By Bishop Ivan Laptev
The premises of St. John the Baptist Congregation at Bolshaya Konyushennaya 4-6-8, St. Petersburg, are under renovation. This will be the permanent working space of the secretary and human resources manager, the accountants, the lawyer, the property manager, the Central Office manager, and – on a co-working basis – the Information, Diaconal, and Fundraising Departments.
The Mission Department is located in St. Anne’s Church (Annenkirche), St. Petersburg. The Children & Youth Department is located in Koltushi near St. Petersburg. The Bishop and the Int’l Relations Secretary continue to work in the Bishop’s office. All of the co-workers gather for a joint meeting every Wednesday.
Thus, we have our own “Lutheran quarter” in one courtyard: St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Bishop’s office, the space of the Central Office and St. John the Baptist Congregation, the Ubezhishche Diaconal Center, and the Center for Apologetic Research. The former Central Office space will house a German meeting center.
Photo credits: Olga Ryumina