In the late 1980s, during the fall of the Soviet Union, The United Methodist Church reestablished its work in Russia, reconnecting with a long tradition of missionary outreach to the nations of Russia which stretched back to the 19th century. In this new burst of evangelism, new churches have been created. Those churches now need effective and creative leadership.

In 1995 the United Methodist Church founded the Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary to meet the leadership needs of the growing church in post-Soviet Union Russia. With an average enrollment of 25 students, 24 seminary graduates are currently serving in the RUMC provisional annual conference. They now serve churches spread over Russia's 11 time zones.

On March 31, 1999, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation issued the seminary its Certificate of Registration. Thus the seminary is now an officially recognized legal entity in compliance with the new religion law.

This is a critical time in the history of United Methodism in Russia. As the Reverend Tobias Dietze, chairman of the Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary Board, has said, "The church keeps growing, so the number of pastors needed to serve our congregations is ever-increasing."

The Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary provides quality pastoral leadership to Russian Christians, many of whom are rediscovering their faith through the United Methodist Church. The seminary thus contributes to the goal of the United Methodist Church to assist in the spiritual renewal of Russia.

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