Purpose and Goals for CREC-Eurasia

The Slavic Reformation Society has been doing great work for the kingdom God in the former Soviet Union for a number of years.  We rejoice that men have been trained for the work of the ministry through Biblical Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg and several churches have been planted or have been reformed by seminary trained men.  We are very grateful to see how the Lord has used the godly men who have served on the SRS board over the years, enlisting financial and church support for the important work being done in the former Soviet Union .

While SRS continues faithfully it its role of training men for the ministry of the Word,  a more biblical model for planting churches in that region of the world is needed.

It is local churches which are to take the initiative in this work, even across borders.  Jesus promises victory to His church (Matt. 16:18) and the Biblical pattern of church planting seen in Acts indicates that it was churches which sent men across cultural and national borders to nourish weak churches and establish new ones (Acts 11:29-30, 13:1-3, 14:21-23, 26-27, 15:35-36, 40-41).

Our CREC constitution also reflects this understanding of the importance of the local church to missions:

All supported international or domestic CREC missionaries will not be sent by the presbyteries or church council, but rather by the local church. As appropriate, the other churches in the presbytery can offer encouragement and financial support, but the accountability of the missionaries will only be to the congregation, which is the sending body. (VI. A.)

The session  of Christ the King Church (CREC) in Springfield, Missouri, has determined before God to take responsibility for the church planting opportunities that have risen in Eurasia and that will continue through the training ministry of Slavic Reformation Society/Biblical Theological Seminary of St. Petersburg, Russia.   We also desire participation of other CREC elders to assist us by serving on the board of CREC-Eurasia, which, under oversight of the session of Christ the King Church , will direct church assistance and church planting matters in the Russian Federation and the other former Soviet republics (“Eurasia”).  In addition we will be seeking the support of North American CREC churches to provide financial, prayer, and mentoring support for these churches.

The goal of CREC Eurasia will be to trust in Almighty God and recruit North American churches of the CREC to labor with the ministry of SRS and to partner with churches in the former Soviet Union , so that a CREC Eurasian Presbytery of ten CREC churches will come into existence in the former Soviet Union by 2015.  SRS will continue to administer the seminary and Blake Purcell's financial support, and we look forward to working closely with them in our respective roles.

If the Lord permits, we see this work unfolding in 3 phases:

Phase 1, Organize, May-June 2010

A.  Form a board comprised of CREC elders and meet to draw up guidelines for church partnerships in light of needs of existing CREC Eurasian Churches.  The board will also need to establish guidelines for a working relationship with SRS.

B.  June 20, 2010 -- Blake Purcell to visit Christ the King Church in Springfield , Missouri to be commissioned as an Evangelist, sent by Christ the King to minister in Russia/Eurasia.

Phase 2, Recruit North American Churches, 2010-11

Recruit North American CREC churches to enter into partnerships with the four churches mentioned below, providing financial support, mentoring, encouragement, and mission church status, where appropriate.

1. The St. Petersberg CREC church, which is currently without a pastor
2. Presbyterian Church of Kavalerovo, Pastor Kiril Treschotka
3. Reflection of Christ Church in Vladivostok , Pastor Yuri Levchenko
4. Joy Presbyterian Church in Karaganda , Kazakhstan, Pastor Evgeni Kruzhkov

These churches are fragile, but each has great potential, strong leadership, although, as mentioned, the St. Petersberg church needs a pastor.  Each is like-minded with the CREC in significant ways.  So, supporting these churches would involve linking up each of them with CREC partners to offer financial support, prayer, encouragement in their labors, along the lines of what has already been done with Tyumen , Pushkin, and the prison church.

Phase 3, Plant Four New Eurasian Churches, 2011-2015

Plant four more CREC Eurasian churches through partnership with students in the seminary and the existing churches.

In Eurasia right now there is an excellent opportunity for the CREC North America to plant like-minded churches in an area of great significance for Christendom.   CREC-Eurasia will exist to provide a means for us to take advantage of this unique opportunity.  We also desire to do the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way, so that the Church, and not the para-church is fulfilling her calling to make disciples of all the nations.  Our Lord said that all authority has been given to His church to disciple these nations and we enter this endeavor trusting in His promise that “…all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.” (Psalm 72:1).