November 2, 2005
Dear Friend in Christ,
I write with exciting news and an important request. I recently
returned from the inaugural meeting of the Russia Mission Network,
the newest network of Presbyterian individuals and congregations
engaged in ministry with our Russian Orthodox, Baptist, and Lutheran
partners.
Led by the Holy Spirit, our meeting at Peachtree Presbyterian
Church in Atlanta laid the groundwork for improved connections
via an e-group, a Web page, and shared resources on our “best
practices” of partnering in Russia and Belarus.
It was an exciting event, but only one of several key points
of my ministry in 2005.
- In February, I participated with members of Salem Presbytery
in a first-ever forum in Minsk, Belarus, between Orthodox and
Presbyterian leaders. Each side sought to teach the other about
aspects of its history and tradition and to lay the foundation
for shared events in the future.
- In continuing response to the 2004 tragedy in Beslan, we found
new ways to lessen the pain and suffering of victims and surviving
families. Ellen and Al Smith, working with the Orthodox Church,
secured additional medical equipment for hospitals in the region.
Donald and Laurie Marsden, working with the Baptist Union, are
sponsoring additional seminars for those who work with children
following trauma.
- Throughout the year, I lifted up the emotional and spiritual
needs of several of our mission co-workers in Russia affected
by personal loss or medical crisis. By focusing the energy of
Worldwide Ministries staff in Louisville on these special cases,
assistance flowed more swiftly to our colleagues.
- In response to a special request from Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance, I led a team on the Mississippi Gulf Coast organizing
the setup of volunteer camps in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Camps in four separate locations house folks who remove debris,
clean churches and houses, feed people, and reduce the suffering
of those most affected by the hurricane.
In these major ways and in hundreds of phone calls and emails,
I served as a “bridge” between our church partners
and mission personnel and all the folks who are engaged in mission
in my region: individuals, congregations, presbyteries, synods,
the staff in Louisville, and mission support groups. With each
trip, I meet with Christian leaders in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
or Poland and refine ways in which our Presbyterian Church may
“come alongside” as they continue to rebuild their
churches in this new era.
To continue my ministry in 2006, I ask for your continued prayers
and your financial support. The Office of the Middle East and
Europe can no longer provide the funds for my travel and expenses
while in the former communist states. The budget crisis of Worldwide
Ministries Division has only deepened in the last few months.
If I am to continue to travel twice annually to visit our partners,
our mission personnel, and to refine our joint programs together,
I need your help.
I write to ask if you will help enable my future service as a
regional liaison. A one-time or an annual gift from you or your
congregation can help our relationships as brothers and sisters
in Christ continue to grow. Here are some examples of what your
financial support can do:
$25 will purchase a day’s meals in Moscow or St. Petersburg
as I meet with our partners, visit churches, schools, and orphanages,
and connect with our mission workers.
- $50 will pay for two nights lodging at the Agora Center in
St. Petersburg as I visit Orthodox and Lutheran leaders and
seminaries to discuss ongoing shared projects.
- $75 buys a ticket on the “night train” between
Moscow and St. Petersburg allowing me to arrive in the new city
and start work as the city awakes.
- $100 helps me fly to Perm, Russia, to visit Jeff Koning of
Atlanta and the three orphanages where his ministry is focused.
- $250 will purchase visas from the embassies of Russia or Belarus
essential for visits to partners in these countries. .
- $500 will pay for 1/3 of an airline ticket for my twice annual
visits. Each visit is always to at least two countries (for
example: Russia and Belarus or Russia and Ukraine) and always
includes time with each of our missionaries in their home and
at their church, school, or seminary.
Should you feel that you or your congregation can support my
ministry, the addresses are listed below. Write “Regional
Liaison for Russia - ECO #051663” both on the subject line
of the check and on your cover letter or note.
Contributions from individuals may be sent to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Contributions from congregations may be sent to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Church Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643678
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678
Or click the "give" button below.
Times have changed. When my mission service began in 1999, the
national church could pay for my work with partners abroad. No
more. I humbly thank you for your prayers and for considering
my request for support.
May the peace of Christ be with you,
Gary Payton
Regional Liaison for Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
179, 187 |
