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An interview with missionary educator Charley Warner of Barnabas International

In 1987 Charley Warner began his mission to the former USSR from his base in England. Since then he has served in various capacities as a professor at Odessa Theological Seminary (ECB) in Ukraine, a consultant and a trainer and encourager of missionaries. He serves the Euro-Asian Accrediting Association (EAAA) as international assistant to executive director, Sergei Sannikov. He is president of EAAA International in the US and Europe’s regional director for Barnabas. He and his wife, Cheryl, and their four daughters live in Vienna.

Q: How has EAAA grown in recent years? A: As one of the few interdenominational, nationally led evangelical organizations in the former Soviet Union, EAAA has grown rapidly since 1997. We now have more than 50 theological schools which are full members and six organizations which are associate members. Although it’s been hard for denominations to work together, EAAA has linked Baptists, Pentecostals, independents, Wesleyans, Lutherans and others. The majority of our newest members are Pentecostal schools.

Q: What’s the history of this strong denominationalism? A: It goes back to the Stalin era when all the Protestant churches were forced into one organization outside the Orthodox Church. With the fall of communism, these churches were eager to establish their own identities and go their own ways. They separated so quickly to such an extent that when Billy Graham came to Moscow in 1992, the 8,000 choir members were all Baptists. It’s remarkable now to see the possible formation of a Russian Evangelical Alliance.

Q: What’s the composition of the EAAA geographically? A: We have members from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Austria and Belarus.

Q: How severe is the “brain drain” of evangelical scholars to the West? A: Overall, it’s not too bad, considering the pressures these men face. Many of their families have left the former USSR for the US, Germany and Canada, so there is a strong emotional pull for them to join them when they complete their theological studies. Those who go on for master’s and doctoral work in the US learn to like our culture, and some of them stay too long, subsequently finding it difficult to readjust to their home culture when they return.

Q: What trends do you see in the roles of foreigners teaching in EAAA institutions? A: Well, of course, at first most faculty members came from outside, which was a necessity. Some schools still suffer from the idea that nationals are not qualified to teach. But I’m happy to report that most schools are adding national faculty. We cannot undersell the capabilities of these people. They come from a literate, well-educated population. They have founded their own evangelical theological society and are grappling with theological issues from their own perspectives, not ours. The other side of the coin is that relatively few Western missionaries last very long in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere. We lack veterans who are qualified to teach in these cultures.

Q: What types of programs are offered? A: At the five or six major schools the top-tier program for an accredited degree takes three or four years of study. Some of our members also offer a second level which offers pastors the chance to take shorter-term modular courses without leaving their homes and ministries. There is also a rapidly growing third level—church-based programs. This provides training for an even wider number of believers.

Q: How do their students finance their studies? A: Most of them need foreign sponsors, churches and agencies in the US, Europe, Korea and other countries that provide scholarships. This kind of outside support is increasingly hard to generate. Western donors are not as interested in theological education as they are in other kinds of mission work, and the excitement of the Soviet Union opening up has worn off. However, the Seventh-day Adventist school near Moscow bought a farm that generates income for the school. This is a great example of what could be done.

Q: What kind of government pressures do your schools face? A: It depends on the country. We have seen incidents in which an Orthodox priest or bishop has linked with local politicians, who then deny visas to foreign missionaries. The worst cases occur in the Central Asian republics, where a few local believers have been beaten and interrogated, and meetings broken up.

What is EAAA? The Euro-Asian Accrediting Association (EAAA) is a voluntary association of evangelical theological schools and organizations in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The EAAA, in addition to creating and administering academic standards, helps train personnel, translates textbooks, promotes national authors, and conducts research for the benefit of all its members and the church.