ERSU UPDATE – February, 2007:    

We're IN!
ERSU finally moved into our Study Center, which includes our office and library in Northern Kiev. The Presbsytery and Reformed Synod are already taking advantage of this new resource to the churches. We have included facilities so that pastors and scholars can live in residence for several weeks at a time to take advantage of our library resource.

New Librarian
Sadik is a religious refugee from a Muslim country central Asia.  He was persecuted there for his Reformed Christian Faith and escaped to Ukraine, where he is seeking asylum. But God brought gifts that we can use! Our librarian had to move from Kiev, just at the time that Sadik came. He is not only serving ERSU in the library and with computers, but he is seeking to prepare resources to send back to his home country! By providing part-time employment, facilities, and books, ERSU is also delighted to be involved in this ministry!

ERSU NEWS – June 28, 2006:          

NEW BUILDING!                         [Click here for Pictures 2006]
ERSU finally purchased an office and library in Northern Kiev. Restoration work should be finished by fall.

               SEE the building by Satellite on Google Earth website!
                      50 deg 30' 29.91" N
                      30 deg 27' 15.21" E
               (zoom to eye alt. 1331 ft for a good view of our building!)

Reformed Churches celebrate 80^th Jubilee!

On Reformation Day 2005, at the UERC of Rovno, the Ukrainian Evangelical Reformed Churches celebrated their 80^th birthday! ERSU was represented by its President and Dean. Congratulations!! May the Lord grant them many more years of faithful service and growth! The Rovno church is pastored by ERSU graduate Vassili Pilipenko.  [Click here for Pictures 2006]

Visiting Professors
In June 2006, Pastor Larry Roff of Knox Seminary taught our course on Worship and Music. While in Ukraine, he played organ concerts in the Odessa Presbyterian Church, Kiev's House of Organ Music, Rovno, and Belatserkov. [Click here for Pictures 2006]
Tom Saxon, Music Minister of Covenant Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Alabama, taught our Music and Worship course two years ago, and he was so infected with zeal for the needs of Ukraine that he has now joined the Mission to the World team in Odessa.

In March 2006, Dr. Willem VanGemeren of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School taught Pentateuch. This is his third time to teach for ERSU. Roel Kuiper taught the course on Faith, Culture & Society.

In January 2006, Dr. Wolter Rose of Kampen Theological University in Holland taught a special Hebrew course which he had specially designed for our students. It was a huge success. We are also thankful to the assistance of Alexander Pronin of Donetsk, who did a wonderful job tutoring our students.

In March 2005, Gary Bekker, Executive Director of Christian Reformed World Missions in Grand Rapids, taught a class in Christian Education and the Church.

In January 2005, Stephen Hague taught a course on the Gospels.

In June 2005, Henk van de Kamp taught Revelation, Rob van Houwelingen taught General Epistles, and Eric Huber of MTW Kiev taught the Covenant, and Bob Lynn taught Ethics.

New Program
We are starting a Biblical studies program (similar to a Bible college program), to start in September 2006. This will serve the multiple purposes of training lay people for service in the churches, preparing students for seminary-level studies, and allowing Ukrainian leaders to try out their gifts of teaching. The Dean of the school is Alexander Bukovetsky, a church planter in Cherkassy of the EPCU.

Church Plants
Our students continue to plant churches! The Presbyterian Church in beginning a daughter church on the north side of Odessa, in the Kotovskovo district. Our student Andrei Nabatov is a part of the church planting team. Assistant Pastor Giorgi Kadyan has begun Bible studies in the area. Please pray as they meet every week, and plan to have their first worship service in Fall 2006.

In Tsurupinsk, a town near Kherson, ERSU student Kolya Koretsky is planting a daughter church of the Kherson Presbyterian Church. Kolya's wife Natasha, also an ERSU student, is from the UERC in Stepan, and they are reaching out to families through their Sunday School program.

Staff Changes
Dean of Students Rod Gorter has accepted the position of Dean of Chapel at Dordt College in Iowa. We congratulate Rod on his new position, but we sent him off with tears. Please pray for a replacement on our staff.  [Click here for Pictures 2006]

We also congratulate our Registrar, Anya Dudkina, and her husband Zhenya on the arrival of their first child in January, 2006!

Students
- Two students have visited from Uzbekistan, and we pray we can serve surrounding countries in this way. We also have received applications from Belarus.

ERSU NEWS – December 2005

Our seminary now has 5 graduates. Two are now ordained pastors in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine, and one is an ordained pastor in the Ukrianian Evangelical Reformed Church. A fourth is on a church-planting team in Cherkassy, and the fifth is doing literature distribution and mission work among the Crimean Tatars.

ERSU NEWS – September 20, 2005

ERSU opened its 2005-6 school year with 52 students. This is our largest enrollment ever.

Graduation Day

On September 17^th, students, wives, and visitors from the churches gathered at the Prolisok Sanitorium, where we usually hold our classes. In a special graduation ceremony, students and wives participated in singing, reading Scripture, and words of congratulation.  Our only graduate at this ceremony was Alexei Rayu, who has applied for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine, and is serving the church in Nikolaev with his wife Vika and son Daniel. The main speaker was Pastor Ivan Bespalov, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity in Kiev , who preached from Matthew 4:18-20, challenging all the students to leave their nets to become fishers of men. We congratulate Alexei on this accomplishment and assure him of our continued prayers. The Student Council presented him with a gift from the student body, and Pastor Vassili Pilipenko also presented a gift on behalf of the Alumni. Cor Harryvan, Chairman of the Board, also brought some words and a sack of over-developed potatoes as a teaching aid! The beautiful afternoon was spent in visiting over a delightful lunch. We invite more church members to participate next year, as we expect more of our seniors to complete their work during this school year. 

Wives Join the Fun

Every year, ERSU brings the wives of our students together for a Wives Conference. This year, there were 12 participants. Lyuda Betina again organized the conference, with the assistance of Nadia Ovsyanik and others. Eric Huber taught a lesson from Genesis 3. This year’s theme was “Your Home—

After the conference on Friday, the wives stayed for the Graduation ceremony and the afternoon Party organized by the students. This year, they decided NOT to have a BBQ dinner as in previous years, but to organize a “Perfect Couple” Game, much like the Newlywed Game on TV. Everyone had fun, and it was nice to sense the integration of new students into the group.

Graduate Assistants

Several students and graduates have been invited this year to take part at various levels of administration, grading, and as teachers' aides. It is our hope that through this experience, God will draw those to us who have the gifts and desire for long-term service in the seminary.

Among these are:

Alexei Rayu (Nikolaev), licentiate and candidate for ordination in the Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine. Alexei graduated from ERSU this month. Alexei served several years in his home church in Izmail, and he and his wife now serve in Nikolaev. He assisted Rod Gorter in a course last spring on Hermeneutics.

Victor Ovsyanik (Cherkassy), one of our first graduates, works in a church plant in the geographical center of . He served during seminary in his home church in Nikolaev. He is assisting Jos Colijn with a course on church history, lecturing on Christianity in 19^th Century Europe .

Valera Zadorozhny ( Odessa ), ordained associate pastor of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Odessa (EPCO), and graduate of Ukraine Biblical Seminary. He has pastored churches in Kolomiya (western ) and the Cheryomushky region of Odessa . He is assisting Eric Huber in a course on the Covenant.

Ph.D.

The President, Clay Quarterman, has been working for the past five years on his Ph.D. in the University of Wales (Lampeter). He traveled frequently to and the States to do research and meet with his mentor, Andrew McGowan . Rejoice with us that Dr. Quarterman was able to complete his program this summer, defending his dissertation on "The Application of Presbyterian Polity and Transfer of Leadership in Cross-cultural Situations: A Study in Presbyterian Missiology."

Board changes

The Board of Directors of ERSU met in Kiev in March, 2005. A new Chairman was elected--Cor Harryvan, a representative of the Ukrainian Evangelical Reformed Churches and a missionary from Holland . Their next meeting is set for October 2005.

Building

In March 2005, the Board of Directors of ERSU approved the purchase of an office in Kiev . A suitable property was found, and funds were transfered for its purchase, but before the sale was closed, the seller reneged on the agreement. This was quite discouraging for the Staff, as they had worked hard to find the right place. Please pray as adequate facilities are sought. Pray for a place within our price range that is close to a Metro stop, on a lower floor, with adequate space for the library and offices, and with rooms large enough to accomodate our tutorial meetings.

ERSU Seminary NEWS Jan 2005

- The first Student Council of ERSU was elected by their peers in October 2004. Roman Prihodka, Sergei Chernov, and Sergei Kukushkin (along with alternate Sudakov) were elected to represent the various classes, to unify and lead the student body, and assist in maintaining a high Christian character to the atmosphere of the seminary.

- The Orange Revolution affected our schedule and work during the last months of 2004. Tutorials had to be cancelled due to transportation restrictions and social instability. There was a great focus on prayer in this time. A number of students were themselves involved in political activities and were among the crowds at Maidan and in other cities. This is not surprising, as several students and their churches have received threats in the recent past from repressive agencies. Exams were put off until the January session, which coincided with the Inauguration of Mr. Yushchenko. The Faculty and Staff of the seminary ask for prayers of thanks for the peaceful conclusion, and ask for continued prayers as Ukraine further builds and refines its Democratic government.

- This year, a Baptist colleague was welcomed as visiting faculty in Biblical Greek from the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Alexander Pronin is a former student of our professor Rod Gorter, and has proved not only welcome among the students, but a wonderful example of a Christian leader.

- President Clay Quarterman completed the rough draft of his PhD dissertation in September. He hopes to schedule the defense at the University of Wales (Lampeter) sometime in 2005. The topic is the cross-cultural application of Presbyterian church government.

- Academic Dean Jos Colijn and President Quarterman will be attending a conference of the ICRC (International Council of Reformed Churches) in Holland during February. They hope to make broader contacts on behalf of ERSU and to contribute to missionary preparation in theological schools in the West. They will also be visiting former professors of ERSU and Dutch supporters in the Reformed Church of the Netherlands (liberated).

April 20, 2004:
After years of teaching, Rod Gorter has formally joined our teaching Staff, replacing Eric Huber, who has assumed other duties, but continues to assist the Staff. We hope that 5 students of our first class will graduate in September. We also hope to accept a new class that month.

September 18, 2003:
Seminary is in session, and we've accepted SEVEN new students! This brings our total to 42, so it's our largest class ever. We have students from every corner of Ukraine, and they come from independent, Reformed, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches. We are glad to serve the Cause of Christ in Ukraine! We have an urgent need for FUNDS to support our GROWING PROGRAM.

June 7, 2003:        [Click here for Pictures]
The CROSS is UP!!! When the Communists removed the cross from the Odessa Reformed Church steeple in the 1920's, they laid it there on the roof. When the church was recently restored, the cross was found, after lying there in the snow and rain for 70 years! The cross was put back in its place today, signifying a Restoration is underway in Ukraine! The Gospel is still the same powerful message of Jesus Christ!

November 1, 2002:          
We're having a Baby! Well, at least our students are! They are not only being blessed with "a godly heritage" of covenant children, but they are planting churches! The Presbyterian Church in beginning a daughter church on the south side of Odessa, in the Cheryomushky district, an area with very few churches. Our student Roman is a part of the church planting team. Assistant Pastor Valeri Zadorozhny was installed last week by the Presbytery, has recruited a Team, and has begun Bible studies in the area. Please pray as they meet every week, and plan to have their first worship service in January, 2003.

October 31, 2002:         Reformation Day! The Odessa church sponsored a special musical event - a crowd of around 1000 people attended a full performance of Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in the Odessa Philharmonic. Performers consisted of members of our own choir, visitors from the Covenant Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Alabama, the Lutheran church choir of Odessa, and the Bavarian House choir. It was directed by Tom Saxon of Birmingham. Students are studying about culture and Christianity, and are learning to reach their culture for Christ.

December 9, 2001:         [Click here for Pictures]
PARTICULARIZATION! In Presbyterian circles, this means a church now has its own leadership, and can stand fully on its own. Representatives from the Presbytery of Ukraine came today and ordained and installed elders and deacons in Odessa. They declared the church a fully organized church in every way, with its own pastors, elders, and deacons. Among the new ruling elders was our student Vassili!
 

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