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Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary Scholarships

Advance # 15021B

Training pastoral and diaconal workers for churches in the western part of the former Soviet Union

Partner : Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary  
Location : Europe and Eurasia, Estonia, Tallinn
Annual Goal : $150,000.00
Amount YTD : $6,918.00
Percent YTD : 4%

Background / History

The primary focus of the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary is the western region of the former Soviet Union. The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were forcibly occupied by Stalin's Soviet army during World War Two. For half a century these nations were forced to be a part of the Soviet Union's communist block. Mass deportations, ethnic cleansings, and a strong military presence were part of the strategy used to ensure Moscow's control. The stranglehold placed over the church succeeded in suffocating the Methodist Church in Latvia and Lithuania out of existence, as it had in Russia and Ukraine a few decades earlier. Only in Estonia did the Methodist Church publicly and visibly survive inside the Soviet Union as a functioning annual conference. While its outreach to society was severely curtailed by Soviet imposed sanctions, the church in Estonia succeeded in growing in numbers, including the establishment of Methodist Churches with the newly arriving Russian immigrants sent in by communist central planning.
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Mission

The Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary Vision:
To train Christian leaders for the Baltic and other countries

Our mission statement:
To teach, train and lead Christians to proclaim the Gospel:
Giving them practical theological training in the Wesleyan tradition
Building a Biblical foundation within them for service
Combining personal spiritual formation with academic professionalism
Promoting Christian fellowship
Creating leadership opportunities in local congregations
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Goals & Objectives

1. To provide theological training to the 145 students currently enrolled at the BMTS to prepare them for Christian ministry roles.

2. To provide scholarships for students coming from the Komi or Khanty ethnic groups to receive theological training for ministry.

3. To encourage Christians to explore their call for ministry through the active recruiting of new students.

Activities Plan

Offer a four year theological educational program including classes in the following areas:
1. Bible and Theology
2. Church History
3. Practical Theology
4. General Studies.

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