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St. Petersburg Christian University in St. Petersburg, Russia will be moving to its new site in January 2000. In March 1999, the Board of Directors for the university approved the purchase of two buildings in an older residential area of the city with good transportation connections.
The purchase price of the two buildings is $450,000 US.
The two buildings were once used as a kindergarten. The first building will be the teaching/administration centre with classrooms and a library. It has two floors with a total of 1,600 sq. ft., and is in good condition with heating, electricity and water connections. It is to be ready for use by January 2000.
The other building also has two floors and the same square footage as the first building. It, however, is only a shell, and needs windows, doors, a heating system, plumbing, electrical wiring and some reconstruction of interior walls. The frame is concrete and brick. It will be used as a dormitory for approximately 144 single students and eight families. It is to be ready for use by January 2001.
The property is owned by the government, and is based on a 49-year leasing arrangement.
LOGOS Canada and 9 other international missionary organizations support SPCU. LOGOS also supports its graduates and sends containers of food and clothing to St. Petersburg and Siberia.
Already, $350,000 has been raised by the July 98 Building Fund Drive, with LOGOS contributing $160,000. Renovations on the two buildings is estimated at $550,000. Current new building costs in St. Petersburg are $450 per sq. metre. By comparison, total costs of purchase and renovations will be approximately $300 per sq. metre. All funds raised for this project are over and above the funds needed for the university's annual operation.
SPCU has a residential Bible college/seminary program, offering a four-year bachelor of theology degrees and a teacher training certificate for church workers. Since 1990, there have been 108 B.Th. and 136 certificate graduates. There are 107 residential students from eight Former Soviet Union countries. Sixty missionary couples, former students of SPCU, are involved in mission work all over the FSU. Sponsoring a full-time missionary/church planter costs $2500 Cdn per year.
Recently, SPCU was accepted as a full member of the Association of Independent Organizations for Higher Education, was given full accreditation by the Euro-Asian Accrediting Association, and was approved as an affiliated member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. In August, SPCU will begin to offer a master of theology degree in biblical studies for Russian nationals in Russian. Russian graduate students will now be able to stay in Russia instead of having to travel abroad to complete their graduate studies.--LOGOS Canada release
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