The KGB goes to Christian School

From Ray and Cindi LeClair in Kiev. Ray is the director of ACSI schools in eastern Europe.


She made her way to the front of the small, crowded hall like someone who had just survived the battle of her life. Slowly Marina Petrovna proceeded to tell us about a recent experience that had affected her deeply and, as she suggested, should be a lesson to all of us in Christian education. The occasion was our annual ACSI conference for directors of Christian schools in the former USSR held January 14-16 just outside Kiev.

Months earlier I had invited Marina, an experienced director of a large Christian school in Ukraine to speak on the topic “Developing Relationships of Trust with Local Authorities.” I knew that this soft-spoken, seasoned administrator with a good understanding of a distinctively Christian approach to school leadership would not let me down. And she certainly didn’t!

“When Ray assigned me this topic about developing trust with local authorities,” Marina began, “I had no idea that it would prove to have so much meaning for me personally and for my entire teaching staff and student body. I certainly don’t see myself as an expert in building trust. But God showed me in a dramatic way that this topic is essential for all of us no matter how big or small our schools are. As it turns out, He had been working behind the scenes for some time helping us to build trusting relationships among our teachers and staff, with our kids and parents, and very importantly—with local authorities. I started to clearly see His hand in this as I was preparing this talk. But it took the KGB coming to our school during the very period I was preparing for this to really convince me of that. And it has expanded my understanding of the far-reaching benefits of making ourselves worthy of trust. It has motivated me to do even more to build on what we have.”



KGB!? Now she really had our attention! Raised in the Soviet era, every person in the room now empathized with Marina and could imagine the psychological pressure she had felt­—an inescapable, gut reaction conditioned by years of fear. Of course, in the now-independent Ukraine, the KGB no longer exists; but its direct descendent, the State Committee for National Security, elicits no less fear.



Marina continued:

“We Christians will probably remain suspect in many circles of our societies just because we are Christians, but we must always attempt to be honest and transparent; we must try to make bridges of trust wherever we can. That is part of our calling as Christians in education. And this includes our relationships with our government and educational authorities. Can parents and governmental authorities trust us to provide a good education? Is there anything they could legitimately criticize? Is the way we administer our schools pleasing to God and a good model for our students? We must resolve to become leaders and schools of integrity that can be relied upon to do the right things before God and society in all areas and not just the things we normally think of as spiritual. This is our responsibility as Christian educators and Christian leaders.”



Marina then explained that an anonymous letter containing false accusations against her and the school was addressed both to the Ukrainian Ministry of Education (analogous to the US Department of Education) and to the new and improved Ukrainian “KGB.” As a result, there was to be a surprise, emergency examination of her school by a team of inspectors consisting of members of both agencies. In the case of the KGB, it was likely that a counter-espionage agent was included because the letter of complaint also claimed that the school was a front for a Dutch spy ring and that it was organized by a “dangerous sect that brainwashes and secretly tortures children!” According to the complaint, this was “proven” by the fact that the school receives financial aid from a Christian teachers’ association in Holland; that each year Dutch Christians sponsor students and chaperones from Marina’s school to attend Christian summer camps in the Netherlands; and that the school was partially funded by Ukrainian Baptists--a term still carrying sinister implications by some poorly informed segments of society here.



The inspectors spent two full days examining records. They randomly interviewed teachers and many of the students of various grade levels, members of the school board and parents—called in from their jobs without warning.



“From the very beginning of our school,” she told the inspectors the first morning as they gathered in her tiny office. “We have strived to give a quality education that is consistent with the highest standards of the Ministry of Education, yet based on a Christian worldview perspective to the extent allowed by law--all in a Christian environment of loving, caring teachers and staff. We owe that to our children and society. We can do no less.”



Here Marina began sharing from her heart to these inspectors about the importance of trust and a cooperative relationship—things she had been reflecting on as she was preparing for our conference. The team of inspectors sat there quietly, at first cynical of what she was saying; undoubtedly, they had seldom met a school director, who reacted this way to a scheduled visit, never mind a surprise inspection.



“We are not perfect,” admitted Marina, “but we are doing our best for our students. Our doors and books are open to you. I’m sure that you will find everything in order. In any case, welcome to our school.”



What happened over the course of the next two days came as a complete surprise—this time to the inspectors! Not only was everything in order with the school’s legal charter, registration, license, administrative and financial records, but the overwhelming majority of the students—first graders to high-schoolers—proved to be bright, fun-loving kids, yet well-behaved, mature and unusually articulate for their age. The inspectors found no evidence of psychological coercion. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there. Strangest of all, some inspectors commented later, students and staff were sincerely kind, lacking in fear and warmly welcoming these, their uninvited guests!



“I am really proud of our students,” Marina said smiling. “Despite being grilled by these officials about our school’s policies, the content of their subjects, our alleged religious “brainwashing and torture” and the religious beliefs of teachers and staff, students calmly and respectfully answered their questions. Many of them—even the little ones—did so well, that their responses amounted to Christian testimonies that literally brought tears to some of these seasoned inspectors. At the end of the second day, some of the officials came to me privately, obviously touched by all they had seen and heard. It was so different from the average school. They wished there were many more schools like ours in Ukraine and wished me well. One of the inspectors from the Ministry of Education—a non-Christian woman, who knows our school well from previous regularly-scheduled inspections and many conversations we’d had in the past, said that she had not been concerned about the inspection when she learned about it the day before it began. She knew we would pass the test. By God’s grace, we had managed to build a trusting relationship with her and now with the others, too. Even the KGB could see that we are neither a threat to national security nor to the education of our youth, but are contributing to a new Ukraine. The inspectors had a job to do; I’m sure they love our country too. I’m glad they visited us. It’s not hard even for non-Christian bureaucrats, who bother to take the time, to see that Christian education is a good thing. The question remains, are we making ourselves worthy of their trust—and God’s?”