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The Russia United Methodist Church has been re-registered, allowing it to continue to open local congregations and use the word "Russia" in its name.

The registration recognizes the United Methodist Russia Annual Conference as a "centralized" religious organization, said Bishop Ruediger Minor, based in Moscow. The registration was completed Jan. 26 at the Russian Ministry of Justice. Individual congregations will be registered through the conference.

The church, which now numbers an estimated 46 congregations, was compelled to re-register because of the 1997 religion law passed by the Russian Duma (parliament).

The Rev. R. Bruce Weaver, director of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries' Russia Initiative, called the registration "the most exciting news we have had in the Russia Initiative in its entire eight years. It enables us to be involved in mission and ministry legally and allows the Russian United Methodists to function as a church."

There had been some question about whether denominations existing in Russia in earlier times but not recently would be officially recognized. But Minor said the tendency has been to recognize both religious groups from the Soviet era and "groups that existed under oppression in an unofficial or `underground' status through Soviet times, as well as those existing prior to the Bolshevist Revolution of 1917."

A Methodist, B.A. Carlson, began evangelizing in St. Petersburg in 1889 and organized a small congregation in November of that year. In 1907, the Rev. George A. Simons was appointed pastor and superintendent there, and the Methodist Church in Russia received legal status two years later.

The St. Petersburg archives provided the evidence that United Methodists needed to document the church's history in Russia.

"These documents, letters, protocols and reports from police officers and local administrations gave a lively picture of Methodist life in St. Petersburg and Northern Russia," Minor explained.

Simons reportedly "enjoyed" the fact that police informers infiltrated the audiences for his sermons and lectures, the bishop said. "Over-eager police officers arrested Methodist lay preachers for their `propagandistic' work. The observation was made that sailors from the Russian Navy were attending Methodist worship services, which was raising concerns about `pacifist' influences."

Minor pointed out that the "sufferings and hardships of those mothers and fathers in the faith turned out to be a blessing for their spiritual grandchildren. Those documents gave ample proof of Methodism's existence more than 90 years ago."

The Rev. Randolph Nugent, the board's top staff executive, also expressed pleasure at the denomination being recognized as part of Russia's religious community. "We give thanks to God for the new development."

February 4, 1999