Russian missionary to keynote conference
Trinity Evangelical Fellowship, formerly known as Uniontown Church of God, will host a mission conference March 1-2, featuring missionary Yuri Degtyar of Russia. The conference will take place at the church, located at 126 Lincoln St., Uniontown, on Saturday, March 1 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, March 2 during 10 a.m. Sunday school and 11 a.m. worship.
Degtyar, a native of the Ukraine, has been working in the city of Ishevsk in central Russia, for the past 10 years.
According to a July 1999 newsletter from Global Opportunities for Christ, from Charlottesville, Va., Degtyar graduated from a Bible school in Latvia, which was the first Bible school in the former Soviet Union. Ishevsk is a large, industrial city of 1 million people, nestled near the western base of the Ural Mountains. Most people there are employed in car or weapons factories. Ishevsk is known for its short summers and winter temperatures that plunge to the vicinity of -25 to -30 degrees.
The Rev. Victor Morris, who became pastor of Trinity Evangelical Fellowship four months ago and was formerly associate pastor at New Life Covenant Church in Markleysburg, said, “He’s built a church with over 2,000 members. And he’s started over 150 other churches, which are scattered throughout central Russia. He also has a Bible school with over 100 students. He has a drug rehabilitation program. The facilities are not large. It can only house 40 at a time, but it’s so effective that there’s a waiting list of over 600 people.’
He noted that Degtyar is associated with a native Russian church that is Pentecostal in denomination.
Asked why people may be interested in hearing Degtyar speak, Rev. Morris said, “I think Russia is something that still seems to interest people. For so long, it was the enemy and to have contact with Russians was not done. To hear Russian spoken is interesting. Russia is still exotic. We still don’t have contact with that part of the world.’
Rev. Morris said people would also be interested in hearing Degtyar because of the effectiveness of his ministry: “It’s amazing that he started with nothing and has a church with 2,000 people and several outreach ministries that are very effective. I think we in American can learn from someone like that.’ Rev. Morris said Degtyar is traveling through the United States and Trinity Evangelical Fellowship is one of his first stops.
The church found out about Degtyar through Advancing Native Missions of Charlottesville, Va., an interdenominational missions association that supports indigenous missions. ANM is sponsoring Degtyar’s trip through the United States. A team for Advancing Native Missions will do a presentation at Trinity Evangelical Fellowship during the mission conference during the March 2 10 a.m. Sunday school hour.
Rev. Morris, who formerly worked for ANM as director of publications, noted that indigenous missionaries are important in countries where Western missionaries are being expelled.
“Indigenous missionaries are the cutting edge,’ Rev. Morris said. “They don’t have to learn the language or the culture.’
He also noted that it’s cheaper to support indigenous missionaries, who require approximately $30 or $40 a month for expenses compared to other missionaries who can require $300.
Rev. Morris said a friend at ANM has seen Degtyar’s ministry and noted, “He’s said (Degtyar’s) ministry is so dynamic and so effective.’
A free-will offering will be received.