ITEM is a religious, charitable, educational, non-profit corporation serving in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe.  It is tax exempt and donor deductible.

ITEM assists denominations and local churches by offering pastoral training at no cost to nationals.  

ITEM sends professors to teach at local institutions at regular intervals to equip pastors, teachers, and laymen and women to accomplish their God-given callings. 

Our Mission:  to take God’s Truth to teach, train, and transform God’s leaders in Eastern Europe today and tomorrow.

Our Purpose:  to provide biblically-based Reformed teaching and training of national church leaders for service presently in the churches of Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe.

Our Philosophy:  believing that the most effective evangelism, discipleship, and church planting will be done by nationals in their own cultural context, we send pastors and professors to the students to minimize cost and to maximize learning opportunities in their own contexts near their families and ministries.

Looking for a Good    Investment?
  How about ITEM?
The Bible describes our giving in terms of investment, giving now for results later. For example, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Luke 12:33, 34 

(Or consider other passages such as Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38, Matthew 25:14-21, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 6:19-21, II Corinthians 9:6-11, or I Timothy 6:17-19)

Since we are stewards of all God’s resources, we will give an account to God for all He has given us.  We want to get the best return for our investment.  Here are five good reasons why you should invest in ITEM (International Theological Education Ministries).

Economical

With all ITEM’s efficiency and effectiveness, ITEM can provide a very economical education for students in other countries where income is lower than in America.  ITEM provides an economical opportunity for instructors to experience missions.  ITEM provides an economical mission agency for you to truly support.

Depending on the institution served and the number of students attending, ITEM delivers excellent theological education and ministry training at a very low dollar per student class hour.

Instructors can experience missions for one or two weeks for the cost of the air fare and miscellaneous room and board.

Donors can know that most of their gift goes to the mission field.

Efficient

Efficient – producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort.

ITEM operates efficiently by bringing the instructor to the students, not vice versa, as most educational institutions do. That saves travel, time, money, and family hardships.

ITEM uses instructors who receive their normal income from other sources such as their churches, where they pastor, their educational institutions where they teach, or even as they are retired. Hence they are not hired or paid by ITEM.

ITEM currently operates with a minimum of its funds going to administration, communication, or fund raising. That means that 38% of your giving actually goes to the training of students and the expansion of God’s kingdom. This percentage will increase even more as we add new fields.

Effective

Many international students that come to Christian colleges and seminaries in America often do not return home.  Attracted by an easier and more comfortable lifestyle here, they remain here though needed more in their native lands.

Instead ITEM sends the instructors to the field so the students can remain and minister in their own families, churches, and cultures.  These students, when trained,  will be more effective in their own countries when planting churches and spreading the gospel.

And given our schedules of one, two, and sometimes three week classes, students can return to their work to support their families and to their churches to share what they’ve learned.  They pass on God’s eternal truths effectively and immediately.

Expanding

The apostle Paul told Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men (and women) who will also be qualified to teach others also (II Timothy 2:2).”

ITEM helps expand God’s kingdom through discipling reliable men and women.

ITEM is truly a multiplying ministry, multiplying your gift in America to bring God’s truth to many students in other countries who then take what they have learned in the classroom to their homes, their churches, their culture, and to the world.

These leaders become pastors, evangelists, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, and disciple makers almost immediately as they eagerly transfer what they have learned in the weekday classes to their weekend destinations.

Eternal

ITEM sends instructors to train men and women in other countries such as the Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania in the eternal truths of God’s Word.

We teach these eternal truths from a Biblical reformed perspective.  We know God’s Word when accompanied by God’s Spirit brings eternal life and eternal transformation to individuals, churches, and whole cultures.

 

Picture: Our Ministry covers Central and Eastern Europe.
Click on map to visit our ministry field map.

Central Europe:

Christ for Latvia

Riga, Latvia
- since 1997, a biblical training center, now an accredited seminary. By special agreement ITEM provides faculty for the Department of Religion at Latvia State University. The Masters degree is recognized throughout the European Union community. Practical preparation of pastors, teachers and lay leaders also available.

Christ for Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania
- a biblical training center now affiliated with pedagogical institute and Latvia State University. ITEM provides faculty via Vilnius for Lithuania and Latvia - credentials/ diploma degrees will be recognized by the EU. Preparation of pastors, teachers andlay leaders is also available.

Christ for Poland

Warsaw, Poland
– seminary started in April 2004 with 20-25 students, founded by Monar Shaded. Soon to be the institution to partner with ITEM with regard to accredited Masters degree program.
Poznan, Poland
– ready to start their own school, This new work will hopefully begin soon with the most basic of subjects.
Wroclaw, Poland
– 10-15 students led by Revs. Tomic and Jarmulak, commencing conferences since June 2004, with seminary plans to start the first Reformed Study Institute/Seminary in Poland.

Christ for Romania

Campina, Romania
– since 1998, Pastor Ion Vasile/Maranatha Bible College, pastoral training center now undergoing expansion through the efforts of ITEM and Concord Presbyterian Church (Waterloo, IL, PCA).

Christ for Hungary

Budapest, Hungary
– since 1996, Pecel Bible school, now self-sustaining.

 

CIS:

Christ for Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine
– ITEM’s full-time missionaries to Ukraine Alister and Sarah Torrens, continuing new work which began in 2004 with 37 full-time students and full-time staff.
– Kiev Christian University has given Alister Torrens opportunities to teach theology at the university level in the faculty of theology.
– Kiev Regional Bible College has 20-30 students, eager and knowledgeable in Scripture, geared for ministry.
Odessa, Ukraine
– since 1998, seminary of emerging Reformed church. Rev. Rod Gorter - full-time missionary professor from 1996 through 2006.

Christ for Russia

Moscow, Russia
– small participation in the translation of Calvin’s “Institutes,” now completed, other works proposed.
St. Petersburg, Russia
– formerly ITEM partnering Society for Open Christianity, now seeking an opportunity to reestablish the work of their calling.