A Work of Faith and Love

The Komi land was drenched with the blood of Christians who suffered for Jesus being executed during the years of mass repressions under the Soviet regime, so it is interesting that the construction of the unique Church of Christ the Savior (UECB), which began about thirty years ago, would be at the very site of the executions of believers in Syktyvkar city’s Michurinsky park! The church was built by the whole world as many organizations have made a significant contribution to this good and common cause. And at present, this building is a hotbed of spiritual enlightenment, and a center of mercy and civil charity.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, believers in this community and others have taken to organizing feeding the homeless and disadvantaged on a regular basis. Along with food for strengthening health and physical strength, goodwilled people from among believers teach and give quality spiritual food. They strike up conversations on important topics, distribute the Gospel of John, and other Christian literature to those who desire it. The main initiators of such actions are the youth members of the UECB church in Vylgorta, headed by pastor Kozlov. In his church office, a letters of thanks from the leadership of children's educational institutions and from the local punitive service administration stretches from wall to wall. Pastor Kozlov takes care of 10 colonies, organizing the delivery of parcels to convicts and gives spiritual talks in meetings with individuals. Pastoral help comes from the UECB church “Na Losinke” from Moscow in the form of groups of musicians, singers and preachers.

Vyacheslav Kozlov and his assistants also visit many social assistance centers, city shelters for the homeless, and because of these efforts of living and preaching the gospel, many were saved from suicide, and delivered from serious troubles of life.

These outreach events are held not only at the large Baptist church, but often at the city's Orthodox church. “We are from different churches, but we do good deeds together,” Orthodox activists say, working hand in hand with the Baptists. Such work shows that Baptists are actively working with the larger denominations to gain public trust. When you see Christian volunteers performing such a difficult and varied ministry, the words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn come to mind: "A village does not stand without a righteous man, neither our city, nor our country."

The land of Komi is not threatened with sterility of faith, because it was nourished by the sermons of Stephen of Perm and the blood of innocent martyrs. And she continues to nourish her work of faith and the work of love of dedicated Christians who extend a loving helping hand to their neighbors.