Adventist Education in the ESD: Preserving Identity and Fulfilling the Mission

The territory of the Euro-Asia Division (ESD) of Seventh-day Adventists is vast. It encompasses 12 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It serves 300 million people from various ethnic groups and world religions, helping them find peace and hope.¹ However, the past five years have been particularly difficult. Military actions divided the church and became a huge obstacle to its development. This is a time of great loss, grief, and reconstruction of the ESD church organization. Six of the 12 countries have had military clashes.

Despite the difficulties, the Adventist Church in ESD has been paying great attention to the development of Adventist education and has supported the opening of 12 new schools and the acquisition of new buildings. By maintaining our identity, we become effective in accomplishing our mission.

The following objectives have guided and will continue to guide Adventist education in ESD²:

1. Provide legal support and representation for existing educational institutions.
2. Create a certification program for teachers.
3. Establish the pedagogical faculty at Zaoksky Adventist University.
4. Begin the process of accrediting educational institutions.
5. Find and train new teachers for our educational institutions.
6. Purchase buildings for existing schools.
7. Publish textbooks for the chaplaincy ministry in Adventist schools.

One challenge was equipping the teaching staff at our educational institutions. To preserve our identity, we launched a certification program that helps educators better understand the philosophy of Adventist education. This is especially important for teachers who work in Adventist schools in the ESD but do not yet share the views of the church.

In 2021, 60 percent of the teachers in ESD schools were non-Adventists.³ This presented a very serious challenge for the church. Thanks to the establishment of the faculty of pedagogy at Zaosky Adventist University and the response of many church members, we are beginning to see positive trends. Currently, in early 2025, 61 percent of teachers in the division are Adventists and 39 percent are non–Adventists. Thank God for such progress. We are also pleased that the unions are holding conferences for teachers.

An important event supported by the General Conference Department of Education is the Scientific Conference of Directors of Educational Institutions in our division, which is held each January. These meetings enable principals to better understand existing problems and find ways to solve them, communicate with those who face the same difficulties, and hear scientific reports.

The main achievements of recent years in ESD have been the work of the accreditation commission and visits to schools. Over the past several years, 70 percent of our educational institutions have prepared reports on their activities and received Adventist accreditation. Accreditation is an essential part of all stakeholders’ understanding of mission and forming a development strategy.

With support from the General Conference, sponsors, and church organizations, new school buildings have been purchased and are now being used as elementary schools in Sakhalin Island (Russia’s largest island) and in Hincesti, Republic of Moldova. Schools in Siberia, Novosibirsk, and Abakan have also acquired buildings for their activities and are growing rapidly. We are glad to report that Adventist education is experiencing such dynamic growth that there is no space for new applicants in any of the acquired buildings. The Adventist school in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan, has 15 Adventists and 490 Muslims studying there.⁴ The school is overcrowded and can no longer accommodate those who wish to enroll. A new building was purchased in the territory of the Caucasus in Aksai. The acquisition of a new building in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the start of construction of a new elementary school in the village of Zaoksky on the university campus brought great joy and celebration.

We thank God for Zaoksky Adventist University, which is the hallmark of Protestant education in the Russian Federation. Its students are actively involved in society as volunteers, and they help many people learn more about a loving God. The faculty of pedagogy trains new personnel for Adventist schools, and the faculty of theology trains new pastors. The university's branch in Kyrgyzstan, Tokmok, also trains pastors to serve in Muslim countries.

Our Adventist education family is growing! Currently, 550 teachers serve in 27 Adventist primary schools and 17 secondary schools, and almost 3,000 students study at the only Adventist university in the ESD.⁵ We thank God for this dynamic growth, and we continue to work for His glory!

Roman Kysakov

Roman Kysakov, PhD, is the Director of Education for the Euro-Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists, headquartered in Moscow, Russian Federation. He also serves as a consultant on The Journal of Adventist Education^® Advisory Board.