A Letter from Our Presidents
John
Cloud
James
KnappDear
Web Browser,
On behalf of the Miami Valley Episcopal Russian Network (MVERN), we
would like to thank you for visiting our new website where you will
learn about our many accomplishments. In 1997 several Episcopal
churches in Dayton, Ohio, entered into a parish partnership with St.
Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, which is located in the village of
Sablino, Russia, approximately 30 miles south of St. Petersburg. Since
that time the consortium has grown to include 13 churches, including 11
Episcopal churches and 2 Orthodox parishes in southwest Ohio.
For the past 12 years MVERN has actively supported the extensive
outreach ministries of Father Nikolai Aksenov, rector of St. Nicholas,
including an orphanage, a hospital, a large women’s prison,
and a school for developmentally disabled children. With financial help
from MVERN, the church has been enlarged twice to accommodate the
rapidly growing congregation, and a chapel was built in the center of
Sablino. Now, the focus of MVERN’s mission is the support of
the new Sablino Youth Center in addition to the continuation of
cultural exchanges for both youth and adults.
The Youth Center was established by Father Nikolai in 2003 for the
purpose of diverting Sablino youth of all ages from getting involved
with drugs, alcohol, etc. as often befalls Russian youth in small
villages and has been hugely successful in that endeavor. MVERN has
supported the operating budget of an after-school program for
approximately 60-75 Russian youth in addition to a summer program for
30 youth. The success of the Youth Center also has been a source of
great pride for our American youth who have worked there during the
last three Youth Mission Trips. Their hard work has contributed
mightily to the impressive structure that the Youth Center has become
(as you can see from the photographs on this website). MVERN is pleased
to have learned recently from Father Nikolai that the Youth Center now
has evolved into a broader based community center where both the youth
and adults of Sablino learn crafts and which also hosts community
functions such as an annual art festival.
We hope you enjoy
visiting our website. Please visit it often for frequent updates. If
you wish to learn more about MVERN, please use the contact link
provided in the website to contact us. We will be happy to answer any
questions which you may have.
Sincerely,
| |
|
| James Knapp |
John Cloud |
| President 2009- |
President 2006-2009 |
MVERN is a non-profit,
tax-exempt organization
