Pastoral Ordination in Guryev, Kaliningrad

On June 21, 2026, a very important event took place for Baptist Christians in the Kaliningrad region. Andrei Novikov, pastor of the city’s first Baptist church, “Renewal,” was ordained to the ministry in Guryev.

Zaitsev representing the Russian Baptist leadership, noted the most important qualities of a servant of God: “The right desire is to give, not to receive. Just as Jesus Christ himself served people, not to be served. ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.'” Mark 10:45.

Secondly, is the need to properly assess one’s own strength. Elisha asked Elijah for double his power; he received it and performed 14 miracles, while Elijah performed 7 miracles. “And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'” 2 Kings 2:9. Otherwise, a servant will be like a powerful vacuum cleaner that is not plugged in and cannot fulfill its sole purpose. ” Gideon said to him, ‘Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man.'” Judges 6:15-16.

Thirdly, proper trust is also important. It wasn’t Elijah’s mantle that made Elisha strong, but God.
“…And he took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him and struck the waters with it, and said, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ And he struck the waters, and they parted this way and that, and Elisha crossed over.” 2 Kings 2:14.

Let us remember that it is God who appoints a pastor: “And He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” Ephesians 4:11.

On this celebratory day, Andrey and Lesya Novikov heard many other wise words of advice and good wishes from their brothers and sisters. The Renewal Church received congratulations from Nikolay Kazakov, Senior Pastor of the Regional Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of the Kaliningrad Region; Vadim Zhivaev, Pastor of the Evangelical Christians-Baptists Church in Bagrationovsk; and Gennady Lazarev, Senior Pastor of the Word of Life Church in Kaliningrad.

Nikolai Kazakov (from the sending church): “Faithful brothers and sisters heard the Lord’s call, and set out to expand His Kingdom. When an entire team left our local church to plant a new one, it was both difficult and joyful to realize! These are dear people whom we had been preparing for a specific ministry here, but now I see how they are developing—it’s a great joy! I wish them continued success. This is a truly blessed event! In just six months, new faces have appeared in their church, and it will take several months for them to complete the “Fundamentals of Christian Life” course. The congregation members are now forming as a family, and this is serious work. Furthermore, we need to renovate the building for various types of ministries, so that it becomes a home for all who have accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts. Much has changed in our church as well. We are currently training new workers who can join the ministry. This is difficult work, for we must discern a calling from the Lord in each person and help them discover their gifts. We serve our Lord together, and this is a great joy.”

Let’s look back in time. The founding date of this settlement in the northeast of Russia’s westernmost region is generally accepted to be 1262, when the Knights of the Teutonic Order erected the first fortification on the site of the Prussian settlement of Wurgwal. The Order was founded as a spiritual and knightly community affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. In the mid-16th century, after the secularization of the Teutonic Order, the castle and lands became the summer residence of Duke Albrecht of Brandenburg, under the name Neuhausen (German for “new home”). After World War II in 1946, Neuhausen, along with other East Prussian towns, became part of the Kaliningrad Oblast of the USSR and was renamed Guryevsk in honor of Hero of the USSR Major General Stepan Guryev. Currently, approximately 28,000 people live here. This is the first Evangelical Baptist church to have opened here, effectively since the settlement’s founding. That is, the first in 764 years!

The spiritual revival of our country, which began so vigorously after the collapse of the USSR, has touched every region and province. Here, on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea, Evangelical Christian Baptist churches were also founded. Today, there are six of them, including the newest one in Gurevsk.

Andrey Novikov is a renowned physician in the region, a maxillofacial surgeon specializing in dental implants, and the owner of a chain of medical clinics. He comes from a Christian family, repented at the age of 11, and was baptized at 14. In 2019, he was ordained to the deaconate at the Church of Peace in Kaliningrad and now to the pastorate.

The church’s founding date is December 25, 2025, when the first service was held. Currently, the “Renewal” church has 48 members, who left from “Peace” Church in Kaliningrad. The congregation is preparing to welcome several more families. The average age is 30-40 years old. The core of this community of believers consists of married couples. Sixteen brothers are planning to attend theological seminary. “Renewal” emphasizes discipleship. 120-150 people attend Sunday services, about 60 of whom are children. There are several age groups for Sunday school, and soon to open a Sunday school for non-believing children.

Pastor Andrei Novikov, as 2 Timothy 4:7 says, has “fought the good fight,” of faith. The two-story church building was purchased with a loan, which will take several years to repay. And the pastor, as the owner of a private business, bears the full burden of financial responsibility for this. May the Lord bless him in this boldness and give him both spiritual and physical strength to fulfill those “good works which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in” (Ephesians 2:10).

Alla Stambolidi, photo by the author