News / Prayer Request from Moscow

This coming month, September 2007, our seminary in Moscow will apply for the license "to conduct educational activity." Currently the seminary is registered as a religious organization and the Russian law provides for clear separation of church and state. Previously we were of the opinion that such a license was optional. However, it has become evident that we must now apply for a license.

Our Rector (Provost) Ilya Okhotnikov is working diligently on the licensing process. He hopes to have all of our paperwork and applications finished by the beginning of September. Ilya writes,

I ask you keep me and the rest of the Seminary administration in prayer for wisdom and His guidance, so that God would grant favor in the eyes of the governmental offices.... In need you to include is the prayer for those people who will actually come on campus of the Seminary to inspect us and search, to make sure we have enough resources “to conduct Educational Activity”. Especially Mr. Gruzkov, the Head of the Office of Licensing at the Federal Services – he will preside over the Inspection Committee.

The licensing process is very complicated, necessitating the clearance and approval from various governmental agencies (e.g., fire department, sanitation department, department of registration services, etc.). It will also involve a number of extra expenses that we had not anticipated. Please pray for a successful completion of the licensing process and that our educational activities at ETSM will proceed as planned.