USA (MNN) — On October 1, Sergey Rakhuba was named the new president of Russian Ministries.
"The church needs to move beyond life in its four walls and penetrate society with the light and hope of Christ," declares Rakhuba, president of Russian Ministries. "And I wholeheartedly believe that this young generation, trained and equipped for leadership roles in the church and society, can do it well if we trust and support them. God is using Russian Ministries in a special way to help mobilize and equip Christians and churches to do exactly that."
Founded by Peter Deyneka, Jr. and his wife, Anita, in 1991, Russian Ministries was at the forefront of ministry in the years of seismic changes after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Peter Deyneka, Jr. discovered a young national leader, Rakhuba, in the church in Russia and was quickly impressed by his pastoral, evangelistic and administrative abilities.
When Peter Deyneka, Jr. died from lymphoma in 2000, after a brief interim Anita Deyneka stepped into the role of president in 2002, until the naming of Rakhuba as her successor.
Anita Deyneka describes Sergey as "one of the finest Christian visionaries and administrators I have met anywhere in Russia. He has been with us since we began and was instrumental in helping us organize our ministry in the former Soviet Union. I am grateful for this excellent network of national workers and ministry partnerships in Russia, Ukraine, and the other countries of the former Soviet Union. Much of this is because of Sergey's efforts."
President of Cornerstone University Dr. Joseph Stowell says, "I can't think of a better person to lead the significant work of Russian Ministries than my friend, Sergey Rakhuba. I've had the pleasure of knowing and serving with Sergey for many years and have deep confidence that under his leadership the best days of Russian Ministries are still ahead. While he will stand on the shoulders of Peter and Anita Deyneka, he will make his own mark for Christ and will join the legacy of those who have so effectively advanced the cause of God's kingdom in Russia."
Russian Ministries has stayed steadily committed to holistic evangelism, church-planting, and strengthening and discipleship. God has graciously guided and provided as Russian Ministries has expanded during these years and fixed its ministry focus on developing and training Next Generation leaders in the former Soviet Union.
For more information or to schedule an interview with Russian Ministries President Sergey Rakhuba, e-mail: [email protected]. Sergey is traveling to Cape Town, South Africa in mid-October to participate in the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.
