God at Work in Russia

Vadim is a young Russian journalist living in Yekaterinberg, Russia. He spends his free time in the company of friends, some of whom are Christians. Two years ago these Christian friends invited him to attend a ministry conference hosted by the Back to God Ministries Russian outreach in Yekaterinberg.

Because local churches do most of the follow-up, our ministry staff doesn’t often hear how dramatically lives are touched through evangelistic events. But, the Holy Spirit was working in Vadim’s heart that day.

“Every conference we host has an evangelistic component,” explains Rev. Sergei Sosedkin, Russian ministry leader for BTGMI. “That is our requirement.” So it’s no surprise that God used this particular event to prompt Vadim to explore and learn more about the Christian faith.

It wasn’t until a more recent gathering held at a local church this past spring that Vadim found a BTGMI staff member and shared how the past event shaped his life.

“This time,” recalls Sosedkin, “Vadim approached our staff to thank us for bringing the Gospel into his life. He told us that since he responded to God’s call two years ago, he and his wife joined a local evangelical church.”

The Russian ministry conferences attract young people in their 20s and 30s. More than 550 people attended the most recent event titled, ‘How to Witness so That We Are Heard’.

Now Vadim is actively involved with the missionary and diaconal activities of his congregation.

“Vadim’s story encouraged me personally,” shares Sosedkin. “Even though in many cases we don’t hear from people who found salvation through our work, we can be assured that our sovereign God is using this ministry to expand His Kingdom in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere.”