Where we've come from
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Kenneth and Diana were never intending to ‘set up camp’ in Paide. What began as a simple sharing of the Gospel with three young men developed into a steady stream of mostly youth into the Kingdom of God. They had the front room of their home packed with people and had to move to the local community center to accommodate the growth.
Kenneth and Diana were still waiting on God regarding an open door into another city when one Friday night meeting they took note of the seventy-five hungry believers, and realized that this was where they were to start building. Jarvamaa Christian Center was born. They declared JKK ‘official’ in February of 1991.
People continued to come and get born again and the church continued to grow until they grew out of several different rooms in the local community center and soon they were at a high of well over 300 people.
One of the grade eleven classes of the neighboring city of Turi were almost entirely born-again. A typical scene on Wednesday evenings was a full bus arriving from out of town and the bus emptying in front of the building they were meeting in.
As the Soviet system collapsed, many of the bus lines ceased to be, and Jarvamaa Christian Center was impelled to ‘take church out’ to other regions of Jarvamaa and a neighboring province as well. At one time, there were six of these “satellite” churches being pastored by Ken and Diana with the help of many of their Bible school graduates.
The Estonian Bible Academy was established in the fall of 1992 with the goal of training these young church members to assist in the local church----almost 100% of them having been saved right off the street with no church background of any kind. Over eighty percent of the members were between the ages of 14 and 20!
In March of 1994, Kenneth and Diana had it on their hearts to start a new and autonomous work in a Russian center in north-east Estonia and launched what was like a raid on the city of Kohtla-Jarve, a Stalin-built city with no history before Communism. For three and a half days together with thirty church members and leadership, preaching took place on the streets, one-on-one witnessing, and crusade meetings at night.
Out of what was a time filled with many bold acts, and many instant healings of people that had never been to church before, one hundred and twenty people were saved and another daughter church was born. A year and a half later, they planted Bible school graduates of theirs as pastors of this church.
The Estonian Bible Academy has produced graduates that are involved in various areas of fruitful ministry throughout Estonia and beyond.
Over the years, the members of JKK leadership as well as others of their graduates have blossomed into some very anointed ministers of the Gospel. They are sought after speakers in many churches throughout the nation.
Their youth ministry has had several nationally impacting meetings with hundreds of youth from all around the nation participating.
Worship is one of the focal points of the whole ministry at Jarvamaa Christian Center. Emphasis is placed on truly ministering to God, and time is given to cultivating the prophetic element in worship, as well as victorious Spirit-led praise.
Key doctrinal emphases over the years have as well been holiness, faith, and prayer. They have had some prayer conferences in the past that have been significant national events.
Many international ministries have had a significant input into the church and Bible Training Center over close to fifteen years. All these have sown into and strengthened the work, and without which certain fruit would not be what it is today.
