Far East (MNN) — Untamed and isolated, the Far East lands of Russia have sparked legends and stirred the hearts of adventurers.
It’s also vastly unreached by the Gospel. But to quote Jesus in Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) says, “The area that’s considered the Far East of Russia is a landmass the size of the lower 48 States of America — yet, with 5% of our population.
“This is a very vast land with many different resources, but not really interconnected like we have an interstate system. [There is] nothing like that out here. So it is a vast, unreached region that desperately needs the Gospel.”
Valery, the first missionary pastor in the vast region of Yakutia. Valery along with his wife led the first indigenous believers to faith in 1991. He was then part of initial SGA training that started in 2016. (Photo, caption courtesy of Eric Mock/SGA)
Russian pastors tell SGA one of their biggest needs is for more local, indigenous missionaries and pastors willing to take the Gospel to the Far East.
It’s easier said than done. Mock explains, “One of the struggles we have is providing the resources so these pastors and missionaries can actually reside in villages where economically it’s pretty impossible for them to be a tent-making pastor.
“So we pray, the Lord will raise them up. But we also pray that the Lord will raise up those who are willing to support missionary pastors throughout that region.”
SGA provides biblical training to missionary pastors in the Far East.
“Through our Antioch Initiative and also through the support of our seminary in Siberia, we see that these men are faithfully taught and trained,” says Mock.
Please join SGA in prayer. Mock asks fellow believers to be “praying that God raises up more faithful missionaries and pastors — but additionally, that they are supported, cared for, and trained up. These are critical needs in the Far East of Russia.”
Learn more about SGA’s ministry.
Header photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association.
