On December thirteenth, after a serious and prolonged illness, Sergei Ivanovich Neverov, a pastor and a fervent preacher, went to be with the Lord.
Sergei Ivanovich Neverov was born on December 1, 1942, in the large family of Ivan Grigoryevich and Anna Fyodorovna Neverov, in the city of Tashkent. From his childhood, at the age of five, Sergei was passionate about reading books. His mother Anna Fyodorovna taught him to read early. Because there was not enough money to buy books Sergei needed to be creative. He found a way to raise funds by selling ice-cold water. Borrowing his mother’s tea kettle; he filled it with water from the well, added ice, and sold to passersby. With the few rubles raised, Anna Fyodorovna bought books for little Sergei. After thoroughly reading them his mother would sell those to buy new ones. The entire family enjoyed evenings of needle point while listening to Sergei reading from his books. Furthermore, Sergei loved poetry, which later became an integral part of his sermons.
He had a very solid upbringing with values that were instilled in him from childhood. His father taught him the value of working hard and maintaining strong values and principles. This served him well throughout his life. As a result, he grew up to be a very responsible adult and a man of impeccable integrity.
Like other boys he was mischievous, but it didn’t stop him from being an exemplary student. After graduating high school Sergei enrolled in the Topographic College of Tashkent, but because of family circumstances he decided to get a job to help his parents.
At the age of 17 he received the Lord as his personal Savior, and in 1959 he was baptized. This began Sergei’s walk with the Lord.
In 1961 he was drafted into the military to serve in the Navy. The first half of his service was aboard a submarine. And then because his Christian beliefs dictated that he not take-up arms, he was placed under investigation. Subsequently he was transferred to a non-operating ship for the duration of his enlistment, serving as a cook.
Sergei was always open about his Christian beliefs and rarely missed the opportunity to witness to others. In the military, at Kronstadt and Murmansk, while attending church he began preaching for the first time.
The military presented challenging situations; not the least of which there was nobody to consult with. In those times he found himself earnest in prayer finding wisdom, confidence, and direction.
In one example, his friend and colleague came to him, trying to persuade him to renounce his faith saying, “You will return home and continue serving your God. No one will ever know that you have done this.”
Sergei’s belief dictated his response stating, “No, Roman I won't do this! When YOU return home, YOU will tell the story of a Baptist who never renounced his faith.” This was the essence of Sergei’s relationship and walk with God. He was a man of principles and convictions.
At one point the political officer informed Sergei he would be the last to be discharged. But the Lord had other plans. Sergei would be one of the first discharged.
When he was on his way to the train station, Sergei saw the political officer. Sergei caught up with him and saluted him. Surprised the officer asked "What are you doing here with your suitcase?" Sergei answered, “I'm going home. Remember what I told you. That it was not you who called me to serve; and it was not for you to discharge me. And it happened as I said it would."
Upon his return from the Navy Sergei Ivanovich immediately joined in active ministry among the youth in Tashkent. He was a member of the youth ministry and later became a youth leader.
He organized visits to other churches and fellowships where he led discussions on biblical subjects. A musician, he was also an active member of the string orchestra playing mandolin, guitar, and singing in the choir.
His ministry among the youth was during a difficult time when the church was oppressed. Attracting youth to the ministry could result in the church being punished, including imprisonment of church leaders.
In July 1968, Sergei Ivanovich married Lyubov Korneva. In establishing his family Christian qualities were paramount and being a true Christian husband guided his life. The Neverovs created a hospitable home. Sergei welcomed guests, especially when they found themselves far from home. Sergei Ivanovich and Lyubov Vasilyevna raised seven children; five sons and two precious daughters.
They found great joy in their children and encouraged their service in the church. Being very fond of Christian music, formal lessons ensued, and all the children were enrolled in music school. In the Neverov home, Christian music and spiritual hymns ruled.
But the family especially remembers what was undoubtedly most important to their father and husband — reading the Bible aloud daily. Often at four in the morning, alone in his study, we would hear his voice, reading verse. At the end of the day we would fall asleep hearing him sing his favorite hymns and playing guitar.
A lifetime of studying the Bible led to frequent quoting from it, and in raising his children, he often referred to the biblical teachings.
Even before marriage, the Lord called Sergei Ivanovich to the preaching ministry, to which he treated with great responsibility. He always prayed to the Lord that, while preaching to others, he himself would be found worthy. The Lord put it on the heart of Sergei Ivanovich to become an active minister of the Word in the Church of God.
In the early 1980s, the church in Tashkent sent Sergei Ivanovich to a four-year Bible Institute in Moscow. His love of learning was again apparent in his diligence to study and to the work of the ministry. After graduating with honors, he began to assist the Senior Pastor of the church in ministry.
In March of 1986, Sergei Ivanovich, and his brother in Christ Mikhail Fedorovich Tyannikov were ordained to the pastoral ministry.
In 1991, the Neverov family immigrated to the United States. Landing in West Sacramento, California, where they became members of a local church.
In 1992, Sergei Ivanovich was called to serve as the Senior Pastor at Bryte Baptist Church in West Sacramento, California.
In the early nineties many immigrants arrived from the USSR. The people came with different cultural backgrounds, different perspectives with regard to Christian ministry. Regardless of the conflicting points of view, the Lord continued to lead Sergei Ivanovich to serve diligently. Among the brothers there were many who supported him in his ministry, helping him to carry out the work of the Church. For this he often expressed his gratitude in his memoirs, and on multiple occasions he thanked the Lord for his friends’ unwavering support.
Through his ministry, the Lord called many people to repentance. Many brothers and sisters who heard the messages of Sergei Ivanovich remember how they were influenced. Countless people have come forward sharing what a powerful work the Lord did through Sergei Ivanovich.
In the late 1990s, Sergei Ivanovich was elected to serve as vice-president of Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association (PCSBA), simultaneously serving as Senior Pastor at Bryte Baptist Church. However, above all, he considered preaching the Gospel to be his life’s work, encouraging others to do the same. The church experienced many blessings.
Having finished what was assigned to him from the Lord, Sergei Ivanovich left the ministry without any murmur in 1999. He dealt with all the trials of life, accepting them despite the fact that the last stage of his ministry was the most difficult. However, he understood the Lord was in charge of everything.
In 2003, Sergei Ivanovich and Lyubov Vasilievna moved to Columbus, Ohio, and in 2013 returned to California.
In recent years, Sergei Ivanovich was seriously ill. He passed on to the Lord Sunday, December 13, 2020 surrounded by loving family.
Sergei Ivanovich’s life’s credo is found in the words in which he often completed his prayers saying, "May the name of the Lord be blessed and glorified in everything."
