Surprising Facts about the Reformation

Saratov
On May 25 to 27 Dr. Anton Tikhomirov, President of the Novosaratovka Theological Seminary, led a seminar dedicated to the context of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Again and again he surprised his listeners with a view of these events that went beyond the typical, superficial explanations that are heard more commonly.
Participants were able to attend not only from Saratov, but also from congregations in Ulyanovsk, Kazan, Balakov, Marx and from the Saratov oblast.
During the rest of his visit Anton together with area dean Andrey Dzhamgarov visited various congregations and sites around the Saratov region, including congregations in Marx and Zorkino. All the while Anton continued to answer questions put to him by those whom he met, and he was able to explain in an accessible way the nuances of a Lutheran worldview.
Based on the article by Alexander Deryugen

Dedication of St. Mary's Church in Saratov

Archbishop Dietrich Brauer spoke about the church's dedication on May 13th and the events that took place preceding it in the following interview:

“The dedication of St. Mary's in Saratov is a long-awaited and happy event. 225 years have passed since the dedication of the first St. Mary's, which was located in the center of the city and was barbarically destroyed when it was blown up in 1971. The history of Lutherans in Saratov was interrupted for quite some time. Later the congregation was organized and began to meet in various places. On Sundays congregational members met in basements, and for big holidays they rented halls in order to fit in all those who wanted to attend.

Then the congregation began to build a new church; 25 years have passed since the congregation was reborn, and for more than 10 years now the new church has been under construction. The work was done only by fellow believers, both Russian Germans and others who show their care and concern. Both individuals and church groups have taken part in this good deed. The process of construction stretched out throughout the years, and even now the work isn't done, but the main work has been completed.

At the end of this stage we decided to dedicate the building in order that the congregation could feel that it was already in a fully-functioning church building. It can hold up to 200 people. Worship services are already held in the sanctuary, and there are many spaces for use by the Sunday school, for other ministries and even a small fireside room which creates a special atmosphere for meetings and discussions.

It was quite impressive that the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Rüdiger von Fritsch, came to Saratov for the dedication of the building. Every year he visits one of the Russian regions, and he came to Saratov specially for the the dedication of the church and the celebratory worship.  What is more, he came not strictly as a government official, but as a preacher. Rüdiger von Fritsch is not only an ambassador, he is a theologian and is blessed as a preacher in the Lutheran Church. He has preached, for example, in the Bavarian Lutheran church when he was the ambassador in Poland and was happy to agree to give the sermon at the celebratory worship service in St. Mary's church. 

In his sermon the ambassador spoke about the New Covenant of God with man, the covenant based on the blood of Jesus Christ, His grace, His mercy. The preacher placed this imagine in the context of the event, in the context of Russian Lutherans and the Saratov congregation, which lost its building, lost hoped, but did not lose faith. This faith and the faithfulness of God, His faithfulness to the covenant that He once made with his people, saved and strengthened people during all times. “Today, during the dedication of the new St. Mary's church, the faithfulness of God to his covenant has been fully shown;” with these words the German ambassador brought his sermon to a close.

The participation of the ambassador of Germany in the events in Saratov drew attention not only to his person, but also to the problems of Russian Lutherans, to the needs of congregations. We are very thankful to Ambassador Rüdiger von Fritsch, for his attentiveness  to and interest in Russian Lutherans, for his active participation in the finding solutions to many important problems. In our days people frequently speak in the language of confrontation, of sanctions and threats. And the fact that a person can speak in a different language, heart to heart, the language of spirituality, the language of faith – it is very inspiring!

As he noted in his conversation with local journalists, the Ambassador’s main goal of this visit was to be present at the dedication and worship service, but many other events were also organized for him. He enjoyed visiting the city and oblast very much and spoke of his intention to visit again on a personal trip together with his wife.

It is a joy that three church buildings  in the region are being restored at once: the new St. Mary's, and two historical buildings in Zorkino and in Marx. In the former local businessman Karl Loor has led the efforts, while in Marx it is brothers Alexander and Viktor Schmidt.

Marx

During this visit we visited the wonderful, old church in Marx. It was a nice to see that the city itself is being transformed around the restored church – the embankment has been done, the territory was groomed – the city is awakening together with the church! The same thing happened in Zorkino. When from ruins a beautiful church was raised, everything around started to change, too. A new school and a hospital have appeared. People try to meet the standard of beauty that now surrounds them. I think that when the construction of St. Mary's in Saratov is finished, the industrial neighborhood where it is located will also begin to be transformed.”

Julia Vinogradova

Congregational Anniversary Year Starts With Book Presentation

Saratov
On January 28th St. Mary's Evangelical Lutheran church in Saratov hosted a book presentation. O.Litsenberger, A. Deryugin and N. Kolomitsev co-authored a book about the Saratov congregation on its 250th anniversary... which will officially take place only in 2020; since historical documents give no exact date of the foundation of the congregation, this date is calculated based on the first time the congregation is referenced in external sources.
The book is entitled “St. Mary's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saratov at the 250th Anniversary of its Founding.” This publication acts as a follow up to the first book about St. Mary's Lutheran, published 22 years ago, in 1995. It is targeted at historians and others for whom it is interesting to know about the Lutheran church in the city and its influence there throughout the years. The book covers the life of the congregation, its relationship with the government authorities, the difficult fate of those who ministered in the congregation in the 20th century, and the development of the congregation in our days.
The book presentation started the process of celebrating two other anniversaries related to the history of Saratov Lutherans. On October 6, 2018, 225 years will have passed since the dedication of the first St. Mary's church in the city, and on November 22 it will be 25 years since the congregation's rebirth. Unfortunately the first building lasted only 83 years
(1793-1876) and was seriously damaged in a fire. The second St Mary's arose 3 years later (1879-1970), but was destroyed during the time of state atheism. It was located on the central city street – German Street (now Kirov) and was built according to the plans of the world-famous architect from Berlin, Johann-Eduard Jakob Stahl.
The logo of the anniversary shows three crosses: the first is black-purple and symbolizes the tragic fate of the first building; the second is red and is a reminder of the sufferings of the period of repression, and the third is a white cross which is a symbol of the contemporary church building which is already 11 years old and the hope for long years of the the triumph of love, goodness and spiritual peace in Saratov and in the country as a whole. The appendixes to the book are also of great value – archival materials and rare photographs.

The President of the ELCR General Synod and Dean of the Saratov area Andrey Dzhamgarov, led the event. Elena Heydt, the representative of the publisher, the regional coordinator of the International Union of German Culture and the chair of the “National-Cultural Group of Russian Germans of the Marx region, personally congratulated those in attendance on the occasion of the anniversary and also read a congratulatory letter from the First Deputy President of the International Union of German Culture, Olga Martens.
Then the congregation and guests heard the letter from the main author of the two books, Professor Olga Litzenberger, Ph.D. “On this significant day I personally and all the authors of the book want to express to you, dear pastors, members of church councils and congregational members, our gratitude for your many years of irreproachable work. I congratulate all of you with the publication of this new book about the Saratov congregation.”

After this the co-authors of the book – church council member Alexander Deryugin and church council member, journalist and linguist Nikolai Kolomiytsev, spoke about how this publication was put together, and in particular drew the attention of readers to three very interesting chapters filled with abundant historical facts.
After this there was a ceremony thanking those who cooperated with the authors - each of the former of which were given a copy of the book and a certificate of thanks. Also a copy of the book was given to each of the two largest regional libraries.
Representatives of the government also were present at this event. Dmitry Konusov, the vice minister of internal affairs and civil society for the Saratov oblast, was in attendance. Elena Poznyakova, the head of the department of relations with cultural institutions for the Saratov oblast, also greeted the congregation and guests of the event.
Representatives of other Christian denominations in the region were also invited to the book presentation. The head priest of St. Clement Roman Catholic Church in Saratov, Andrey Slavik, gave a heartfelt congratulations to all in attendance on the occasion of the publication of the book and the double anniversary of the congregation.
After this those in attendance could ask questions of the authors and also receive signed copies. The day ended with a reception.

Church Construction in Saratov

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them“ (Ps. 111:2)

Dear brothers and sisters, as of April I am no longer Deanfor the Saratov region. But I am happy to to bring an update to those who care about our church building, who are praying for us and helping with the current progress.

Since the end of 2016 work has been done on the church hall: the cry room, the balcony and the church walls. The plastering has been be done as far as possible in the large church hall. With two to four people, a few dozen bags of plaster mortar, a compressed air-driven plastering machine and mobile scaffolding, etc., quite a few things could be done.During and after Easter the work in the church hall went on “pause.” Since then the work joyfully continues. It is hoped that the plastering will be completed in the near future, and then the ground tiles will be done.

Further, after Easter, the room for the planned diaconal clothing store in the lower floor was equipped with wooden shelves so that Sister Maren can soon begin this important work. Thanks for all the help!

Alexander Scheiermann, Michael Weise

News about Church Construction Process in Saratov

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them“ (Ps. 111:2)

Dear brothers and sisters, as of April I am no longer Deanfor the Saratov region. But I am happy to to bring an update to those who care about our church building, who are praying for us and helping with the current progress.

Since the end of 2016 work has been done on the church hall: the mother-child room, the balcony and the church walls. The plastering has been be done as far as possible in the large church hall. With two to four people, a few dozen bags of plaster mortar, a compressed air-driven plastering machine and mobile scaffolding, etc., quite a few things could be done.During and after Easter the work in the church hall went on “pause.” Since then the work joyfully continues. It is hoped that the plastering will be completed in the near future, and then the ground tiles will be done.

Furthermore, after Easter, the room for the planned diaconal clothing store in the lower floor was equipped with wooden shelves so that Sister Maren can soon begin this important work. Thanks for all the help!

Alexander Scheiermann, Michael Weise

A New Dean in Saratov

On April 9th, Palm Sunday, we congratulated our brother and Pastor Andrey Dzhamgarov on his installation as Area Dean of the Saratov deanery. He has enthusiastically cared for the Saratov congregation for quite some time. Now he becomes the shepherd of a larger herd. It seems to have been only recently when his young wife Olga came to the church for the first time. Andrey brought her from another city. Together with Irina Scheiermann, the wife of Pastor Alexander, Olga began to help teach the children in Sunday school. Although Andrey had a great respect for the church, he did not go to church services. And if he sometimes came, he slept peacefully on the last bench. But the word of God is for the heart like a constant drop for the stone. It carves and gives it a completely different form.

One day, Pastor Alexander Scheiermann visited the Dzhamgarov family. At the table, he told Andrey's parents, "You'll see, Andrey will become a Pastor." Mrs. Dzhamgarov laughed and said, "No, Andrey will NEVER be a Pastor!" But God's view is different from our human view, for “people look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Perhaps Olga Dzhamgarov was inspired by the words of the Apostle Peter that men who do not believe the Word of God “may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives” (1 Peter 3, 1). With patience, prayer, humility, unchanged obedience, and deep respect for your husband and his family she watched for more than 20 years how the Lord "woke up" her husband Andrey.

But the awakening did not start very brightly for Andrey from the perspective of a "normal" man. He lost his job, and his family got into a very difficult financial situation. For Andrey the humanitarian aid in form of food and clothing that brought Olga from the church became an important testimony of the love of God and brotherly care (in the Dzhamgarov family a daughter was born at that time). He began to go to church more often, to have fellowship with the faithful, and then to help Pastor Alexander at work. Despite the very modest conditions under which they lived, singing and laughter were heard in the house of Andrey, Olga and the little Adelina. Sunday guests often gathered at their humble table. In the meantime, Andrey began to preach in worship sometimes, to visit other congregations with the pastor and to serve everywhere where he had the opportunity. In 2004 God blessed the family Dzhamgarov with son David, and now Andrey and Olga have two beautiful children.

We wish our beloved brother and valued Pastor and Dean Andrey God's blessing in service and spiritual growth.
Lena Schumakova

Saratov Deanery Children’s Retreat 2016

The children's retreat took place in the village of Lebjazhe (Schwan village). The motto was -”You are a special person in God's eyes.» The time was beautiful and went by quickly. We played a lot, tinkered around and exercised. Each day was thematically framed by a new story from the Bible which was told by the staff in the morning and in the evening. Every evening the young helpers Rachel, Adelina, and Andreas spent a lot of time with the children talking about faith, in order to bring them closer to God's spirit. The children were not ashamed to express their thoughts about it, and the older ones corrected and guided them on the right path. Even though still small, the children’s souls are already marked by sin. Some unjust deeds can have consequences for any human being and particularly for small children who are not experienced. That’s why the older ones took care of the younger children to do good deeds. They read stories from the Bible. The parents were very grateful that their children were well provided for. According to them, the prayers of their children are now more comprehensive and intimate than before. It is wonderful that the children could hear God's word and talk about it from dawn to dusk for an entire week. When the retreat ended, all the children wanted to stay longer.

Thanks to Alexander Derugin, who cooked wonderfully for everyone. The children enjoyed his food and always ate up everything. In a friendly atmosphere they helped out in the kitchen: they peeled potatoes, washed vegetables and fruits and set the table.

We thank our Lord and God, as well as our church for the opportunity to tell our children about God in many different ways (stories, plays, games, etc.). It seems to me that this retrait was a pleasure for the adults as well and enriched them with a lot of good and useful things.

Luda Nakoneznaja

The 8th Annual Christian Canoe Retreat on the Volga River

«What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?» (Psalm 8, 4)

This fourth verse of Psalm 8 was our slogan and the topic of our canoe retreat from June 15 to June 24. There were 19 of us from Ulyanovsk, Saratov, and Kazan as well as from Germany. We fit into eight boats. Some of us had already participated in all the previous journeys, and some took part for the very first time. With certainty one can say that every year the ride is very special: the crews of each boat, the weather and the mooring – it brings difficulties, but joy as well.

We had never before headed out with the canoes as early as the middle of June. Until the day of the departure everyone was worried that it would be too cold in these 10 days, and that we would freeze; but on the 15th of June a heat wave began and continued in the days following. For the first time in all the years we were on clean water that did not even show a trace of green haze. And most importantly, this time we had no problems with the boats on the water. Only once did we have to repair an old 3-man canoe on the water. We thank all those who helped us to purchase five new boats. This year we paddled on a few days from 10 am to 8 pm with only short interruptions. We didn’t do this because of bad weather or because of boat repairs; No, just for pleasure. Nevertheless, we had plenty of time for blessed Bible studies. We reflected on mankind and the tasks of mankind. Besides, there was enough time for games, fishing, swimming and walks on the island. For the first time a couple took part. They had never been among Christians. They were very enthusiastic. The Sunday after the trip, they visited our worship service. Now they would like to become members of the church community. We thank God for this wonderful time on the Volga. Thanks to all who helped this year to renew our fleet.

Dean Vladimir Provorov

Camping in the Chiguljover Mountains

From June 27 to July 2, 2016 the 13^th annual camping retreat was organized by the congregations in Uljanovsk and Saratov. Altogether 30 participants took part. Every morning we started with a prayer time and at the end of the day we had a Bible study, discussing topics from the book of Daniel. On Wednesday we visited the village Schirjajevo, viewed the mine and its tunnels and enjoyed the picturesque landscape of the Volga and its surroundings. Afterwards we walked through the village and up to the mountains to the well. This way wasn’t easy for everyone. Some people were challenged to mobilize their last powers, knowing that the climb down was still to be mastered. But at least the swim in the cold mountain water was refreshing and gave new strength, and everyone returned happily to the camp.

“A Healthy Spirit in a Healthy Body”

Saratov, Russia
  The Volga region has traditionally been a very important center for church life in Russia, from the times of the German colonists up until today. Saratov is certainly one of the most important cities there, and it was with great joy that I had the chance to visit and teacher there in May.
    Together with pastor Andrey Dzhamgarov and Area Dean Alexander Scheiermann, we chose the theme "healthy congregations" for our time together and, after inviting Dean Vladimir Provorov from Ulyanovsk (a good friend of the congregation) to share in teaching duties, we named the seminar "A Healthy Spirit in a Healthy Body."  There were approximately 16 attendees from Saratov, Saratov oblast, Ulyanovsk, and Kazan who took part over the first two days, while another group joined us for a summary of the seminary on Sunday after worship. 
   The group was engaged with the material, and especially enjoyed working together on the Bible in small groups, something that I learned was not typical for them. I personally very much enjoyed seeing the church (an enormous structure that has been and will be under construction for some time), meeting the congregations, and getting acquainted a bit more closely with a pietist tradition congregation in a large, provincial city.
  Less successful, it seems, was our choice of dates. The period of late April to the end of May is a great time in Russia, but it is also a time filled with many different holidays, events, and work on the dacha. This probably hurt us in terms of attendance, but we will learn from this experience in order to organize things better next time around.
Bradn Buerkle

Into the Mountains with Prayer

Ulyanovsk/ Saratov, Russia 

  On June 27 to July 2 the congregations of Saratov and Ulyanovsk organized a “prayer camp” for the 13th time. 30 people took part.

   The Bible study program was organized in the following way – prayer themes in the morning led by Pastors Andrey Dzhamgarov and Vladimir Provorod and evening Bible studies organized by Pastor Alexander Scheiermann on the first chapters of the book of Daniel. 

  On one of the days the participants of the camp visited the village of Shiryaevo, where they enjoyed the beautiful views of the Volga and surroundings. Afterwards they went through the settlement of Solnechnya Polyana (Sunny Meadow) to the Kamennaya Chasha (Stone Chalice) spring. 

  The path to the spring wasn't easy for everyone; some had to use their last bit of energy to make it, thinking all the time about how they would not only have to get there, but to get back. But swimming in the cold, mountain spring woke everyone up and renewed their energy enough that everyone was able to make it back to camp.  

  Two days later the plan was to hike up the mountain that stood over the campsite, but after the difficult hike a few days earlier, there weren't many people who wanted to go through with it. In the end a third of the participants set off, and while they were on the mountain they remembered the Biblical story of the Transfiguration. There was talk about wanting to build dwellings there and to stay on the mountain, wherever everyone is unified in prayer. 

  On the last day before returning home, looking back, everyone saw that during the whole week God had unified the participants of the camp into one congregation and had blessed them with fellowship with Him and with one another as they spent a wonderful time on the banks of the Volga. 

  Vladimir Provorov

Church Building Anniversary

Saratov

On May 1st in St. Mary's church in Saratov there was a celebratory worship service dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the building process. The building is still not built yet, but it does function and every Sunday welcomes all for prayer.

  As part of his episcopal visit to the the Saratov deanery the worship service was attended by Archbishop Dietrich Brauer together with his wife Tatyana Petrenko. Friends from other cities also came to the Saratov congregation – the Schtelwag family from Germany and Pastor Donald Richman from America.

   In his sermon Archbishop Brauer wished everyone a happy Easter (it was Eastern Orthodox Easter that day) and underlined the importance of every person understanding the purpose of Christ's Resurrection; it is difficult to see sometimes behind all the traditional treats during the Easter feast. The family also took a tour around the building site; they were happy with the way various parts of the building are slowly but surely being finished in a way that will help the congregation as it develops; they wished the congregation well in their efforts in the difficult task of building construction.

   After worship the youth of the congregation prepared a surprise for everyone – they made special hot dogs for the occasion with rolls prepared by one of the congregation's members, Frank Baker, the latest in a long line of bakers in his family.

  Everyone had a chance for important fellowship at the tea time after church – they could visit with the spiritual head of our church, ask him questions, take pictures with him, or they could have personal discussions with the pastors-pastoral care givers from other cities and ask guests about different countries and the life of Christian congregations abroad.

  Then, together with the locals, everyone went to the newly restored church in Zorkino in the Marx region of the Saratov oblast, where worship was also held.

  Alexander Geryugin

The Restoration of the Kirche in Marx

 At the beginning of August as the city was preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the Lutheran church in Marx (Saratov region) had almost regained its original form. Built as a church on the central town square, it was turned into a “house of culture” during Soviet times; now it is a church again, with a new tower and bell.
  The congregation in Marx, then Marxstadt, was closed exactly 85 years ago, on the 5th of August 1930. In 1941 its cross was removed, and the clock on the tower stopped working. It is said that someone took home the keys to the clock, waiting for a time when the Russian Germans, exiled to Siberia by Stalin, could return. Unfortunately, the bell tower was destroyed long before that could occur. The excuse for taking down the tower was that some boys had climbed up it chasing pigeons, and one of them fell. This might have been the case, but the real reason for its destruction was that the tower of the former Lutheran church, located just across the street from the Communist Party headquarters, irritated local officials. Long-time local residents say that those few Germans who had escaped deportation stayed home and prayed in quiet on the day the tower was torn down, while Russian women who walked by had angry words for those doing the destruction – it might not have been their church, but it was a church nonetheless, and they knew that it was wrong to destroy it.
  The building hosted the town's only cultural events in the Soviet period, but in the 1990s it changed hands a number of times before it was finally returned to the Lutheran congregation for its use. It is not the church's own property yet, though, and that is a matter of time and money. It is a huge building and the congregation, even though there are around 300 people there for worship on Christmas, the congregation still cannot maintain a building that was meant for 3000.  Yet a local sponsor, Vitkor Schmidt from Saratov, is doing a lot to restore the building. For now the congregation is grateful for the cross that acts as a sign and even beacon of faith for all who live in the city.

Visit of Archbishop and Ordination

Saratov
  ELCR Archbishop Dietrich Brauer traveled to Saratov on November 29-30 in order to preside at the ordination of Andrey Dzhamgarov in the under-construction buidling of St. Mary's church. In his words to the new pastor, Bishop Brauer spoke of the serious responsibility that goes with pastoral ministry. The pastor not only teaches what the the Lord and the Word of God – the Bible – says, but also in his life gives an example of righteousness. In his sermon Pastor Dzhamgarov noted that a real minister should not stand in the center and draw attention to himself, but instead always be off to the side, pointing to the crucifixion of Christ as the true center.

  There were many honored guests at the ordination, including representatives of the state and local government. Many warm and touching words were addressed to the new pastor by representatives from congregations in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Marx and other cities in Russia. During the second part of the celebrations guests had the chance to listen to the musical talents of the youth choir from St. Mary's church in Ulyanovsk. After that everyone “traveled to Africa” for a few minutes thanks to the choral number performed by Lutheran medical students from Namibia; their traditional African manner of singing was touching not only because of it being unusual, but because of the high quality of singing. The congregation's theater group prepared a gift for the new pastor – they performed a mini-play that demonstrated the true meeting of pastoral service, of how the shepherd guides, protects and brings peace to the flock.
  All the members of Andrey's family – his parents, his older brother, wife and son – shared their thoughts about this significant event in the life of their family and of St. Mary's church. His family name - “Dzhamgarov,” translated from Armenian means “bell ringer.” Andrey, like his anonymous forbearer, also has gone along the path of service in the church.
  On his first day in the region Archbishop Brauer traveled together with area Dean Andrey Shaermann to Holy Trinity church in Marx; this building, from the first half of the 19th century, is an architectural monument and is currently being successfully restored. The Archbishop also had a chance to see the restoration work done in Christ Lutheran Church in the village of Zorkino; this building was a copy of the historic building in Saratov, destroyed in the 1970s.

Trip to Saratov

  God's presence is always clearly felt in the church in Saratov – whether it be in the building of a new church, the ministries of the congregation or fellowship. For that reason the congregation in Ulyanovsk was happy to once again organize a visit to their fellow Lutherans on the Volga. Pastor Vladimir Provorov led a group of 11 to visit the congregation, to help them during their work day, and to celebrate Harvest Festival with them one week after they marked that day in Ulyanovsk. Pastor Alexander Shaermann asked Pastor Provorov to preach, and he took up the theme of thankfulness. Being thankful is not just being polite, it is our reaction to the grace given to us in Jesus Christ...and we are enriched in the process.  
  There were a number of special moments about the trip, including the singing of brothers and sisters in Christ from Nambia at the closing worship service as well as the stops on the way back from Saratov in the towns of Marx and Zorkino. In both of these places churches are being built; in the first, a new building to replace the one destroyed during Soviet times and in the second place – the restoration of the historical building. In Zorkinko they've already installed the bell tower; the clock and bells installed there and already being heard, summoning all who pass to prayer.  

Zorkino