SIXTEEN
NEW CONGREGATIONS
IN ESTONIA IN NINE YEARS!
Dr. H. Eddie Fox, the World Director of Evangelism, has had a continuing relationship with Estonia for more than two decades. He first visited the area in l980 and the Connecting Congregation program began there in 1992. Today, there are 14 World Methodist Connecting Congregations in Estonia, the largest number in any of the former communist countries.
One of the "Connections" in Estonia has a unique beginning. At the installation of the Methodist Bishop for the Russia Area in Moscow in 1992, Dr. Olav Parnamets, Superintendent of the Methodist Church in Estonia, shared with Dr. Eddie Fox that a "sausage factory building" had become available in Ahja, Estonia, and would be a great place for a Methodist Congregation. Parnamets said, "If we could have $1,500 cash in three days, we could purchase it." "Why not," responded Fox. "There is also a flat (apartment) available for the same cost," Parnamets added. "Why not," exclaimed Fox.
Arrangements were made to have a "cash loan" immediately from Bishop Vaxby in Finland. Within three days, the cash was delivered to the Methodist Church in Estonia and both the sausage factory and the apartment were purchased.
Almost immediately after returning to Nashville, Tennessee, Fox was invited by the District Superintendent to speak to the United Methodist Nashville District. The superintendent added that the offering would go to World Methodist Evangelism and Fox declared, "The Nashville District just bought a sausage factory in Ahja, Estonia."
The next Sunday the "Anti-Can't Sunday School Class" at Hermitage United Methodist Church heard the Estonian story and the class said, "I think we just bought an apartment in Estonia." The money to repay the loan came from the Nashville District and this Sunday School class. In the same year the new work at Karsa and Ahja was connected through World Methodist Evangelism to the First United Methodist Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Today through this connection's basic support and many "Volunteers in Mission" teams from Bartlesville and the work of the local people, there is a beautiful Methodist Church in Karsa (a restored Orthodox church building) and a beautiful mission building in Ahja which houses a Sunday School, a coffee house, rooms for housing persons who need care, counseling rooms, and a worship/prayer room. Fox said, "It is amazing what the Holy Spirit can do working through God's people all around the world. Many people make the connections work to the glory of Christ Jesus our Lord." The connection between the congregations continues today, nine years later, and each congregation is stronger through the ministry of World Methodist Evangelism CONNECTING CONGREGATIONS..
ILLINOIS AND ESTONIA
For nine years, First United Methodist Church in Peoria has been linked to a new Russian-speaking congregation in Keila, Estonia through the basic commitment as a Connecting Congregation. At the same time the congregation purchased a bank building in Peoria and converted into a place of ministry, they helped Keila purchase a bank building in Estonia which was simultaneously converted into a place of worship in the center of the community. Persons from Peoria and Keila have worshipped with one another in each congregation.
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