A Russian church leader confronts an obstacle to ministry.

Russia (MNN)–His name is Andrei. He’s a Bible League-trained church planter in Siberia, with a vision for church planting. He is also asking for believers to pray for both him and his ministry.

According to the Bible League, several weeks ago, a group kidnapped him, beat him repeatedly, then told him to leave the village within one month or be killed.

Andrei had recently moved to the area to begin Bible studies as a step to planting an evangelical church, with good response.

However, some of the local Orthodox church supporters feel threatened by his growing ministry, lashing out against him physically. Christian church leaders are generally targeted by those who believe that Orthodoxy must maintain its rightful place as the official Russian religion.

Pray that he will be granted the strength and faith to follow God’s leading–whether it is to continue his ministry in this area, or to share his faith in a different community.