Rev. C. Jarrell Tyson, United Methodist missionary. Photo: John Coleman.

Despite dismal political, economic, and social realities in Russia, people are receiving much-needed aid and becoming converts to Christ through the work of The United Methodist Church.

That observation was offered June 24 at a global consultation on evangelism in Atlanta by the Rev. C. Jarrell Tyson, a United Methodist missionary who travels throughout Russia starting Bible study groups and developing them into churches.

The political and socio-economic hardships Russians deal with daily shape the form of evangelism in the country, Tyson said. The missionaries start with small-group Bible studies because Russians know little about the Bible since it was banned during Communism.

"Most of the people who have come to our study groups come initially because of curiosity," Tyson said. "As they learn about the Bible their reason for coming begins to change. The gospel itself often converts them."

The small-group studies build on a cultural aspect of Russian life, the fact that Russians typically enjoy sitting around the kitchen table and discussing their thoughts and experiences while eating a meal or having tea.

"We thought the Russians had a good thing," Tyson said. "We adapted our Bible discussion style to something similar and coined the phrase 'kitchen evangelism' for our own work. Now, virtually all our Bible group work is kitchen evangelism. We add worship services when the groups understand and are ready for them."

But before the Bible study comes the building of trust relationships, Tyson said, which is often achieved through humanitarian work with children and adults. "Trust is the center of evangelism. Trust is built through caring, loving, teaching."

"Several times," he said, "people have asked us about the 'Methodist God,' so called because they have never experienced God in the way they see with the United Methodist people."

Although Russians may see a distinctive God in United Methodists, the UM evangelists are not out to convert them to United Methodism but simply make them followers of Christ.

"We always tell the people up front that we will not require they become Methodists, nor that the Bible study group become a United Methodist Church. ... Every group and most of the individuals so far have chosen to become Methodist, but we do not put pressure on them to make this choice. We simply teach the Bible, answer their questions as best we can, and live out our Christian witness."

Because of the harsh conditions under which Russians live, the United Methodists seek to maintain an upbeat attitude and reflect the positive nature of the gospel. "The local people are frustrated enough about their situation without our help. Degrading their realities would only make us appear arrogant and make them defensive and resentful."

He described in detail the everyday hardships in Russia. Although Communism has ended after a rule of almost 75 years and the Russian people are exposed to another way of life, they still operate out of a mindset of the past. "People don't know what their leaders are doing," Tyson said, "but they have been conditioned not to cause a disturbance. They also believe no one would listen even if they did object."

Politicians are influenced by the wealthy, organized crime, and bribery. Laws are changed at random or ignored, such as those dealing with the rental of space for worship services. "Whether or not a group is allowed to rent space ... does not depend on what the law is. Renting space can be denied or canceled at the whim of the officials."

Under a new Russian law, The United Methodist Church has formally registered as a denomination which should allow local groups to register. "But we never know for sure," Tyson said, "if local officials will recognize that this law legally binds them to register local groups."

Economically, Russia is a "developed country with a third world economy," Tyson said. Unemployment is high, and those with jobs often receive only partial payment of their salaries. Many factories have closed; the value of money is up and down, mostly down; and prices are always rising.

The political and economic scenes have created stark social realities. Members of the younger generation want the products of the West they see on television and in the movies, but since they don't have part-time jobs, they "resort to less-than desirable ways to fund them," Tyson said.

"Abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, pornography have vastly increased," Tyson said. "The average Russian woman has had three to eight abortions, and many women have had in the 20s."

A startling demographic reality is a shrinking population base. The birth rate and life expectancy numbers are lower while the death rates are higher. Some 600,000 children live in orphanages, a number that is increasing by 100,000 each year. Many Russians are emigrating a million a year for the past eight years.

"When people go the hospital," Tyson said, "in most cases they must provide their own food, bedding, medicine, and sometimes a family member or friend to take care of them. The poor conditions are pushing many Russians to drink beyond the traditional use of alcohol. Vodka has now become the number one cause of death."

But through the dire times, a "big positive" is Russians' willingness to share with one another. "Many survive because their friends and relatives share food from their gardens. Many share their apartments so friends and relatives have a place to live. . . . But impressing us even more is the frequent sight of common people dipping into their pockets to share what they have with the many beggars."

Dr. Randolph Nugent, general secretary, GBGM. Photo: John Coleman.

In another major presentation at the evangelism conference, the Rev. Dr. Randolph Nugent, general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries, emphasized the importance of evangelists living out the gospel as opposed to merely proclaiming it.

"The twenty-first century shall be a century which for most people shall be determined not by what people say so much as by what they do," Nugent said. "Church growth will depend not on what is said but on what is done. . . . That is what offering of Christ is all about offering them Christ by showing them the way of Christ."

Nugent also noted that the coming millennium will require evangelists to fashion their gospel presentation to mesh with people's cultures and history. "This goes far beyond the present-day models within United Methodism," he said.

He also emphasized that gospel message is for everyone and must not be restricted "to a selective segment of the human family, those who look like us, talk like us, think as we think, and with whom we are comfortable."

Furthermore, he said, the gospel must be proclaimed in every circumstance "wherever diversity or freedom is denied, wherever slavery is present and people are forced to struggle for peace, and wherever war has become the order of the day. Wherever the lives of people may be changed on behalf of the good that God would have us become, there are we called to be present in the new millennium."