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That's the extraordinary transition that Mikhail Morgulis has made

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (ANS) -- Mikhail Morgulis, a Ukrainian native who is now president of Christian Bridge International (CBI), has had an extraordinary life. He was once a member of the Young Communist League and is now leading a movement called Spiritual Diplomacy, where is able to share about Jesus Christ with world leaders.

Mikhail Morgulis in Seoul, South Korea

Morgulis is a well-known writer in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and throughout the countries of the former USSR. While still living in the Soviet Union, he was awarded the First Prize in Literature by the communist government in 1972. He underwent a spiritual transformation to become a prominent Christian leader who in 1987 was the first to broadcast Christian programs on state-owned radio stations inside the USSR.

Prior to that his message was heard on many Christian radio programs in the world, and millions of believers and nonbelievers in the former Soviet Union are familiar with his voice.

In 1991, he led a delegation of well-known American Christians to Moscow to visit the Supreme Soviet (Parliament), the Council of Ministers, the KGB and the Kremlin. There, for the first time in history, Morgulis prayed in front of KGB generals and other senior officers. In the Kremlin, where the delegation was received by Mikhail Gorbachev, he also prayed, and President Gorbachev prayed with him.

Mikhail Morgulis enters into worship in Seoul, Korea

With help from friends, Morgulis has published hundreds titles of Christian books in Russian. He is well connected with numerous notable people in government and business in America and Russia not to mention his connections within the Christian world. He has helped American Christian businessmen make important connections in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other Eastern-bloc countries. He has also spearheaded humanitarian efforts for those in need in the region such as orphans, the homeless, the children of imprisoned women in Mozhaisk, families of the Kursk tragedy and, more recently, families that lost their children in the Beslan terrorist attack, to mention only a few.

I met up with this thoroughly likable dynamo of a man recently in Seoul, South Korea, at the Manmin Joong-ang church's 24th anniversary celebrations and the first anniversary of the Global Christian Network and he agreed to talk about his life and ministry.

Morgulis began explaining his background back in Ukraine.

"My father was one of the leaders of the Communists of Ukraine and my mom was an atheist. I was also a member of Young Communist League," he said in our interview. "I studied in a Soviet university, of course, and there we talk about God with humor; it was a regular situation. So I come from an atheistic background, but now it's has all changed. I live and work and pray only for one name; that of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I then asked him how he became a Christian.

"It's a long story," said Morgulis. "It began the first time I met with Christians person. I was a young journalist in the Soviet Union and I noticed this Christian person in a train terminal praying before he ate his food in the restaurant. In those days in the Soviet Union, it was very dangerous thing to do because the police could arrest you and you could be automatically sent to prison for three years.

"So I asked him why he was thanking God for his food and he began to share with me. He was the first Christian who ever told me about God. He said that we needed every day to thank God for our bread and our life. It was because of this man that I found Jesus Christ in my own life."

Morgulis finally moved to the United States and has become deeply involved with what he calls Spiritual Diplomacy.

"The Spiritual Diplomacy project started in 1991 and I was able to organize the first official Christian delegation from United States to Russia," he said. "We received an invitation from an official of the Soviet Government, and no Christian group had ever before received such an invitation.

Praying with the KGB

"There were 18 of us and we were the guests of the Minister of Defense, the Premier Minister, and the Parliament of the Soviet Union as well as the KGB. Philip Yancey, who came with us, later wrote book about it called Praying With the KGB.

"Finally, the then President of Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev invited us to the Kremlin. When we were with Mr. Gorbachev, I asked him it was would be possible to pray in the Kremlin. He told me, 'Mr. Morgulis, the Kremlin is not a church,' and then, after pause, he said, 'but why not.' So I started to pray about his mother, my mother and all people and I prayed 'In Jesus Name!'.

"So Spiritual Diplomacy is a new spiritual political concept. After meeting in the Kremlin, we were in Ukraine. We met with the president of Ukraine and also the president of Georgia, and four times with the president of Belarus. We've also met with the Prime Minister of Israel before Mr. Sharon. Also, I have even prayed in the Knesset in Israel.

"I prayed with Palestinian Muslim leaders and this is all spiritual diplomacy. The idea is to stop any conflict religion, political, social, ethical conflict with use of the Christian message from the Bible.

"God has helped us many times. Some people, some people say it's too naïve and I tell them that our example took place 2,000 years ago with one person who without soldiers, with no tanks or airplanes, won the war! It was Jesus Christ and we do not have any new examples to follow. We just follow Him and try, through love, to stop conflict in any country. And especially in the former Soviet Union, between countries and inside countries. This is our very simple idea."

Morgulis then revealed that he is hoping soon to be able to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin and his wife Ludmila.

And to think it all began with a chance meeting with a Christian in a Soviet railway station…

For more information on this ministry, go to http://spiritualdiplomacy.org.

Note: I'd like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview.

Note note: An audio version of this interview is available for broadcast from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.



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