NOVOCHERKASSK (RUSSIA) - August, 2014 - In mid-August Transfiguration Church of Novocherkassk the city in the Rostov region (in the south of Russia) celebrated the 65th anniversary. The church held a conference dedicated to the anniversary under the name 'Gratitude to God'. It was attended by parishioners and guests.
More than 20 ministers came to congratulate the church and its pastor and to share the joy of the festival. Among them pastors and ministers of churches in Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory, senior ministers of the Pentecostal Union of Russia: Head Bishop Edward Grabovenko, his first deputy bishops Vasily Evchik and Alexei Rudenky, deputy in the Southern Federal District Fedor Andronovich.
Senior Pastor of the Transfiguration Church Pavel Kolsnichenko opened the conference with a prayer. Then the Head Bishop Edward Grabovenko addressed the audience with the message from the Word of God. But first of all, he congratulated the church on the remarkable event and presented the memorial plaque inscribed with the following words: “The 65th anniversary is a remarkable age of wisdom and maturity. You have many great acievements in different areas, while remaining faithful to God and people. Let the goodness and mercy of the Lord will always be stretched over you! May each of you is always aware of his own value in Jesus Christ and the value of being a part of God's family.” Head Bishop thanked the church for its missionary and social work, for the unity and dedication to minister to people. He blessed the church and expressed his wish that the church would continue to help people. Other guests and pastors who know firsthand about the great work of the church expressed their gratitude, – the senior presbyter of Stavropol regional association Valery Seleznev, head of the Ministry to Families of the Pentecostal Union, pastor Vladimir Khvalov, and pastors of daughter churches.
Church in Novocherkassk takes a special place in the history of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith. Its formation was taking place at the beginning of the 50s. At that period of time in the Soviet Union to profess Christian faith meant to be blotted out of the life of society, constantly be a subject to abuse and ridicule on the part of the supervisors at work, neighbors at home and teachers at school. People who wanted to live according to the Word of God were threatened with imprisonment for a longer period for the preaching of the Gospel. But despite all the hardship and oppression Christian Church continued to grow. And always there were people ready to fulfill the Lord's command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
One of them was Nikolai Okara – the founder and first pastor of the Transfiguration Church. He was born on September 20, 1925 in a family of Baptists in the village of Krasyukovskaya of Rostov region. After World War II, he accepted the Lord as his personal Savior, and in 1948 through water baptism became a member of the church. Since that time, Nikolai began zealously participate in the ministry, preaching the Word of God. In 1950, the Lord brought him a faithful companion – his wife Valentina. She also had been raised in a Christian home. They lived together happily for over 50 years and gave birth to 11 children – six sons and five daughters.
In the church archive there is a photograph, depicting a group of believers with Nikolai Okara. On the reverse side there is a sign that in August 1949, these 12 people began to secretly gather for prayer and Bible study. This date is conventionally considered the day of foundation of the church.
In 1961, Nikolai Okara for his religious activity was exiled Siberia. His wife and children followed him to the village Molchanovo of Tomsk region. The family had six children, waiting for the seventh. “It was very hard, – recalls Valentina Fedorovna. – Authorities were trying to take away the kids and send them to orphanages.”
In exile, Nikolai continued to preach the gospel. In 2007, Pastor of the unregistered church of Evangelical Christians in the village Molchanovo Nikolai Lyubchak said in an interview that the church started as a result of evangelistic work of exiled pastor Nicholai Okara. The first converts were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Nikolai Okara and his family moved back to Novocherkassk in 1964. At that time 15 women were gathering in homes for prayer and Bible studies. Pastor Nikolai advised them to fast and pray that the Lord raised ministers.
Upon pastor's returning to Novocherkassk, the church began to grow. After Nikolai Vladimirovich his eldest son, Peter served the church. Another son, Pavel was actively involved in youth ministry, and later founded a church in Rostov-on-Don, and was the first pastor of that church. From 2002 to 2009 Pavel Okara served as the Head Bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith (the Pentecostal Union of Russia).
Today the Transfiguration Church is a friendly family of more than 300 worshipers. Many of them are young people. Children's Sunday school have more than 100 children. Children's Choir of the Church is well known in the city and region as it is involved in children's music festivals. The Church has a developed social ministry. For more than 15 years the church operates a faith-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center to help dependent people recover physically and spiritually. Following the steps of its founder Nikolai Okara, the Church continues to do evangelistic work, sends missionaries and starts new daughter churches.
The Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith