"The "Mission Centre" in Usatovo (suburban Odessa) is a multi-purpose facility. We often simplify by calling it "the seminary," but in fact it will house the seminary, a student dormitory, an apartment for visiting Canadian professors, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Ukraine's synodical headquarters, an employment program in computer training for handicapped people, and a storage depot for humanitarian aid shipments. It is well located, solid, and impressive. However, significant work needs to be done to qualify it for an occupancy permit. I toured all parts of this building and asked for an estimate of how much funding is needed to complete it. SELCU's convention discussed the matter in detail and believes that $80,000 (which would translate into $100,000 Canadian) is realistic. I have no reason to doubt that figure.

"Ukraine is currently affected by the international economic turmoil, and even prior to that was beset with runaway inflation. About $200,000 (US) has been spent to bring the project to its current stage, and so it has not been overly expensive.

"I do not know how the remainder of the needed funding will be raised, but the incomplete state of this building is hampering many things: Because the seminary has no current home, it seems impossible to plan future classes; the Odessa congregation cannot move forward on some suggestions to relocate to the new building; the employment program for the handicapped remains only a dream. While there is significant willingness on the part of congregation members in Ukraine to contribute man-hours to doing the work, funding for the materials and needed municipal gas hook-up will surely need to come from outside. I do hope that LCC churches and people will find ways to help.

"In terms of the seminary program, SELCU's Synod convention is targeting September, 2010, as a time when the building will be finished enough to be occupied, and as the date for resuming pastoral training with a new group of men....The Synod convention asked each parish pastor to work and pray toward the goal of recruiting at least one seminarian by the target date of September, 2010."

The Rev. Robert Bugbee, President, Lutheran Chruch-Canada, who returned on January 17th, from a seventeen day visit with leaders and congregations of SELCU - the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Ukraine - had filed this report with Concordia Lutheran Mission Society in preparation for their annual Board of Directors' meeting.

Among its fourteen 2009 Mission Projects, CLMS has adopted two projects totalling $40,000 to assist in completing the Seminary/Mission Centre.

For more information see 2009 Mission Projects: 0901 and 0908.