Spiritual Role of Russian Evangelicals | 327 | Report 2

Seventy-two percent of Russian adults identified as Orthodox Christians in 2008 – but that didn’t translate into church attendance – only 7% attended church. Protestant Christians make up between 1 and 2 per cent of Russians. “After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russians couldn’t get enough evangelical preaching,” says Victor Ignatenkov, pastor of Smolensk Central Baptist Church. “They packed cultural centres for special services and snatched up free Bibles… But these days people are indifferent”, he adds.

Igor Petrov, of Kursk Trinity Bible College, claims that, “It is becoming evident that Protestant believers will not be able to bring large sectors of the Russian populace to faith in Christ.” But he sees “Reformation” among certain sectors of the Russian Orthodox Church, being enriched by theology and practice borrowed from the evangelicals. For instance, the present head of the Kursk Orthodox Eparchy Mission Department is a former charismatic believer… Now his preaching and his weekly Sunday morning TV programmes are focused on Christ, salvation by grace, genuine faith, and true Christian life.

The Moscow Patriarchate and its Missionary Department pays close attention to increasing preaching and evangelism, and strongly encourages all parishes to establish and develop a Sunday school in each church. It’s not uncommon to find Protestant resources revised and rewritten by Orthodox writers, then published under an Orthodox “cover.”

Source: East-West Church and Ministry Report

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 3:25-26

PRAISE: God for reformation within parts of the Orthodox Church. Pray that Russians may know the Gospel and turn to Jesus in true faith.

Spiritual Role of Russian Evangelicals | 327 | Report 2

Seventy-two percent of Russian adults identified as Orthodox Christians in 2008 – but that didn’t translate into church attendance – only 7% attended church. Protestant Christians make up between 1 and 2 per cent of Russians. “After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russians couldn’t get enough evangelical preaching,” says Victor Ignatenkov, pastor of Smolensk Central Baptist Church. “They packed cultural centres for special services and snatched up free Bibles… But these days people are indifferent”, he adds.

Igor Petrov, of Kursk Trinity Bible College, claims that, “It is becoming evident that Protestant believers will not be able to bring large sectors of the Russian populace to faith in Christ.” But he sees “Reformation” among certain sectors of the Russian Orthodox Church, being enriched by theology and practice borrowed from the evangelicals. For instance, the present head of the Kursk Orthodox Eparchy Mission Department is a former charismatic believer… Now his preaching and his weekly Sunday morning TV programmes are focused on Christ, salvation by grace, genuine faith, and true Christian life.

The Moscow Patriarchate and its Missionary Department pays close attention to increasing preaching and evangelism, and strongly encourages all parishes to establish and develop a Sunday school in each church. It’s not uncommon to find Protestant resources revised and rewritten by Orthodox writers, then published under an Orthodox “cover.”

Source: East-West Church and Ministry Report

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 3:25-26

PRAISE: God for reformation within parts of the Orthodox Church. Pray that Russians may know the Gospel and turn to Jesus in true faith.

Gospel Broadcasts Destroy Voodoo | 324 | Report 4

Proclaiming the Gospel through Christian radio programmes remains an essential way to get the message of salvation to those in bondage to voodoo. Benin, West Africa, is the birthplace of voodoo, and signs of this ancient practice are entangled in the culture. At a recent Fulani conference, one participant described how she was set free from the bondage of demons and idols after she had listened to the ‘Programs of Life’ radio broadcasts. For years Fulani herdsmen have heard the Gospel in their mother tongue on eight local radio stations. Gospel broadcasts recently touched the hearts of a voodoo practitioner and his assistant, as well as the leader’s three wives and many children. All came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Serving In Mission, UEEB

BIBLE STUDY: Mark 5:1-8

PRAISE: God for the power of the Gospel to save and break the deep-seated bondage of Satan.

Russia: Jesus Appears to Buddhist | 324 | Report 3

Yulia was raised by well-educated Buddhist parents in Russia. By local standards, they were making it. But when her father died suddenly, her mother slid into a spiral of alcoholism, and abuse. When Yulia was 21, her mother – in a fit of drunken rage – told her to leave. Her mother’s last hateful words were, “Just leave. I don’t even care. And if you die, I won’t even cry.”

Yulia stood alone in her bedroom with a piece of rope. She fashioned a crude noose, hanging it from a rafter in the room. She stacked a small side table on top of her dresser and climbed up placing the noose around her neck. As Yulia balanced on top of the table, with voices in her head telling her how useless she was, suddenly, her mother walked into her room. Racked with guilt and sadness, her mother screamed, “We cannot have life without you. Let’s go back home and start afresh!”

A few days later, a local Christian man came to the house to visit her. “Yulia, do you know there is a God?” he asked. “He is Jesus Christ who loves you and gave His life for you.” Yulia says his words pierced her heart. A week later, Yulia had “an amazing dream” in which Jesus appeared to her saying, “Believe in me and pray, Yulia, and I will save you.” A month went by and the Christian friend invited Yulia to a local fellowship where God touched her heart deeply once more. On one of those evenings Yulia fell to her knees, prayed a prayer of repentance, and was born anew in Jesus Christ.

Since she began to follow Jesus, she admits she still has some problems – but she no longer faces them alone. She has her Lord and Saviour by her side – and He has blessed her with a nursing job, a marriage, and a child. What a life she would have missed if she had given in to her plan, rather than God’s!

Source: Joel News International; SEND International

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 40:1-2

PRAISE: God that Jesus rescued Yulia from the deepest pit and has given her a whole new life.

Gospel Broadcasts Destroy Voodoo | 324 | Report 4

Proclaiming the Gospel through Christian radio programmes remains an essential way to get the message of salvation to those in bondage to voodoo. Benin, West Africa, is the birthplace of voodoo, and signs of this ancient practice are entangled in the culture. At a recent Fulani conference, one participant described how she was set free from the bondage of demons and idols after she had listened to the ‘Programs of Life’ radio broadcasts. For years Fulani herdsmen have heard the Gospel in their mother tongue on eight local radio stations. Gospel broadcasts recently touched the hearts of a voodoo practitioner and his assistant, as well as the leader’s three wives and many children. All came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Serving In Mission, UEEB

BIBLE STUDY: Mark 5:1-8

PRAISE: God for the power of the Gospel to save and break the deep-seated bondage of Satan.

Russia: Jesus Appears to Buddhist | 324 | Report 3

Yulia was raised by well-educated Buddhist parents in Russia. By local standards, they were making it. But when her father died suddenly, her mother slid into a spiral of alcoholism, and abuse. When Yulia was 21, her mother – in a fit of drunken rage – told her to leave. Her mother’s last hateful words were, “Just leave. I don’t even care. And if you die, I won’t even cry.”

Yulia stood alone in her bedroom with a piece of rope. She fashioned a crude noose, hanging it from a rafter in the room. She stacked a small side table on top of her dresser and climbed up placing the noose around her neck. As Yulia balanced on top of the table, with voices in her head telling her how useless she was, suddenly, her mother walked into her room. Racked with guilt and sadness, her mother screamed, “We cannot have life without you. Let’s go back home and start afresh!”

A few days later, a local Christian man came to the house to visit her. “Yulia, do you know there is a God?” he asked. “He is Jesus Christ who loves you and gave His life for you.” Yulia says his words pierced her heart. A week later, Yulia had “an amazing dream” in which Jesus appeared to her saying, “Believe in me and pray, Yulia, and I will save you.” A month went by and the Christian friend invited Yulia to a local fellowship where God touched her heart deeply once more. On one of those evenings Yulia fell to her knees, prayed a prayer of repentance, and was born anew in Jesus Christ.

Since she began to follow Jesus, she admits she still has some problems – but she no longer faces them alone. She has her Lord and Saviour by her side – and He has blessed her with a nursing job, a marriage, and a child. What a life she would have missed if she had given in to her plan, rather than God’s!

Source: Joel News International; SEND International

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 40:1-2

PRAISE: God that Jesus rescued Yulia from the deepest pit and has given her a whole new life.

Russia: From Atheism to Religion | 323 | Report 14

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A new study by PewResearch shows that the number of Russians who identify themselves as “religious” has increased substantially. In 1991, 61% of Russians surveyed identified as religiously unaffiliated, while about a third said they were Orthodox Christians (31%). Over the next 17 years, those percentages virtually flipped. By 2008, roughly 72% of Russians identified as Orthodox Christians, while about 18% were religiously unaffiliated. However, the new religiosity has not translated in a surge in church attendance. During the same period, there also was a modest increase in the share of the Russian public identifying with religions other than Orthodox, including Islam, Protestant Christianity and Roman Catholicism.” Orthodox Christianity has long been the dominate religion in Russia. Is this a resurgence of long-held faith, or a new and honest passion for God?

Source: Christian News Blog

BIBLE STUDY: Matthew 5:5-7

PRAISE: God for this change. Pray for a real hunger for the living God and opportunities to find Christ.

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