The Rostov Base began when Larry and Elsie Dannhauer responded to God's call and moved to Rostov-on-Don on September 3, 1994. Their vision was to pioneer a YWAM training base in the city and to plant churches in the outlying areas. One that was particularly strong on their hearts from the very beginning was the Doukabour village of Hlebadarnea. Elsie's ancestors, who were part of this religious group, had immigrated to Canada over 100 years ago and now she had returned to minister to her own people.
Larry and Elsie are Canadians and had also ministered for five years in India and pioneered a YWAM Base in Bangalore. Once in Rostov, they spent the first few months working with the various churches in the city, building relationships with pastors and believers. They helped the local churches by preaching, leading prayer and Bible study groups and holding English classes.
By the end of 1994, the first two staff, Bill and Carrie Soukoreff, joined the pioneer work. Then in April 1996 Richard and Ramona Dannhauer came to Rostov with their two children. They both finished a DTS, SOFM, and Ramona finished SBS here at the YWAM Rostov base.
The first Discipleship Training School (DTS) began in June 1995 with 17 students and 6 staff; two Ukrainians and four Canadians. The first school did their outreach in Kalmykia, the only European Buddhist people group, and one of the teams were able to plant a church in the city of Yashalta. Since then, we have run twelve DTS's and the outreaches have taken us into various locations in the Caucasus, Siberia, Tatarstan, Ukraine, and into many other cities and villages of Russia.
In April 1997 Russia's first School of Frontier Missions (SOFM) was held in Rostov-on-Don, and its outreaches were able to plant two more village churches plus send workers to Dagestan. Now a total of five schools have been completed and the work is continuing to progress among the Caucasus peoples.
October 1998, we also held Russia's first School of Biblical Studies (SBS) at our base with 20 students from Russia, South Africa, USA, Romania and Canada. Julian Spriggs from England came to lead this school together with his staff, which came in from USA, Germany and the one Russian girl that we sent for training to Kings Lodge in England the previous year. The school is now in progress with our own staff.
In April 2001 we were able to purchase a facility near the center of Rostov and renovations are in progress. We are very excited for this opportunity to have all our schools and ministry in a central location, which also gives us the potential for growth and freedom to build on our own land.
In January of 2003, after completing a Leadership Training School in Kiev, Ukraine, our then base directors, Larry and Elsie, were denied visas to return to Russia. From that time, they gave the leadership responsibilities over to their son Richard and his wife Ramona.
Relationships have been built with pastors and congregations in many local churches and many of the YWAM Rostov staff are preaching and teaching regularly. We also have a King's Kids ministry that trains Christian children and youth to reach their own generation.
In all of our educational activity we present a Biblical worldview of the character and nature of God and His relationship to individuals, cultures, and all of creation. We train and disciple people through a variety of methods including schools and seminars, evangelism, church planting, and children's ministries. Our desire is to encourage and equip Christian leaders, and to invest God's principles in new generations and in those called to missions.
(Updated May 2003)
Larry and Elsie are Canadians and had also ministered for five years in India and pioneered a YWAM Base in Bangalore. Once in Rostov, they spent the first few months working with the various churches in the city, building relationships with pastors and believers. They helped the local churches by preaching, leading prayer and Bible study groups and holding English classes.
By the end of 1994, the first two staff, Bill and Carrie Soukoreff, joined the pioneer work. Then in April 1996 Richard and Ramona Dannhauer came to Rostov with their two children. They both finished a DTS, SOFM, and Ramona finished SBS here at the YWAM Rostov base.
The first Discipleship Training School (DTS) began in June 1995 with 17 students and 6 staff; two Ukrainians and four Canadians. The first school did their outreach in Kalmykia, the only European Buddhist people group, and one of the teams were able to plant a church in the city of Yashalta. Since then, we have run twelve DTS's and the outreaches have taken us into various locations in the Caucasus, Siberia, Tatarstan, Ukraine, and into many other cities and villages of Russia.
In April 1997 Russia's first School of Frontier Missions (SOFM) was held in Rostov-on-Don, and its outreaches were able to plant two more village churches plus send workers to Dagestan. Now a total of five schools have been completed and the work is continuing to progress among the Caucasus peoples.
October 1998, we also held Russia's first School of Biblical Studies (SBS) at our base with 20 students from Russia, South Africa, USA, Romania and Canada. Julian Spriggs from England came to lead this school together with his staff, which came in from USA, Germany and the one Russian girl that we sent for training to Kings Lodge in England the previous year. The school is now in progress with our own staff.
In April 2001 we were able to purchase a facility near the center of Rostov and renovations are in progress. We are very excited for this opportunity to have all our schools and ministry in a central location, which also gives us the potential for growth and freedom to build on our own land.
In January of 2003, after completing a Leadership Training School in Kiev, Ukraine, our then base directors, Larry and Elsie, were denied visas to return to Russia. From that time, they gave the leadership responsibilities over to their son Richard and his wife Ramona.
Relationships have been built with pastors and congregations in many local churches and many of the YWAM Rostov staff are preaching and teaching regularly. We also have a King's Kids ministry that trains Christian children and youth to reach their own generation.
In all of our educational activity we present a Biblical worldview of the character and nature of God and His relationship to individuals, cultures, and all of creation. We train and disciple people through a variety of methods including schools and seminars, evangelism, church planting, and children's ministries. Our desire is to encourage and equip Christian leaders, and to invest God's principles in new generations and in those called to missions.
(Updated May 2003)