Russia (MNN) – Three Council of Churches Baptist communities in Krasnodar, Russia, were banned for not registering with the government.
Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA, says they are monitoring Russia’s crackdown and asking questions.
“What is happening to churches that are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church? Are they being accepted? Are they free to meet? Are they free to meet, not only in their church building, but to meet in people’s homes, to meet in other places?” asks Nettleton.
“I think what we’re seeing now is some of the tightening of that to say they don’t have that freedom, and it’s certainly something we want to pay attention to in the months and years to come.”
Baptist and other evangelical churches can be perceived as disloyal to Russia, unlike the Russian Orthodox Church.
“Evangelicals, including Baptists, are seen as, ‘Well, they’re linked to the West, so they’re not as loyal to our country.’ That obviously, with the war going on in Ukraine, with loyalty to the country being a focus and an emphasis, creates some of these challenging situations for evangelicals in Russia right now,” Nettleton says.
When a church registers with the state, it also registers its location. This can leave churches susceptible to the government shutting down meeting places and tightening the screws.
“We would love to see a government there that respects religious freedom, not only for members of the Russian Orthodox Church, but for all Russians to have that freedom of religion, that freedom of worship, that freedom of gathering together,” says Nettleton. “Let’s just continue to pray that God moves inside Russia.”
Please pray for Christians in Russia that they will be able to meet, encourage one another, and share the Gospel as bold witnesses for Christ.
Header Photo by Jan Reinicke on Unsplash
