KRASNODAR (RUSSIA) – On June 15 the ‘Bethany’ church of Krasnodar celebrated its 44th anniversary.
Bishop Sergey Nakul addressed the church. His message was ‘do we know whom to serve’? For example, Acts 27 describes a shipwreck. The ship is a prototype of various institutions (religions), which supposedly should save people. But they will collapse from a collision with a rock named Jesus. Only those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him will survive.
Bishop Sergey Nakul said, ‘Precious church! Do not stop there, but continue to become closer to the Lord’.
Presbyter Magomet Shayganov also appealed to the church, ‘I bless you to be faithful to God. Trust in the Lord no matter what’.
Presbyter Natalia Kozhevnikova reminded the audience that the ‘Bethany’ church was born out of a dream. Pastors prayed before the Lord and their dream was a church filled with the Holy Ghost, a church where people love God and one another, a church that would reveal the glory of God in Krasnodar. The dream came true. Natalia said, ‘Today we are the same Christians as our brothers and sisters of past generations. We are the ‘living stones’.... I wish the church would never become just a religious meeting, but reveal Jesus Christ, His beauty, His glory, His life to the world’.
The church was registered in Krasnodar on June 16, 1970. According to the documents it was a church of the Full Gospel. The church met in a small house and included 18 members. At that time Michail Buchtik pastored the church.
The temple which holds the services nowadays was open on July 1, 1990. On the date there were 80 church members. The church received its name – ‘Bethany’ - on December 8, 1991. Since 1992, the church grows rapidly. Since 2013, the church planted over 50 daughter churches in the Krasnodar region and beyond. It operates more than 30 ministries, and actively develops home groups and help centers.
Based on the materials from the ‘Bethany’ church website
Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith
