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During the General Council of the Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith, Mr. Pavel Gusev, editor-in-chief of the 'Moskovskij Komsomolets' (Komsomolets – member of the Communist Union of Youth)
newspaper and chairman of the Moscow Union of Journalists, urged Christians to preach the Gospel in mass media. Gusev noted that Christians often come to him and say, ‘Look what they are writing about us! They are saying we are underground churches, that we are a sect! Where is the truth?’ I reply to them ‘Moskovskij Komsomolets has 82 newspapers and magazines published. You are free to publish your thoughts in them and I promise I will not correct any letter!’ promised the editor-in-chief. ‘Imagine that Christians would preach he tGospel and speak about their work everywhere. I think it must be your first goal. Believers don’t have to propagandize their teaching; you only have to tell people about you and your work. They will see and hear,' underlined the chairman of the Moscow Union of Journalists.
Pray: that Russian Christians will take up the challenge to write about their faith. (Mt.24:14)
Even though Osama bin Laden is dead, the al-Qaeda terrorist group may be looking at expanding its war against the West. Accord to some terrorist experts, al-Qaeda may have its sights set on the North Caucasus region of Russia. One report indicates terrorists in the North Caucasus have been using radical Salafi Islam to recruit disgruntled youth who grew up on the battlefields of the two Chechen wars. According to the President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba, hide-out evidence has already been uncovered backing up these claims. According to Rukhuba, that means there is a spiritual battle under way for the souls of Russia's youth in the region. He says, ‘That's the strategy for al-Qaeda: to reach out to young people, to brainwash them in all those underground cells, to provide them with all kinds of false philosophies and encourage them to go and bring destruction into those communities.’
According to the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Pastor Yuri Golovin, a preacher at the Central Baptist Church in St Petersburg, was beaten by unknown assailants outside the home of an elderly church member whom he had intended to visit. After the assault, Pastor Golovin managed to get the attention of the church member, who immediately called an ambulance. Sadly, Pastor Golovin died of his injuries at the hospital. There has been no confirmation of what motivated the attack, but a report in the International Christian Newspaper indicates that his assailants may have been local drug addicts. Yuri Golovin had been the head of The Gideons chapter in St Petersburg and Leningrad. Youth pastor Anton Tretyak said that Yuri had been a wonderful example of a living Christian, who was not ashamed of witnessing about Christ and living for Christ.
Pray: for the family of Pastor Yuri Golovin. Pray also that the Lord will bring those responsible to justice and that this tragedy will lead to many new opportunities for the Gospel. (Heb.12:1) More: http://www.sga.org/2010/05/baptist-pastor-beaten-to-death-in-st-petersburg/
Vladislav Korabel, who serves as the regional church youth leader in Russia’s Novgorod Oblast (state), is in the hospital with severe brain injuries following an assault and beating by unknown assailants. Vladislav was on his way to church in the city of Veliky Novgorod when he was brutally attacked. Initially he was treated by a neurosurgeon, then transferred to another unit where he underwent craniofacial surgery on Friday, January 14. Vladislav is the son of Anatoly Korabel, regional pastor for the Novgorod Oblast. According to Pastor Anatoly, the doctors are withholding any comments on prognosis for the time being. The church leadership believes the assault is related to anti-Baptist propaganda broadcasts aired on television, and they sent a letter to the local television station protesting the false reports. Local authorities including the regional ombudsman and governor’s administration have promised to investigate the matter.
Pray: not only for Vladislav’s full recovery, but also for the protection of churches, pastors and church members. (Is.49:7)
During a meeting with the leaders of the Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith, Tom Holladay, one of the pastors of the Saddleback Church led by Rick Warren, stated that Moscow together with 12 other world cities had been chosen for the creation an affiliated Saddleback Church, reports Christian Telegraph in reference to the Union Press Centre. The Christian leaders discussed Rick Warren’s future visit to Moscow scheduled for this summer. Pastor Tom Holladay noted that, according to Warren’s vision, their main task is to find Christian leaders within the culture where a Church is being created and then support them. More than 400,000 pastors from different parts of the world have already been trained in the Saddleback Church’s training centre. Also, the Church will be focused on covering non-believers. ‘We seek to find new people,’ underlined Pastor Holladay.
Pray: that the Saddleback training programme will bless Moscow and other cities in building the church. (1Cor.3:10)
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed growing ethnic tensions in Russia after a suicide bomber killed 35 people and injured over 150 at Moscow’s busiest Airport. He denounced the attack as ‘the horrifying scowl of sin’ adding ‘actions once condemned even in war are today becoming a form of protest.’ No one has claimed responsibility but previous terrorist attacks in Russia originated from separatist movements in the troubled Northern Caucasus region. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, backed by the Kremlin, has been accused of human rights abuses and crushing Islamic militants, while supporting his own form of Islamic fundamentalism. Ethnic tensions have grown in Moscow recently, including anger over plans to build a new mosque in a south-eastern district of the city. Muslim migrants from the Caucasus and Central Asia have emigrated to the Russian capital, fleeing wars in their home regions since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Pray: for the turmoil in Russia to usher in a timely Christian revival. (Is.14:26-27)
More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/russian-patriarch-denounc_n_814025.html
Russian officials failed to give adequate warnings before flash floods killed at least 171 people in the southern Krasnodar region. Record torrential rain was blamed for the floods. The town of Krymsk was devastated and the district boss was sacked. Seventeen people are still missing, 210 people are in hospital including 48 children. Local officials say flood warnings were given but many people were asleep at the time and did not hear them. TV pictures showed thousands of houses almost completely submerged, with people scrambling on to their rooftops to escape the rising waters. Hundreds of people are in temporary accommodation. More than 24,000 people have been affected by the floods and more than 5,000 houses were inundated. Russian newspapers (normally considered pro-government) were scathing in their criticism of authority and said, ‘the tragedy of Krymsk is a perfect demonstration of what slovenliness and hoping against hope can lead to’.
Pray: for the bereaved, the homeless and those trying to clean up after the disaster to receive the comfort support and assistance needed at this time. (Ps.25:6)
Russia says it has deployed S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in the breakaway region of Abkhazia in Georgia. The Georgian government - which refuses to acknowledge Abkhazia's independence - says it is ‘concerned’ by the move. The announcement comes just days after an unscheduled visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the region. Russia recognised Abkhaz independence in 2008 after winning a brief war with Georgia over nearby South Ossetia. In a statement released by the Russian government, Air Force Commander-in-chief General Alexander Zelin said the role of the missiles would be ‘anti-aircraft defence of the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’. Pray: that this military build-up will not raise tensions in the Caucasus region. (Ecc.3:1-8)
Religious freedom is waning in the former Soviet Union and Eurasia. You've heard the stories. Churches liquidated, fathers arrested for holding a prayer meeting, pastors arrested for not registering the church, and families restricted to owning just one Bible. As a result of these alarming trends, Russian Ministries in cooperation with its global partners is sponsoring a briefing on religious freedom issues in Former Soviet Union/Eurasia, with a focus on causes of suppression of religious freedom President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says, ‘This briefing is to create more awareness and to mobilize the global community so that policies are developed and pressure is created on governments in the countries of the Former Soviet Union to give more freedom to the churches and leaders there.’
Pray: that the pressure on governments in former Soviet Union/Eurasia will lead to freedom for the oppressed. (Ps.9:9)
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says the international community must accept responsibility for the fight against illicit drugs from Afghanistan. He told an anti-drug conference in Moscow that worldwide Afghan heroine has killed nearly one-million people under the age of 35 in the past eight years. Speaking at an international anti-drug forum in Moscow, President Medvedev issued a call for a common global fight against narcotics, saying the entire world is threatened by drug-producing countries, especially those that make hard drugs - narcotics that are more addictive and damaging. He said Afghanistan does not have the resources for a breakthrough in the fight. He said ongoing efforts by various international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, are not enough. Mr. Medvedev said, standing up to the evil of narcotics on a global scale requires a struggle not only against drug trafficking, but also the social problems created by that evil. Pray: that the world governments would work together to find ways to successfully defeat this menace. (Ps.34:16)