Kiev: EP Missionary Conference

The seventh Russian language EP Missionary Reformed Conference was held on 2 and 3 November 2006 near Kiev in Ukraine.  Around 120 people gathered for the conference at a comfortable sanatorium set in a beautiful forest.  Most were pastors or church leaders and whilst the majority were Ukrainian, many had travelled great distances from places such as Minsk in Belarus and Samara in Russia.

Pastor Georgi Viazovski of the Christ Covenant Baptist Church in Minsk brought the opening address in Russian.  Georgi, whose church continues to be opposed by the authorities and to be personally under the threat of renewed imprisonment, preached with evident passion and power. 

The main conference speakers were Iain Murray and Phil Arthur, bringing three messages each.  Both expressed what all those from the West felt, a sense of joy and privilege at being able to fellowship with and serve the brethren gathered.  With the help of the few interpreters, they spent much time speaking with the men regarding their personal concerns.  As Iain reflected on the make up of the conference, he noted how many were relatively young.  Their great enthusiasm and grasp of reformed doctrine reminded him of his own experience in the UK in the 1950s. 

Iain’s addresses focussed on the person of the Holy Spirit and His role in revival and preaching. Iain’s final address on the Holy Spirit and preaching was particularly encouraging and challenging.  He suggested that preaching should be like a banquet, but stressed that the preacher was dependant on the Spirit for guidance in what is preached and for benefit from it.  He also challenged us to exemplify the truths that we preach and to be constrained by love for the hearers.

In Phil Arthur’s three addresses, he asked a series of questions: 'What makes an evangelist?', 'What makes a man of God?' and 'How does the work of God get done?'  He sought to answer these questions from 2 Corinthians 5, 11 and 12.  We were conscious of the Holy Spirit accompanying Phil’s humble and heartfelt exposition of the scriptures and his interpreter’s passionate preaching. In Phil Arthur’s final address, his pastoral concern was evident as he dealt with the reality and awfulness of the “thorn in the flesh”.  Paul’s challenge to his rivals was relayed to us – are we willing to suffer and accept pain and discomfort that we might be a useful tool in the work that God does?

As well as the teaching, a key aim of the conferences has been to provide a forum for men from different and sometimes lonely situations to enjoy fellowship and mutual encouragement.  The Lord blessed the times of informal fellowship and the reports from various of the Churches represented.  We were also pleased to welcome Bryan Rood of “Grace to Russia” who was able to explain their ministry of providing free Russian language reference works, written from a reformed perspective, to aid pastors in their ministries. 

As we left it was very cold and there was just a hint of snow in the air.  However, we knew that God had been pleased to presence Himself with us and that to instruct, bless and put at least a hint of fire into our hearts.