"Training young Christians of today

to be God's Leaders of tomorrow in Russia."

Faith in Action home

 

The Vision...

The History

 

The School...

The Study Course

Students

Teachers

Facilities

 

The Fruit...

Village Churches

Graduates

Changing Russia

 

To Contribute

 

 

Vladivostok Central Square

 

 

The Vision...

THE HISTORY

   In October 1992 while on his first visit to Eastern Russia, the Holy Spirit spoke to Noel Morris, giving him a burden of the need for teaching the hundreds of young Russians he saw coming to Jesus.

   After meeting pastors in Vladivostok who had a similar vision to train and send out Russian workers, plans for FAITH IN ACTION were formed.

   In January 1994 Rev Des Short from Faith Bible College in New Zealand came to Vladivostok, and agreed to assist with curriculum and teachers.

   In October 1999 we were successful in buying the remains of a Russian Army Camp as a home for the school and the local church. We own some 17 buildings (or the building sites which can be rebuilt) and 7 Hectares of land on a long-term lease. One building is used for the school, and Pastor Alexei's "Church of the Living God" have renovated one of the larger buildings for the church auditorium.

   FAITH IN ACTION is still one of the few residential Bible Schools in the Far East of Russia, and to date about 200 Graduates have been sent out into all kinds of ministry, for example: pastoring, planting pioneer village churches, evangelistic teams, apologetics, rehabilitation, prison ministry, and children's ministry.

THE HISTORY cont.

   In February 2003 just as the semester was beginning, 4 car loads of FSB (formerly KGB) lawyers and others arrived at the school's campus with the intent of closing down the school (and possibly the Church too). They had a large dossier on FAITH IN ACTION with copies of letters, faxes and e-mails. They monitored phone conversations, interviewed neighbours, and harassed Pastor Alexei and his staff for several weeks.

   In Russia the 1997 Religion Law allows for "teaching of religion and the religious upbringing of followers" in churches, but "professional religious education for preparing clergy and religious personnel" is subject to State licensing. There is provision for "Seminaries" on one hand, and in-church training on the other, but no concept for the in-between Bible Schools and Bible Colleges.

   On 21st March the case was heard in the Primorski Krai Regional Court and the judge ruled against FAITH IN ACTION for "conducting educational activity without a suitable licence".

   The case was appealed in the Supreme Court in Moscow on 20th May. Although being defended by Vladimir Ryakhovsky, one of the best Christian Lawyers in Russia, three judges upheld the previous ruling to close the Bible College.

   But FAITH IN ACTION has not died, rather it has been "re-categorized" as a "training course" in the Church. This is the reason we have changed our terminology, although our purposes remain the same. The same students, same teachers, same staff, same location, but now it is known as "Faith in Action Training Course"