Spring Break in Belarus
of Minsk, Belarus. Only 1 percent of the nation is
A new Baptist church is being built in a village west
Class credit for real-world experience
evangelical Christian, and the Baptist faith is
c
(Pictured in Background)
onsidered a “cult” by the government.
BY KELLEY M. ARNOLD DIRECTOR OF NEWS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION
BPC students stayed in school – well, almost. “School” may have been
Instead of taking a break from school during Spring Break 2007, four
almost 5,200 miles away
college-age students who wanted to learn “better English but who
After class ended for the day, BPC students also visited with other
These juniors and seniors attended a five-day
, but it was still school. weren’t saved”, said Dr
combined class session with students at Minsk Theological Seminary in
, seven-hour-a-day college in an English-as-a-second-language-course. Monday through
. Ostrander. These students were from another
Belarus.
W
Ostrander
The course, taught by BPC Religion & Philosophy chair, Dr. Hal females, would meet with BPC’
ednesday night about three or four of these students, mostly
students and the Belarusian seminary students a chance to not only earn
, as part of a college spring mission trip, gave both BPC McDonalds. One night, senior Becky Barnes, an early childhood
s group and go out to dinner – at
college credit (3 hours of credit for BPC students) but to learn valuable
education major
lessons and insight into dif
one of the young ladies.
, got the rare opportunity to share her testimony with
“As far as apologetics are concerned, these students will be better
fering world and Christian world views.
able to defend what they believe (from this course), but being able to
culture, was ‘Do you go to church?’
“One of the questions I asked her
She asked me if I meant Christian,
, in talking about her life and
utilize that in another nation with an altogether dif
which means Russian Orthodox to her
ours gives them a completely new
ferent world view than curious. She said that she went to the Baptist but only because she
, or Baptist. I said I was just
knowledge and experiential,” said Dr
, exciting experience. It’s both wanted to learn English. I didn’t ask her anymore about her faith
somewhere else and experiencing what they did, it will help them all the
. Ostrander. “Also, having been because I didn’t want to press her
more here in their life’
more times.”
, but she brought up my faith two
During the day
s work, whether that’s ministry or something else.”
dif
In the end, Barnes was asked by the young woman to explain the
together on class assignments in mixed groups with interpreters.
, the Russian and English-speaking students worked
also challenged each other in debates about aspects of their faith.
They of the country
ference between Barnes’
Other course requirements were to write two book reviews, keep a
her class experience to a real-life test.
, as Russian Orthodox, believe. Essentially
faith and what her peers, and 99 percent
, Barnes put
journal and take a final exam on Friday
“The camaraderie that developed by the end of the week between
, the last day of class. said Barnes. “And I answered her
“That shows you God was working. She kept asking me questions,”
the Belarusians and our students was pretty remarkable,” said Dr
get her a Bible, but she said no in the end.”
. I did ask her if she would like me to
Ostrander. “They connected as brothers and sisters in Christ; it was a
.
unique experience. It makes you realize there is this universal body of
and her career plans. She decided “just after this trip” to pursue an
The experience on this trip has encouraged Barnes in both her faith
Christ. Wherever you go in the world, God has his people there.”
international church planting master
eventually return to Belarus to serve in their small evangelical
’s degree in seminary, and
as a “cult”, grouping it together with the Mormon and Jehovah W
In Belarus, the government tolerates the Baptist faith but thinks of it Christian community.
movements, explains Dr. Ostrander.
itness
is the only evangelical Christian seminary in the nation of Belarus, and
The Minsk Theological Seminary studies major and pastor of Blockhouse Baptist Church in Jacksonville,
Other students attending the course/trip were senior Christian
it has been “sanctioned” by the government as “safe”.
Ga., W
describes the experience as “the best week of her life.”
illiam Kilpatrick; and, junior ministry major Kimberly Kline, who
tool to “enable the people there with answers to defend their faith when
Senior Kasey Lewis saw the class experience as a needed witnessing
nonbelievers presented questions or doubts to them.”
Ostrander at (912) 583-31
To learn more about the annual mission/course trip, contact Dr
16 or e-mail him at hostrander@bpc.edu.
.
BPC students and English-as-a-second-language students, who were
also nonbelievers, visited with each other to share cultural experiences
while enjoying an
Kasey Lewis, back row; Becky Barnes and W
American transplant, McDonalds. BPC students are
fourth from left in the middle row; and Kimberly Kline, front.
illiam Kilpatrick, third and
r
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i
g
i
o
n

&

p
h
i
l
o
s
o
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y
William Kilpatrick, far left, leads a debate with his
Belarusian classmates during the
“Jesus saves” in English and Russian are projected onto
PHOTOS BY DR. HAL OSTRANDER
course taught by Dr
Apologetics Practicum a screen used in a contemporary worship-style service in
Seminary.
. Hal Ostrander at Minsk Theological Minsk, Belarus.
Name:
Major:
Chris Mitchell
Age: 24
Christianity
Hometown:
How has BPC prepared you for the future?
School Involvement/organizations:
Fitzgerald, Ga.
Association, Baptist Collegiate Ministries
Ministerial
BPC has prepared me through writing papers for
graduate work and has helped me to relate better to
Plans after Graduation:
others. It has actively encouraged me to live out the
Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky
To attend the Southern
.
principles I have learned.
several missions trips I have been on to Fort Ogden,
Best Memory: My best memories come from the
INFORMA
BY HAYLEY
TION, ST
M. BOISSEAU (’08)/NEWS
AFF WRITER
AND PUBLIC
2
Fla., Pascagoula, Miss. and Nicaragua.
THE LAMP SPRING 2007
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