Missionary Sending Structures in the Russian Baptist Union: the Past, Present, and Future

Authors

  • Andrey Kravtsev Worked at North-Caucasus Bible Institute as a professor of New Testament Greek and Biblical Theology (2001-2003) and principal (2004-2012)., Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29357/issn.2521-179X.2016.16.7

Keywords:

Mission society, Evangelical movement in Russia, The Russian Union of ECB, Protestant missions, Johannes Onken, Personal evangelism, Parachurch organization, Denominational, Local church autonomy, Centralization, Mission board, The mission of God, Russian Baptist Union, Mission sending structures

Abstract

Due to various historical, political, and theological reasons, the evangelical movement in Russia has never developed full-fledged, indigenous mission sending structures This factor has been seriously hindering the growth of the evangelical church and the productive use of available resources to advance the work of the gospel. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons underlying the current situation and offer a constructive proposal that might contribute to the development of missionary sending structures in the Russian context. In order to accomplish this, the author first looks at the factors that contributed to the emergence and success of mission agencies within Western Protestant Christianity. Second, he outlines major historical periods in the history of Russian evangelical missions with special attention to the factors that contributed to, or hindered, the creation of missionary sending structures. Finally, the author suggests a possible course of action that might prove helpful in developing mission agencies in the contemporary social and political context in which Russian evangelical churches find themselves. 

Author Biography

Andrey Kravtsev, Worked at North-Caucasus Bible Institute as a professor of New Testament Greek and Biblical Theology (2001-2003) and principal (2004-2012).

Andrey Kravtsev, BTh (Donetsk Christian University), MTh in Biblical Studies, NT (IBTS, Prague, Czech Republic), works on PhD in Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, USA). Worked at North-Caucasus Bible Institute as a professor of New Testament Greek and Biblical Theology (2001-2003) and principal (2004-2012). 

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How to Cite

Kravtsev, Andrey. 2016. “Missionary Sending Structures in the Russian Baptist Union: The Past, Present, and Future”. Theological Reflections: Eastern European Journal of Theology, no. 16 (May):29-48. https://doi.org/10.29357/issn.2521-179X.2016.16.7.