Rev. Quill says the belief that Christ is really present in the sacrament of Holy Communion is one of the main things that makes the Lutheran faith so attractive to many Russian people. This belief permeates and shapes our whole view of God and grace, our interpretation of Scripture, and our liturgical practice. Another part of Lutheran doctrine, according to Rev. Quill, that attracts Russian people is the fact that our beliefs are consistent with what was being preached in the Early Church. For many Russian people it is important that if Scripture is the truth, then it should speak with consistency to each generation. In the Lutheran church we preach the same message that has been preached by those who have gone before us.
Any group can go into Russia and claim to be a Bible church.
The Lutheran church is more than just a Bible church. We are a sacramental church which values its historical and theological continuity-its catholicity. After spending two weeks in Novosibirsk, eight men were chosen to study at the seminary. Representing a variety of locations throughout Russia, the men arrived in Fort Wayne during the fall of 1995. Housed in a dorm of their own on campus, the men began their studies Winter Quarter 1996.