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Our Provost in Moscow, Ilya Okhotnikov, has a new post on his blog. You can click here for his blog. But for your convenience here is his post regarding the beginning of the school year in Moscow.September 1 is a National Holiday in Russia. September 1 is the Day of Knowledge. All level students\puples go to school on September 1. Kindergarden and preschool kids start it all on September 1. First graders (like Daniella this year) start schooling on Sep. 1. All the other students of school age go to school on Sep. 1. Even University students - all start Universies on Sep. 1. National wide. 11 time zones. Sepetember 1 - all the children on 1/6 of land go to school. National Day of Knowledge.
This 2008 year Eurasian Seminary is not an exception: we also start training of ministers for His work and ministry in Moscow. More than 20 extension program and more than 25 residential program students and their family members begin their training this September 1. New students of the 1st year come from different places of Russia: Siberian republic of Tyva, southern town of Volgodonsk in Rostov region, another southern town of Cherkessk in the Russian Northern Caucasian region, and from Moscow region. Among new students we have two new couples. Couples proved to be the most efficient ministers and most stable and dedicated graduates. ETSM totally for its short 10-th year history trained and equipped 10 couples. 9 of them are in the ministry!
Having the License "to do education" allowes the Seminary to have good standing with the authorities and the government in Russia, in Moscow, in our local city district and county's administration. Thank you once again for keeping the Seminary in your prayers and remebering our needs of official recognition of trhe education and for that long awaited license. Thank you very much!
As for our family: we enter into a new stage of our family life. This new stage for a family begins when 1st child goes to school. It is the time of anxiety and expectation for the child to do the best. Daniella is not the first born. Polina is our first daughter, she is 14. Polinais a very special daughte r of ours. She is in special care hospital as of Aug. 7, 2006. Daniella is the first child in our family who goes to school.We are excited about this new stage in Daniella's life and wish and pray for the best. Your prayers for us as a family and for the Seminary are very much appreciated.
En route to Tennessee from San Antonio, we spent a couple of days in Houston. Rob and Jeanne were our neighbors in Charlottesville. In fact, Jeanne was the church administrative secretary at Covenant Church we I (Tom) was on staff in Virginia.
Many times, Claudia and Jeanne swapped kids and babysitting responsibilities in the past. And they spent a couple of days with us in Germany last year, too. But this was our first time to be with their kids since we moved to Germany in 2003.Rob and Jeanne have a big heart for missions. And when they relocated to Houston, they wanted to find a church that shared their burden for missions. They started going to Grace Church of Humble which shortly began a missions program. Before long, Jeanne became the secretary for the missions pastor, Mike Acosta. And although he was out that weekend for a missions trip to Mexico, he made the time to meet us on the evening of his return (and the night before our departure). And one other highlight was an afternoon at Kemah on the Galveston Bay.
Our time in San Antonio was extremely pack with activities. Well, more so for Tom and for the rest of the family. Here are a few more highlights of the week in San Antonio.- On Monday, Tom was one of six panelist to respond to Dr. Paul Conn's paper presented at the forum sponsored by the COG Division of Education. Other panelists included Dr. Cheryl Johns (COGTS), Dr. Harold Bare (our pastor from Charlottesville), Dr. Darrell Rice (an overseer from the Chicago area), and a couple of others. My response was, probably, the most off-the-wall of any of them. And that can be good or bad ... depends on perception.
- On Tuesday, I had dinner with a group of Indiana pastors (thanks, Randy, for picking up the tab!).
- On Wednesday, I had a breakfast meeting with the European Education Committee -- meeting was short, breakfast was great. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be. In the meantime, we decided to have another Edcuation Consultation similar to the one we held in 2007 in Kniebis.
- On Thursday, I was previleged to have breakfast with some of the brightest minds of the Church of God from all over the world. Among the group was two members of the Council of 18 representing Latin America, several Bible school presidents and educators, and regional leaders from around the world. (See picture)
- And of course, we had time for dinner with family and relatives (but those pictures have yet to be downloaded).
Most of my blogging colleagues have already written their reflections on the recent General Assembly held last week in San Antonio. Unfortunately for me, I've been on the road and have had only limited internet access. (But Claudia and the kids are happy that I'm more accessible.) In a quick round up, here are my thoughts- As usual, San Antonio was a great place to visit. This year, our kids enjoyed SeaWorld while I was voting forever for the Council of Eighteen.
- Speaking of the Executive Council, I (Tom) had 14 votes in the first round. (Somebody had to be desperate in finding names/numbers at the end of the list. )
- Although all five members of the Executive Committee were eligible for reelection, three new faces were elected (Mark Williams, David Griffis, and Wallace Sibly) and three members were bumped off (Dennis McGuire, Orville Hagan, Paul L. Walker). Such a rotation without the occasion of term limits was unheard of in our history (at least as far back as I can remember). The new Presiding Bishop is Raymond Culpepper; the first assistant is Tim Hill.
- The agenda item regarding the restructuring and realignment of the budgets (including that of World Missions) was sent back to a committee. A new proposal is yet to be developed, but budget cuts will be more spread out throughout all departments, not just World Missions.
- An item to allow women to participate in the Pastor and Church's Council (in local churches) was defeated. Thus we are maintaining the position that a woman can pastor a church, but she cannot participate in its church council meetings. I suspect that many churches will simply ignore the minutes, or simply go around them by creating an alternative elders and/or deacons board.
- The ministers decided, however, not to defrock fellow clergy who teach, preach, or publish anything contrary to the denomination's declaration of faith. However, the church reaffirmed its pentecostal heritage and doctrine.
Later this week, we'll try to keep you informed of some additional developments arising from the Assembly in Texas.
