The distinctive Gothic spire of St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Moscow can be glimpsed from Red Square amid many neighboring Russian Orthodox golden domes. The Anglican/Episcopal church's presence in this prominent area of Moscow symbolizes its close relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church's Patriarchate. Yet even privileged Anglicans experience their share of frustrations abiding by the 1997 Russian law restricting religious freedom.

Since 1553, St. Andrew's has been the spiritual home of Anglican/Episcopal expatriates. During this period in Russia's turbulent history, Czar Ivan, later known as Ivan the Terrible, permitted "nonorthodox services" to teach Christian and moral principles to English traders.

Anglicans built the present Victorian style English church building in 1882 and the parsonage in 1894. In 1920, communists confiscated these buildings. During the 70 years of Soviet domination, the church was home to a Bolshevik machine gun nest, then a girl's hostel, and later, offices for foreign delegations. Since the 1960s, the Soviet disc-maker Melodiya has recorded music in the church building. During a period of religious tolerance after Perestroika, the state government returned the building to the Anglican church, a gesture of openness when Queen Elizabeth II visited Moscow in 1994.

Although English-speaking visitors and Muscovites attend Sunday morning worship services at St. Andrew's, the Melodiya recording studio still occupies the church building on weekdays. Melodiya has made many promises and claim its moving out awaits the completion of renovations on another building. When it finally moves, St. Andrew's will need to raise $3 million for the building's restoration.

Meanwhile, renovations of the nearby parsonage are almost complete. A series of concerts raised all but $5,000 of the needed funds. Renovating the church building will require both structural repairs and aesthetic changes. These include repairing a crumbling buttress that threatens the altar area, repairing plumbing and sewage lines, removing the wooden floor that hides the original marble, and replacing block windows with new stained glass ones.

The Rev. Canon Chad Coussmaker and his assistant chaplain, the Rev. Jonathan Frais, maintain a pastoral and posturing position in the current competitive atmosphere of the various Christian traditions now in Russia. Their flock consists of about 200 Muscovites, representing 14 different nationalities and about a dozen Christian traditions.

American Episcopalians dominate this diverse group. Many of them work for the American embassy or American-based companies, such as Coca-Cola. Some are involved in charitable work. Their active ministries include a children's Sunday school, youth club, and a drop-in-center for African, especially Sudanese, refugees.

Canon Coussmaker and Fr. Frais see their main role as providing comfort and counseling to any member of the worldwide Anglican Communion who lives in the area. Whenever these two chaplains can secure an invitation, they join Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic bishops and prelates at special liturgies and ceremonial events.

Canon Coussmaker noted in a recent interview that the 80 sects of Russian Orthodoxy vying for occupation of ancient church buildings make the current ecclesiastical climate conflictual. Sorting it all out "depends on what church one belongs to and which bishop one follows," he said.

The more reformed groups see the Moscow Patriarchate as embodying all the evils of the old communist system. They suspect the Patriarchate uses Mafia laundered monies or profits from the duty free imports of liquor and cigarettes to restore buildings, such as the Christ Our Savior Cathedral, while ignoring massive social needs. On the other hand, the Moscow Patriarchate doesn't trust Roman Catholics, evangelical or pentecostal traditions and seeks to maintain Russian Orthodoxy's exclusive right to Christianity.

In reality, many Western and Eastern traditions, some Christian and some not, now seek a place in Russia's soul. The doubling of professed evangelicals in Russia during the last six years and the increase in the number of Roman Catholics attests to the need for greater tolerance and understanding, instead of increased regulations.

Keston Institute monitors and reports on harassments and restrictions to religious freedom imposed because of the 1997 law. In the 1950s, Canon Michael Bourdeaux, an Anglican priest, blazed the trail toward religious tolerance when he founded the Keston Institute in England. Today, the institute still maintains a watchdog presence in Moscow, under the direction of Larry Uzzell and one Russian correspondent. The two reporters provide updated information to the rest of the world about the sharp divisions between conservative and reform-minded elements within established Orthodox churches. According to Mr. Uzzell, much of the friction relates to the Moscow Patriarchate's collaboration with the state. The conservative Old Believers and neo-protestant groups within Orthodoxy want religious freedom from the state. In addition, Russian Orthodox believers carry centuries-old grudges and lack an understanding of other Christian denominations. This contributes to the atmosphere of mistrust and bureaucratic interference.

Even St. Andrew's must rewrite its charter and raise an additional $6,000 to meet the regulations required of all religious groups under the new law. The delays in taking full possession of their church building given back to them four years ago frustrate members of the congregation. Yet, because of the Anglican Church's favored position with Patriarch Alexi, St. Andrew's has not been subject to the type of harassment other believing groups have experienced.

Under Canon Coussmaker's diplomatic leadership, St. Andrew's has maintained its favored status with the Moscow Patriarchate. Now it can enable the Russian Orthodox Church to understand and cooperate with both catholics and protestants. Historically, the Anglican Church has proved its capability of being a reconciling and bridge building leader in interdenominational relations. If St. Andrew's achieves that position in Moscow, it could counteract the negative impacts of the 1997 Russian law and its threats to religious freedom. o

Mary Theresa Webb resides in Princeton, N.J.