Ukraine (MNN) — Clashes between riot police and thousands of protestors continued over the weekend as protestors continued to seek the resignation of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. European Union officials have met with Yanukovych to discuss the issue.
Screen shot from Russian television of protestors in Ukraine.
Yanukovych met with opposition leaders, but that did little to end the stand-off and the unrest in Ukraine.
Slavic Gospel Association supports the Ukrainian church there. Spokesman for the ministry Joel Griffith says this type of scenario is almost unbelievable. “It’s probably one of the most stunning developments that one can imagine, the way things have gone. Ukraine has enjoyed the largest amounts of religious freedom, [but] it really is a mess right now.”
The brings up several questions. “What will the impact be on religious freedom? We’re just hoping and praying that things will calm down before they get out of hand.”
Christians throughout Ukraine and around the world are calling Christians to pray. Griffith, quoting the President of the Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists Vyacheslav Nesteruk: “Since these events have reached a critical point, and society is just steps away from civil war, we believe that we immediately need to use peaceful means to resolve this situation. We call on all sides of the conflict to move from words to specific action of reconciliation.”
How will all of this unrest affect SGA’s work?
President of SGA Bob Provost issued this statement, “At the current time, we do not anticipate any impact on SGA’s ministries because of the way we operate. We have a Regional Ministry Center in Kiev, but our staff is entirely Ukrainian national; they are under the authority of the UECB churches in which they are members and serve, and they do not get involved in any political matters or protests. What seems to be triggering these laws is whether or not an organization is seen as politically involved or potentially funding protests. SGA does not do so, and will not do so. Our sole interest is proclaiming the Gospel.”
The call to pray for Ukraine is urgently needed. Griffith is asking you to pray for peace and for freedom to share the Gospel, “But also [pray] that some of this draconian legislation, that the parliament and the president would have second thoughts about this.”
