Richard and Nick shared with us how pastors and church leaders can best work with conflicts in our churches and ministries.

This seminar was an eye opening experience for many of our pastors and church workers. Remember, many of our pastors are 1^st generation converts who do not have the privilege of growing up with Christian models of handling conflicts in a manner that will glorify God. (And just because one grows up in America doesn’t necessarily mean that our churches will automatically do better.)