Introducing
Eurasian Ministries
Welcome to the Eurasian Ministries website.
Tim McMahon - UK Director
This website disseminates information about mission work being carried out in the fields of Russia and Central Asia. It provide ways for UK and US Christians and churches to participate in this work by their prayers, funding, and practical help.
It focuses on the work of the Eurasian College and its graduates, a missionary training college established in 1999 in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. EMC has trained 99 graduates to date, who have planted over 30 churches in the region.
Sending church-planters from Kazan
into Central Asia
The aim of the College is to equip local Christians in Russia and Central Asia for the task of evangelism and establishment of mission-minded evangelical churches, and to provide ongoing support and continuing education for their church-planters in the field.
Their vision is raise up successive generations of missionaries from the mission-minded churches they establish, train them and send them as skilled gospel preachers and pastors to reach some of the least evangelized peoples of the world. This will be a long-term project spanning decades.
2007-2010 Kazan Students
To find out more about the strategy for church-planting in Russia and Central Asia, click here
The work of the College and its graduates is supported by two charitable trusts:
Eurasian Ministries UK and
Eurasian Ministries US
To find out more about these trusts click here
What We Believe
College News
December 2007
Excellent Course Run!
In December students in the city of Nizhnekamsk studied a course on Leadership, and the students in Kazan, a course on Hermeneutics (interpreting the Bible). This course in particular opened the eyes of many of the students to a whole new way of understanding the Scriptures. In the majority of evangelical churches in Russia there is no understanding of the concept of the expository sermon. Preachers and people in church interpret the Bible allegorically, using clever reasoning to draw out meaning from texts. Although their interpretations remain within the limits of evangelical doctrine, they are usually far from the primary understanding of the text. After this course on Hermeneutics, one of the students told me with surprise: “I did not know that it is possible to read the Bible with such pleasure and interest!” Though the subject remains one of the most difficult, all the students passed.
Artur, Hermeneutics Lecturer
Expository Preaching Seminars
In the middle of January (14-18), Peter Comont from John Stott’s UK organization “Langham Partnership” will lead seminars on preparing sermons. Three such seminars are planned, with all pastors and preachers in Kazan invited. Please pray for the successful running of these seminars, that pastors come to recognize the importance of the expository sermon for growing healthy local churches.
Peter Comont
Prayer needs
College News
March 2008
Preaching Seminar
In the middle of January a preaching seminar for local pastors and leaders was held. The speaker was Peter Comont from the UK. Over 20 pastors and leaders came to participate.
During the week they studied how to prepare sermons from 1 Corinthians. They also discussed the teaching with each other in small groups. At the end of week they had good materials on hand for preaching in their own churches.
A practical task in he preaching seminar
Another benefit was that participants decided to start a “Preacher’s club”. The pastors decided that they needed regular meetings twice a month to discuss their own sermons with each other. Some pastors were so inspired that they decided to start clubs in their own churches! In these ways they are giving themselves every opportunity to grow in their preaching, and giving others in their churches a chance to start preaching.
We plan to have the same seminars in summer and autumn 2008. We are really thankful for your prayers and participation in holding the seminar for pastors and leaders. Please keep praying for preachers to develop in their preaching skills and so help the church to grow in Tatarstan.
Mentoring and Practice on the evening course
During the last two months an evening course was held in Bugulma, Kazan and Nizhnikamsk. In our college we provide not only academic knowledge and theology, but mentoring and practice. We involved students in different small groups for spiritual growth and molding of character. Students come to a prayer group, a group for studying the Bible, and a discussion group about different biblical topics. Some students come to a group on co-dependency. Also the teachers of college have started a personal meeting with students for prayers and reading the Bible.
We believe that education must include three elements: knowledge, mentoring and practice. They need to work together for better fruit. For example, students in Bugulma doing the Leadership course were required to do a practical task. We asked each of them to write the story of their life. In the beginning they were confuse and did not understand how it would help them be good leaders. But when they started to share their stories with each other were surprised. Although they had been in church together for many years, they knew nothing about each other’s testimonies. They learnt that leadership begins with relationship. It inspired the students to develop much deeper relationships with each other.
Students working together
At the end of March we plan to run a practice mission with the evening students in three towns near Kazan. The population of these towns is 10,000-20,000 people, but none of them have evangelical churches.
Prayer needs
Email Tim McMahon for more detailed information about these and other items
tim.mcmahon@eurasian-ministries.orgCollege News
February 2008
College Founder steps aside
College founder Insur Shamgunov
For the past few years College founder Insur Shamgunov has been doing Doctoral studies at Oxford University in the UK. The death of his youngest son, Amir, 20 months old, in December 2006 raised many issues for the Shamgunov family, and brought with it health problems. After much deliberation and prayer, Insur concluded that it would be best for his family and the College if he stepped out of the role of Principal so that he can concentrate on his and his family's recovery for as long as is needed. Though saddened by the necessity of this decision, the College Board and Staff see the wisdom of his action, and committed themselves to pray for the Shamgunov family. The staff were aware of the possibility of Insur's departure and had been praying for guidance. This led to a proposal being made at a special Board meeting called on 21st February 2008 to address the gap left by Insur's departure.
New Principal Appointed
The Board appoints Feodor as Principal
The Board appointed Feodor Dzuba as the new Principal of the Eurasian College. Feodor has worked as the College Administrator since the early years of the College's establishment. Ukrainian by birth, he met Insur while studying for ministry at the Christian University in St. Petersburg, before going to be Pastor of a church in Nizhnekamsk. He later joined Insur to help train workers for Tatarstan and Central Asia. He is thoroughly committed to the vision of the College, and has engaged in many battles over the years to enable the College to continue its ministry. He has the respect of the other staff members and the Board. We are confident his desire to lead the College and his ready acceptance by the rest of the staff are God's work to continue the development of this important ministry.
Prayer needs