Mitchell Persaud and I are still in recovery mode after a two-week teaching module at RITE in Donetsk. We arrived in the Ukraine on April 30, 2011 and departed on Friday afternoon, May 13. It was Mitchell’s second time teaching at RITE and my first. It was a humbling, gratifying, exciting, and sobering experience. I taught a course on the Belgic Confession and Mitchell taught Pastoral Counselling. While there we used every opportunity available to visit with the translators as well as with the students about their lives, training, and goals. We discussed with each other at length our perceptions of the blessings and needs of RITE as an organization and of its students individually, particularly the students nearing graduation.
 What follows are some of our reflections on what we saw and learned during our brief stay at Donetsk. Admittedly our perspective is an impression that is limited and lacks full appreciation for all that goes on at the seminary and among the churches there. But we trust that our thoughts will be useful in promoting support for RITE and for its students.
 We were impressed with how far RITE has come, now serving 30 students, and how mature in faith many of the senior students have become, especially in their theology. The Lord has blessed RITE with a beautiful facility and with two dedicated translators, Natasha and Yana, for whom working with RITE is much more than a job; it is a calling to promote the Gospel in the Ukraine by serving students in understanding the Gospel. Though we do not understand Russian it is evident that in their translating work they go the extra mile to be sure that the students understand the Reformed teaching that is being presented. Many kudos to Natasha and Yana! Seminary life appears to be well-structured, organized, and orderly. The classes meet from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm with a total of 8 40-minute sessions, separated by short breaks, and a 45-minute lunch break at 12:30. On Mondays classes begin a little later to allow the students to return by bus from their homes; on Fridays classes end early to allow students to return to their homes.
Administratively, we saw that Natasha carries a big load at the seminary. In addition to translation work in the classes, during break times, and on Sundays when the teachers preach, Natasha is in charge of discipline and staff, and takes care of teacher transportation and accommodation, student stipends, grading, guidance counselling, promotion, and probably many other aspects of the RITE ministry we did not see. In addition she spends much time conferring with the board members who live in North America. Although she does this willingly and without complaint, we believe that she needs more support. To begin with, her voice could use the assistance of a quality sound system in the larger of the two classrooms. More importantly, we think that RITE should employ an administrative assistant to help Natasha and Yana in the day-to-day operations of the seminary. Above all, it seems to us that with a student body of 26, a full-time Administrator and Dean of Students, preferably an ordained Reformed minister, is needed on-site. As the number of students increases, more of the work becomes pastoral in nature. The students could use a faithful undershepherd of Christ. For the seminary to continue to thrive and develop in effective ministry in the Ukraine we believe hiring such a person is essential and is a matter of some urgency. We believe that reviewing salaries for the translators would also be part of providing additional support.
A second area in which we noticed urgent need is in practical and applied theology. As he went through his Pastoral Counselling syllabus, Mitchell realized that most of the students have not come even to a preliminary grasp of how to apply the teachings of God’s Word to full-orbed Christian living, let alone having the ability to counsel others in holy living and thinking about living. They have very little knowledge about and experience in handling addictions, dealing with conflict in marriage and other relationships, family worship, and in witnessing to others. The course was very valuable for the students, but it ended up that Mitchell was counselling students than teaching the students how to counsel others. Harry discovered in the Applied Sermon section of the Belgic Confession course that the students are very weak in structuring, writing and delivering sermons. It seems to us that while the students are receiving a solid training in reformed theology, their need for extra training and shepherding in applied theology is critical.
 We observed a third area of need as well: the needs of students who have completed their studies and desire to serve the Lord as Reformed pastors. This area of need is a result of the Lord’s evident blessing upon the seminary. Many entered seminary as Baptists and Pentecostals and over 4 years of study have become persuaded by the Word and Spirit of Christ of the truth of the Reformed teaching. The problem is that their own churches are not willing to accept their teaching and preaching, and so they are left without any means of oversight and support. The seminary pays a stipend to the students while they are studying, but once they graduate their means of support is gone. Even those who do serve in churches have no salary. At this point there is no Reformed Church is Donetsk to sponsor and send these students out into the harvest field. We interviewed three upcoming Reformed graduates who have no idea how to proceed and how they will make a living after they graduate next month. One man, Ivan, goes from house to house in his community playing Gospel songs on his guitar and bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ. With a small group of believers he holds “house church†meetings every Lord’s Day. But he knows that this is not the proper way. He knows he needs a church to examine him, send him, and supervise his ministry. Another man, Eugene, is a leader in a Reformed Baptist church in Donetsk and often leads the worship services. His elders have let him know that His teachings about covenant and baptism are not welcome there and they will not be willing to ordain him as a pastor. He also has no network for support following his graduation next month. Both Ivan and Eugene have been praying that the Lord will provide for them and show them the way ahead. Some believe that since the seminary is the only Reformed institution around it should be involved in church planting and providing a structure for students like Ivan and Eugene to go forth into ministry. We believe that RITE has a responsibility to train students for the Church, but that it is the responsibility of the Church, not the seminary, to examine and call these men, supervise and sponsor them, and through their ministries to establish Reformed congregations. For the sake of the seminary staff and students, and especially for the sake of the spread of the Gospel in the Ukraine, it is strategically important for a Reformed church to be established first in Donetsk by the grace of God. This church would then become a launching pad for establishing Reformed congregations elsewhere. The greatest need right now is for churches to come from other places to send these students into the harvest field, support them in every way, and to plant Reformed churches.
 Who will do this? It is possible that there are Reformed churches in other parts of Ukraine who can take on this responsibility, we have not been able to do a thorough investigation. As churches in Canada and the United States who are involved in the work of RITE we should consider how we may be instruments of the Lord in doing church plants in Eastern Europe. Yes, it is a long ways away, but with men travelling regularly to Donetsk to teach at RITE this may provide a practical avenue to oversee pastors and mission works.
 We are thankful for the two weeks the Lord gave us with the seminary this month. Our faith was greatly encouraged to see the hand of the Lord at work in the students’ lives, and to witness the sacrifices they make out of love for the Lord and His Word. We are grateful also for the work of Dr. Van Lees, Merle Messer and the other board members of RITE who have done and do so much work to make this seminary a reality. Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to prosper the seminary and use it as the catalyst for the reformation of His church in the Ukraine and beyond.
 We realize that our suggestions, if considered, will cause an increase in the budget of RITE. We are going to work with churches and teachers in Southern Ontario who have visited Donetsk to promote the work there and raise awareness and support as the Lord gives us the ability. The fact that RITE now had charitable tax status is helpful toward this end.
 In Christ’s service,
 Mitchell Persaud, pastor of New Horizon Church (URC) in Scarborough, Ontario
Harry Zekveld, pastor of Providence URC in Strathroy, Ontario