Distance Learning Program
Igor Petrov
Vitaliy’s older brother, Igor, was also called by God to leave Russia and travel to the US to study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. After receiving his PhD in Education, he also returned to Russia to translate the courses he recorded and to assist Vitaliy in the running of the college in Russia.
While in the U.S., Igor caught the vision for Distance Learning and facilitated the vision by recording three courses:
- Ethics, by Dr. John Feinberg
- The Problem of Suffering and Evil, by Dr. John Feinberg
- Introduction to Christian Doctrine, by Dr. Graham Cole
Kevin & Sharon Koskela
Kevin & Sharon are members of Twain Harte Evangelical Free Church in Twain Harte, CA, where Kevin serves as Chairman of the Elders and Sharon on the missions committee. Twain Harte EFC has been involved in the ministry of Trinity Video Seminary for years, sending their former pastor (now retired) to Russia twice to teach at the residential college. Kevin & Sharon were early supporters of the college and became more excited about the possibilities as the college moved to the Distance Learning paradigm.
To make a long "God story" short, in the summer of 2008 they were invited by Jim and Lois to participate in a vision trip to Russia. During their trip in October, they were privileged to meet with various members of the TVS staff, hear about their roles, and how God is using them and the Distance Learning courses to train pastors and lay leaders – and equip and multiply them as they spread the news of Jesus Christ throughout the Russian speaking world. They saw first-hand how God is doing a mighty work and hundreds of pastors and other church leaders are literally clamoring for additional teaching materials.
Seeing God at work there so clearly, the Koskela’s have started the steps to joining TVS and the McNeill’s in their work. It is their desire to partner bi-vocationally and on a volunteer basis to assist the ministry in three distinct ways:
- Become U.S. based advocates of Distance Learning – traveling to churches and meeting with individuals and encouraging their prayer and financial support of the program;
- Creating and maintaining a U.S. based website where people can go to learn more about the Distance Learning program, be able to review and download materials, and make donations;
- Assist with the Russian website, particularly in the area of taking Paypal payments on the website so users can purchase and download the Distance Learning courses.
If you would like to schedule a church, small group, or individual meeting, please email info@russiadistancelearning.com
Key Personnel
Vitaliy Petrov
God called Vitaliy to leave Russia to continue his Biblical education. He received his Master’s of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL, then returned to Russia to carry out the vision of Distance Learning God had given him.
Vitaliy is a fourth-generation Russian believer. His great-grandparents and grandparents died for their faith in Siberian prisons and gulags in Kazahstan. His father was a pastor who suffered and survived persecution for his faith. Vitaliy wants to make sure that the wonderful privilege of Bible education can be made available to all Russians, as well as Russian speaking people throughout the world, and that it can not be stopped by any future political regime.
 of Vitaliy and Jim small.jpg)
In 2006, Jim “passed the baton” of Directorship to Vitaliy Petrov, a Russian pastor with an equal passion for teaching God’s Word in Russia.
Vitaliy currently leads the program from Russia.
Jim & Lois McNeill
In 1995, Jim and Lois McNeil established “extension training” for nearly 200 pastors and church leaders. Then in 1998, they founded the Trinity Bible College in a city in Central Russia which graduated it’s 10th class in 2008 and over 140 students to date.
Jim retired in January 2009 due to health reasons, but continues to guide, mentor and encourage those who continue to lead the ministry.
In addition to refining the strategy for distribution and facilitation of the Distance Learning Evangelism Training courses, Lois continues to work with Vitaliy and the Department of Transformation (formally the Evangelism Department) on developing and implementing various strategies for connecting with and serving unbelievers who become interested in spiritual things through the DL courses. They are also developing a strategy for “Follow-up” of new believers who come to us from “Video-land”. She also has two courses in the Evangelism Training series remaining to be recorded.
Lois is also involved in several other ministries, primarily in a mentoring role. These include Evangelism, the Bookstore and the Gypsy Ministry.
She is also building a team of Advocates – volunteers who have been to Russia and observed and been informed of many dimensions of the Distance Learning program. These people will travel (in place of Jim & Lois) to various places to meet with churches, small groups, and individuals to make presentations and answer questions about Distance Learning. Kevin and Sharon Koskela are the first couple to be a part of this group – see their story to the left. In addition, they will be leading vision teams to Russia so people can see for themselves what God is doing through Distance Learning.