Russian Ministry

Irina grew up in a Christian community in Russia where she was led to believe that she could serve God only within the church structure. Any career outside the church was considered to be necessary but inferior. As a believer, Irina sincerely wanted to serve God but didn't know how. She had just graduated from a university with a degree in Liberal Arts. “I felt confused and discouraged,” she told Rev. Sergei Sosedkin at a recent Christian media seminar in Kiev. Irina told Rev. Sosedkin that as she had been wrestling with what God would have her do, she heard a Back to God Ministries Russian broadcast. “In your message, you encouraged Christians to be God's faithful servants not only within the church but in all life's settings and circumstances,” she said. “It led me to make a decision to try find a job at a media company.” Irina followed…[Read More]

What can Christians learn from atheists in Russia? Through a live online talk radio program in Russia, called “99 Questions from Atheists,” both Christians and those who identify themselves as atheists are engaging in a lively conversation over honest questions about the Christian faith. “There are so many different religious views and every one of them claims to be true. How does one figure out which religion is right?” Anzhela asked.  Another web listener, who did not want to identify himself, asked, “Is it possible to be a good person without believing in God?” Their honest questions open the door for Back to God Ministries Russian staff to offer biblical insights on all of life. For many in our audience this is the first time they’ve heard a discussion based on a Christian perspective. “Web ministry is an effective way to reach out to urban audiences, especially younger professionals,” explains…[Read More]

What does a cell phone have to do with spiritual growth? Vasya and Bogdana had been retired for a few years and Vasya saw no reason to get a cell phone, especially with their limited resources. But then Bogdana showed her husband a letter she received from Rev. Sergei Sosedkin, Russian ministry leader for Back to God Ministries International. It was enough to convince him that a cell phone would be helpful in their spiritual growth. Many Russians like Vasya and Bogdana grew up with no knowledge of the Bible. “Today they might own a Bible, but they don’t open it to read it,” explains Rev. Sosedkin. “The size of the book may be too intimidating, or they start to read in Genesis, get bogged down in Leviticus, and give up.” So Rev. Sosedkin and his Russian ministry team developed a new way to guide people to specific passages of…[Read More]

Thirty-three year-old Evgeniy (picture not available) is serving a two-year sentence in a northern Russia “open prison.” Like all those in Russia’s open prison system, Evgeniy is a first-time offender convicted of a non-violent crime, exiled to a remote community where he is required to hold a job. Evgeniy didn’t tell us what kind of crime he committed, but he admits he is guilty and that his wife left him with their two daughters, Elena and Alisa. Very lonely in this community of criminals, Evgeniy began to search the radio for some “company” and “stumbled upon” our Russian broadcast. “Before I got in prison I never heard the Gospel on the radio, never read the Bible,” Evgeniy wrote. “I did try to pray but I didn’t know how or to whom I should be praying. Thanks to your broadcasts, I learned about salvation in Jesus Christ and I trusted Him…[Read More]

Igor Popov, editor-in-chief of The Christian Word, the official magazine of the largest Protestant denomination in Russia, writes a blog for Back to God Ministries Russian website. Igor’s testimony illustrates why he is able to effectively connect with young Russian-speaking professionals, and provide a venue for sharing the Gospel. In Igor’s own words… Today there are so many possibilities for witnessing about Christ through Russian media outlets, so many more than even ten years ago! Through our website, kbogu.ru (Back to God), we have an opportunity to directly engage people in a conversation about faith and to challenge them spiritually. But it’s crucial to speak to them in their language. Open dialog—as opposed to a religious monologue—is more effective for reaching today’s audience. That’s why I’m so excited about Back to God Ministries International blogging ministry. Whenever I write in my blog, I seek a reaction from my readers so…[Read More]

For this Easter season Russian ministry leader Rev. Sergei Sosedkin prepared several special programs to air on the powerful AM affiliate station in the Russian capital. But the Monday, March 29 explosions in the Moscow subway made his team change many of their plans. Sergei sent the following letter with an update on the situation: "As you probably heard in the news, over a hundred people were killed or wounded in those attacks blamed on female suicide bombers. We are thankful that all our Moscow workers and volunteers are safe. On a personal note, my father exited one of the affected stations just a few moments before the explosion. Ironically he was there because of the last day of his work before his retirement. "Sadly, terrorist attacks are nothing new in this part of the world. As a result, our Russian staff already has some experience in preparing special programming…[Read More]