User:Maximsafonov

Maxim Ivanovich SAFONOV was blessed to be born in a Christian, Seventh-day Adventist family in Russia. His parents Ivan and Galina Safonov brought him up in the Spirit of God, teaching the Holy Scriptures. They showed him how to pray to God and trust His promises, how to wait patiently and notice God’s response to his prayers, how to read Bible and rely on it as the source of ultimate truth. Because of their love and care he started to comprehend better God and His actions in Maxim’s life. Maxim’s childhood was not boring. He participated in the children’s ministry for the local orphanage; visited the church’s seniors, and conducted community surveys, as well as door to door ministry with his parents. At the age of 17 years old, he became a missionary and moved to a small town in South-West Russia. A year later, he went to Zaoksky Theological Seminary (Russia) to study theology. During his Bachelor degree studies in the seminary, Maxim was elected as the president of the Missionary Student’s Club (2003-04), where he provided mentorship to students, future pastors, who were seeking experience of pastoral care. Today, many of those students are successful pastors. After finishing his Bachelor's Degree, God called him to become a pastor in one of the local SDA churches in Kubano-Chernomorskaya Conference, Euro-Asia Division. In June 2004, Maxim was ordained and began performing all pastoral duties and rites, including communion, funerals, baptisms, as well as led church committees and conducted seminars for church members regarding principles of evangelism. In November 2007, he moved to Seattle, WA, where he joined a Russian SDA church and actively participated in teaching Bible in the church’s Sabbath School and Bible Study groups (“Mini Churches”) in greater Seattle area, as well as led several departments and was a member of the church board. In August, 2010 he completed his education at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI and obtained a Master of Arts in Religion diploma. All of the aforementioned ministries led him to the Chaplaincy Residency Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. During his Residency he was able to visit over two thousand patients. Maxim also was assigned by his supervisor to train intern and volunteer Chaplains at UCDMC, allowing them to observe his ministry and later to observe their process of growing. After completing the CPE Maxim served as a Chaplain in law-enforcement, healthcare, and correctional settings. Diverse ministerial backgrounds provided him a unique experience and formed him as mature minister of God. 2012-2014 were years, when Maxim served as a Chaplain at Dignity Health and Kaiser hospitals in Sacramento area. While serving as a hospital Chaplain, he also has been offered several hospice Chaplain positions at multiple hospice agencies in Sacramento and Los Angeles areas, where he still serves. While serving as a healthcare Chaplain, he has been asked to visit Sacramento County Jail providing spiritual and emotional support, praying and discussing Scripture with incarcerated. It became his first experience “coming to those, who are in prison” (Mattew 25:36) which prepared Maxim to a new chapter in his Chaplaincy ministry as a Protestant Chaplain at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, CA, which took place in June, 2013. After two years serving as a prison Chaplain, Maxim multiple times was affirmed, that God called him to do this ministry at this stage of spiritual formation in his life. The prison pushed him out of his comfort zone. He had to lead four services per day at four different yards. He was able to develop his leadership skills, effectively delegating ministry to inmates and collaborating with volunteers and staff. Besides professional Chaplaincy ministry, he currently serves at the local Antelope Hills SDA Church as a head treasurer and a board member. All of the above experiences led him to the following conclusion: pastoral care is all about being present with the other person on his/her level. Being with a person not for changing or influencing him/her, but for listening to their situation, hearing their feelings and stories, understanding where they are and empathizing with them. Understanding the ministry of presence is a concept that helped him to become an effective pastoral care provider and inspired him to share this approach with other ministers. Maxim is married to Kara Lynell Smith. Kara holds a Bachelor degree in Liberal Studies. She worked as school teacher and a principle for SDA schools in Missouri, Virginia, and California. Maxim and Kara have an eleven months old daughter Natalie.