By The Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections staff
Title: Anita and Peter Deyneka, Jr. Papers, 1951-2003
Predominant Dates:1984-2000
ID: SC/048
Primary Creator: Deyneka, Peter (1931-2000)
Other Creators: Deyneka, Anita (1942-)
Extent: 123.0 boxes. More info below.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged by series with folder level control.
Date Acquired: 00/00/1992
Subjects: Christians -- Soviet Union, Church and state -- Biblical teaching, Church and state -- Europe, Eastern, Church and state -- Soviet Union, Deyneka, Anita -- Correspondence, Deyneka, Peter, 1898-, Deyneka, Peter, 1931- -- Manuscripts, Freedom of religion -- Soviet Union, Institute of Slavic Studies (Slavic Gospel Association), Missions -- Soviet Union, Persecution -- Soviet Union, Soviet Union -- Religion, Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Alumni
Forms of Material: Administrative Records, Articles, Audiotapes, Correspondence, Filmstrips, Financial Records, Interviews, Lecture notes, Memorabilia, Photographs, Reviews, School Records, Speeches, Theses, Videotapes
Peter Simon Deyneka, Jr. was born in Chicago on September 13, 1931, the second child of Peter and Vera (Demidovich) Deyneka, both Russian immigrants. His father founded the Russian Gospel Association, which later became the Slavic Gospel Association. Growing up Peter lived in the Russian-speaking immigrant community in Chicago and attended Carl Schurz High School where he was active in the band playing the trombone and the Crusaders Club, a Christian fellowship group. After graduating in 1949 he enrolled as a student at Wheaton College. He received his BA in 1953 and later received a master's of divinity ('57) and honorary doctorate ('96) from Northern Baptist Seminary.
During his time as a seminary student Deyneka spent a year in Alaska working with the Slavic Gospel Association a SGA as a village pastor and evangelist among the Aleut peoples. After graduation he returned to Alaska as a missionary. In 1961 he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina as director of SGA's Russian Bible Institute, teaching for two years. He then moved to Quito, Ecuador working on Russian language broadcasts for HCJB. Continuing his radio work, Peter spent 1963-65 at HLKX in Inchon, South Korea.
In 1966 and back in the United States Deyneka became an assistant director of the Slavic Gospel Association. In 1975 he became general director, a position he held until 1991. Due to disagreements with the board over how best minister in Russia after the fall of Communism, together he and his wife, Anita Marson whom he married on June 14, 1968, created a new organization called Peter Deyneka USSR Ministries (later changed to Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries). He also launched a comprehensive ministry plan to train nationals to minister to every community of the former Soviet Union. The staff of Russian Ministries grew to over 300 staff in the former Soviet Union and 16 in the United States.
Deyneka has served a guest lecturer at Fuller Seminary and the Wheaton College Graduate School. He also served on the board of directors of the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA). . He was on the Executive Committee of The CoMission from 1992 to 1997 and in January 1997 was elected chairman of the CoMission II Partnership Council. Peter and Anita Deyneka responded to the great need to minister to orphans and underprivileged children of the former Soviet Union by helping to found two cooperative organizations for ministry to children—To Russian Children With Love (based in Moscow) and The CoMission for Children at Risk (based in Atlanta, Georgia).
Peter Deyneka also co-wrote with Norman Rohrer a biography of his father called Peter Dynamite (1975) and with his wife Anita Christians in the Shadow of the Kremlin (1974) and A Song in Siberia (1977).
Peter Deyneka, Jr. died on December 23, 2000 after a six-month battle with lymphoma. He was 69.
Christians -- Soviet Union
Church and state -- Biblical teaching
Church and state -- Europe, Eastern
Church and state -- Soviet Union
Deyneka, Anita -- Correspondence
Deyneka, Peter, 1898-
Deyneka, Peter, 1931- -- Manuscripts
Freedom of religion -- Soviet Union
Institute of Slavic Studies (Slavic Gospel Association)
Missions -- Soviet Union
Persecution -- Soviet Union
Soviet Union -- Religion
Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Alumni
Repository: Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections
Alternate Extent Statement: 50 linear feet
Access Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this collection.
Use Restrictions: Duplication may be restricted if copying could cause damage to items.
Acquisition Source: Gift
Acquisition Method: The collection was received by donation in 1992 with additional donations in subsequent years.
Preferred Citation: Anita and Peter Deyneka, Jr. Papers (SC-48), Wheaton College Special Collections, Wheaton, Illinois.
Other Note: The Anita and Peter Deyneka, Jr. Papers document the professional activities of two individuals involved in Christian evangelistic, education, and social service work in the former Soviet Union and among Russian-speaking communities.
Other URL: http://library.wheaton.edu
