Good News Training Center

In January 2003, shortly after the Moscow Good News Church was established, Rick and Denise began the Good News Training Center to train believers to fulfill their God-given callings with excellence. The first 81 students that year came from Moscow and all over Russia and beyond to train and become equipped to pioneer new works, to be sent to the nations of the world as missionaries, and to serve more effectively in their local church congregations.

The Good News Training Center (formerly called the Moscow Good News Seminary) began primarily to fill the demands for leadership in the new and rapidly growing Moscow church but still remains an integral part of the church today and plays an important role in expanding the Kingdom of God in the former USSR. In a region of the world closed to the Gospel less than 25 years ago, what better way to reach the multitudes than to raise up ministers and leaders so that they can in turn teach others?

The Renners graduated the first class in December 2004, and to date, more than 600 men and women of all ages and stations in life have completed studies. Where are our graduates now?

  • Many have become home-group leaders or serve in some capacity in the Moscow Good News Church.
  • Several are members of the MGNC pastoral staff.
  • Several are training-center/seminary instructors.
  • Many have returned to their own home churches and are integrally involved in leadership in those churches, in other ministry organizations, and in various social programs.
  • Many are missionaries, predominantly reaching the 12 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) — including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia.
  • Several have pioneered churches or assumed pastorates in the CIS and beyond.

In September 2006 and 2007, the training center opened satellite schools that have trained and graduated additional students. The Good News Training Center continues to train students in all facets of ministry in one- to five-year programs, but places a high emphasis on missionary and pastoral ministries.

The training center’s director explained: “We believe the greatest call today — a call that our training center must answer — is both to train and send out missionaries and pastors. We’re committed to providing Bible education and sound practical teaching, with our strongest desire and thrust leaning toward church planting and missions, both home and international.”

Training tomorrow’s leaders today, the Good News Training Center and satellite schools are a crucial part of the vision God gave the Renners years ago to “teach all nations,” strengthen the Church, and rescue those in need of God’s healing and delivering touch. Hundreds of believers have been trained as missionaries, pastors, and helps ministers after receiving this intensive ministry training and are doing their part to spread the Gospel throughout Russia and beyond.