Because foreign teachers who staffed these programs stayed only for short periods and could not speak Russian, they were unable to develop close relationships that would have contributed to the students' character development. Law says that many values accepted by Russian Christians today are unbiblical, and Christian character traits, such as integrity, must be taught. Lying and cheating, for example, are common problems seen by teachers at many Russian institutions. Those leading them have not been transformed spiritually. They have knowledge, but their characters haven't changed.
Law sees character development as a critical part of developing tomorrow's church leaders.
There are good leaders in the Russian church, but also many who lack credibility and dependability, he says. While learned Russian theological teachers who can relate closely to the students in their native tongue are needed, the Russian church is still not ready to train teachers fully without outside help. One proposal involves teams of teacher trainers in the West working closely with about 25 Russian men and women who have potential to teach. Then those trained nationals would work with another 25 potential Russian teachers, and the numbers would multiply. Training national teachers in this way would require up to three years of working with them full-time.