Russia (MNN) ― Greater Europe Mission reports that four of their Regional Training Centers are holding their final sessions, completing six years of training.
It's the fruition of the Christian Women in Partnership (CWP)-Russia. The partnership itself is a cooperative women's leadership training initiative sponsored by Greater Europe Mission, Entrust4 and East-West Ministries International, in cooperation with The Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of the Federation of Russia.
Begun in the fall of 1999, the ministry started with 21 women from across Russia for the first phase of the self-multiplying training initiative. By October of 2005, these 21 women held their graduation ceremony in Moscow, Russia, and interned as teachers in the program.
During the second year of the women's training at the Base Training Center (BTC) in Moscow, in groups of three, these 21 women began seven Regional Training Centers (RTCs) that stretch from Moscow to the Island of Sakhalin in the Far East of Russia.
In 2003 their RTC students, again in groups of three, began Local Training Centers (LTCs). And two years ago, several students from the LTCs have begun City Training Centers (CTCs) in their local churches.
Thus, the preparation has been entirely indigenized, with Russian women training and administrating the various training centers throughout Russia. They've completed a curriculum geared to training women to assume the role of women's ministries leadership in the local church.
More than 70 women will graduate this spring and finish their final two years as teachers. As one GEM missionary put it, "We also desire to challenge women to get involved in missions, serving adults and children through a variety of ministries."
