THE STORY
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On Thanksgiving Day, 1998, the 100-year-old Reformed church was returned by the Ukrainian government to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Odessa. The church community had been disbanded and the building was taken in Communist times, converted to a puppet theater, then abandoned. It needed serious repair. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Odessa was founded in 1994. In just 5 years, this work produced its own leadership, grew to an average attendance of 100 and expanded to 5 other cities. This has become a sending center for church-planters to Ukraine, Russia, and beyond. The building will give them a home. It is located in the center of Odessa, visible and accessible from the university, city park, and the main streets of town. The Pastera Street building is listed on the National Register of Ukraine, having won the architectural award at the turn of the century. V. A. Shreter was the architect, and other famous architects were consulted so that the style is similar to Odessa's opera house and philharmonic hall. The building was built in 1898. Floor space: 1343 sq. meters (about 13,000 sq. feet) |