On Thursday, Jan. 8, three leaders from the Russian Baptist Union, headquartered in Moscow, arrived in South Carolina for a week long stay to learn about Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) which is the spiritual vision of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and also the Southern Baptist Convention.

After Dr. Carlisle Driggers, executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, presented EKG to the Russian Baptist Union directors this past summer, their leaders became so interested that they wanted to come to South Carolina, to learn more.

Russian Baptist Union President Yuri Sipko selected three of their leaders to make the trip. Fiodor Baraniuk, who is a Ph.D student at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tenn., served as the translator.  He also serves as the Sunday School Director and as the Director of International Relations for the Russian Baptist Union. Sergey Zolotarevsky, pastor of Central Baptist Church and one of the regional vice presidents of the Russian Baptist Union, and Victor Rayguzov in Moscow, another Russian Baptist Union vice president and pastor, also came to South Carolina.  Zolotarevsky has been appointed by President Sipko as the EKG director for the Russian Baptist Union.

“‘We want to meet and talk with pastors about what they are doing in the churches as far as EKG is concerned,’” Driggers said was the request of the Baptist Union leaders prior to coming to South Carolina.

During the visit, the leaders traveled around the state to meet individually with pastors from First Baptist Church Columbia, Lexington Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Pontiac, First Baptist Church Charleston, Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter, First Baptist Church Newberry and First Baptist Church Batesburg.  Also, on Monday, Jan. 12, Baranuik, Zolotarevsky and Rayguzov met at the convention building with a panel of eight pastors who have used Thy Kingdom Come, a futuring resource that the convention offers to help churches with Kingdom growth development.

The panel included Aubrey Calvert, pastor of Fairforest Church in Union; Wofford Caughman, pastor of Southside Church in Gaffney; Wayne Ellis, pastor of Screven Church in Georgetown; Randy Keasler, pastor of Westminster Church in Westminster; Tony Qualkinbush, pastor of First Baptist Church Central; Benjy Simmons, pastor of Fork Hill Church in Heath Springs; David Stanford, pastor of First Church Clover; and, Dearld Sterling, pastor of Wise Drive Church in Sumter.

Each of the pastors had different stories to share with the Russian visitors, but there seemed to be a common thread which emerged in that they all started the Thy Kingdom Come process with a prolonged emphasis on spiritual direction and prayer. 

Since he’s traveled to America some 15 times to visit churches, Zolotarevsky indicated that there are many programs available for churches to use to enhance spiritual and physical growth of the church body.  However, Zolotarevsky wanted to know why EKG (Empowering Kingdom Growth) was so important to the panelists.

Qualkinbush replied that he wanted his church to be Kingdom focused more than anything else. Keasler said, “EKG has a biblical basis rather than a business approach.”

“There is a difference in focus because in other programs it is often about church growth and selfishness,” Calvert said, “With EKG it’s about reaching people, some of whom may never benefit your church.”

After asking several other specific questions for individual panelists, Rayguzov made some closing remarks about the purpose of their visit.  “We’re not here trying to find an American model, but a biblical way that will work world-wide.  This is the first time that we have truly seen a biblical model and it is called Empowering Kingdom Growth.”

After visiting a few other churches, Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, and the South Carolina State Capitol, Baranuik, Zolotarevsky and Rayguzov were headed back to Russia.

For the Russian Baptist Union and the South Carolina Baptist Convention, this is apparently the beginning of a journey that will help to empower Kingdom growth in another part of the world.