Title Unknown – Landscape
The men of Men’s Prison #2, Ekaterinburg, Russia
In Honor of the relationship between PHUMC and Return to Christ United Methodist Church and the adjoining Men’s Prison #2, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Given by Return to Christ UMC Pastor Elena Stepanova and the Men of the prison.
In 1993 the PHUMC/Russia Ministry initiative was further developed by the efforts of Rev. Vic Nixon, Rev. Betsy Singleton (Snyder), and Wes Smelley. In 1995, lay pastor Elena Stepanova of Return to Christ United Methodist Church in Ekaterinburg, Russia, visited PHUMC for the first time. And later that year, the PHUMC Administrative Board approved becoming a partner church to the Russian church. A PHUMC mission team visited the Return to Christ UMC in 1997. A film crew led by PHUMC member Jack Hill documented the trip resulting in a 30-minute program revealing various ministries of the Russian church including the baptism of 48 prisoners in a prison adjoining the church. A lasting relationship between members and pastors of both PHUMC and the Return of Christ UMC was established in the 1990’s.