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Vladimir Pchelnikov - Valga, Estonia
Vladimir was only sixteen at the time, and had just recently been baptized. But the arrests left a vacancy in the church, and Vladimir was placed in leadership in the youth ministry, in which he continued for several years. He married Leana at age 20, and he and his wife began to feel uncomfortable with some of the legalistic tendencies of their church. It seemed inappropriate to them that the very people they were trying to reach were made to feel quite unwelcome in the church. There were a few other young couples who felt the same way, and these couples were led to leave, and begin a new church in Valga Estonia, the town in which they lived. The church was growing, and was also providing a ministry to elderly people in the community who were destitute. A German organization was providing funds for the compassion ministry, and purchased a building which the church began remodeling, to use as a church facility and a nursing home. After the remodeling was partially complete, and 12 elderly people were now living in the building, the German organization gave the leaders an ultimatum. They were told unless they closed the church, and devoted themselves to the nursing home ministry, the Germans would withdraw their funding. The leaders felt called of God to reach the young people of the community for Christ, and provide a welcoming environment for them. They would not close the church, so the Germans withdrew the funds. After a winter of hardship, the nursing home had to be closed, and the church moved out of the building to a smaller location, because they couldn’t afford to heat the building. The pastor of the church left Estonia to take a position in the United States. All seemed hopeless. But Vladimir and Lean would not give up. He became pastor of the church, and they moved back into the building, heating just one room with a space heater. The youth ministry continued to grow. Their family kept telling them they were foolish. Nearly all had left Estonia, and moved to America. They pleaded with them to abandon this nonsense, and come with them. “Don’t you want to live in a nice house, and drive a nice car?” But the Pchelnokovs were undeterred. They recently purchased a home in Valga, which they are restoring. This has quieted to criticism from their family, as it is evidence they are staying where they believe they are called. Their home has become a ministry center; they young people come at all hours of the day and night, and some live with them on occasion. Leana is gifted in hospitality, and cares for the young people, in addition to her three children, as if they were family. Vladimir has a love for the church, and a vision for raising up leaders that will be sent out throughout the land. He is training several young men to preach. They meet together after school during the week to discuss and research the topic to be addressed, and those being mentored take turns preaching on Sunday. The high school and college age ministry is thriving, as well as a children’s ministry. Vladimir received his training through the CP-21 ministry, and is an active supporter of the new CP-21 church planter training strategy. He has recruited a number of students for the training, will serve as their mentor, and he will host training in his church building in Valga. Though a quiet young man, he has a vision, and the passion and determination, to be greatly used of God to advance the cause of Christ in Estonia for many years to come. |
Vladimir Pchelnikov grew up in a large, Christian family. He speaks of his father in respectful tones, and admires the example he was to the family, especially through a time of persecution, when four men from their church went to prison for their faith.