Russian Prosecutor General’s Office condemns hunt for Protestants

By Victoria Uzunova of the Christian Telegraph (www.christiantelegraph.com)  
Special to ASSIST News Service

REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN, RUSSIA (ANS) -- The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation has demanded that comments from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia that characterize certain registered religious groups as “destructive” be withdrawn, in reference to Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith press center.

An Evangelical church service in the Republic of Bashkortostan

A letter from Sergey Ryahovski, Supervisory Bishop of the Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith, had entreated the Prosecutor General to respond to these allegations.

On October 25th, 2011, Artur Surin, the Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Bashkortostan sent letters around to authorities and heads of educational institutions about the dangers of “foreign religious organizations of destructive persuasion.”

These letters stated that there are nearly one hundred religious organizations of “destructive persuasion” in Bashkortostan, including Evangelical Christians, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists and Evangelical Christian-Baptists.

In an official response to this letter, Victor Grin, the Deputy of Prosecutor-General of Russian Federation, noted that the religious organizations mentioned in Mr. Surin’s letter are “officially registered and act according to the Russian law.” Mr. Surin has also brought a charge by the Prosecutor General's Office.

The Advisory Council of Protestant Leaders of Russia, which consists of leaders of the biggest Russian Protestant unions, also sent an appeal concerning this case to the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

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Victoria Uzunova is a correspondent for the Christian Telegraph [www.christiantelegraph.com ], a unique Christian news service partnering with the largest Christian News Agency in Russian language InVictory News [www.invictory.org/news/] which is one of few news gateways of what is happening in Christianity in such former USSR countries as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia and others.

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No Longer A Secret Christian

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Women’s Fellowship teams visit families like Veenu’s, who may not receive encouragement in their faith from other sources.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- As a poor farmer with several children, Veenu blended right in with the rest of the people who lived in his village. But he was keeping a secret. His neighbors noticed Veenu seemed to always be sick or too busy when it was time for the traditional religious festivals, but no one cared that much.

So when three women, part of a Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship team, visited Veenu’s village, it was time to reveal his secret. They gave Veenu a Gospel tract and started to introduce him to the Lord.

Veenu listened to the women for a while and then made a confession: He already was a believer. Veenu explained how he came to know the Lord when another missionary visited him in 1998.

The women were surprised but continued listening to Veenu’s story.

He had been excited about his new faith in 1998, but when the missionary moved on to another area of ministry, Veenu was left with no other believers for fellowship and encouragement. Over time, he grew more and more afraid of the other villagers who were ardent worshipers of their ancient traditional gods. Veenu didn’t want people mocking and rejecting him if they found out he was a Christian. So, he never told anyone. He would make up excuses when his neighbors wanted him to join in their religious observances.

Veenu didn’t want people mocking and rejecting him if they found out he was a Christian. So, he never told anyone.

The women’s team members were empathetic toward Veenu’s plight, so they encouraged him from the Bible.

As they studied together, Veenu was ashamed he’d hidden his faith in Jesus, but he was filled with gratitude that someone could at last help him in his walk with the Lord. He asked the women to come and help his family study the Bible.

The women’s team started a prayer meeting at Veenu’s house, helping the entire family to grow in their faith.

The instruction and encouragement meant so much to Veenu. He declared that no matter what happened, he would never again compromise his faith in the Lord by hiding his light.

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Gospel for Asia’s Women’s Fellowship is reaching many hurting people in Asia.

 http://www.gfa.org/womens-ministry/womens-ministry-about/

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Eritrea imprisons more Christians

Screen grab from Google Maps
(Adi-Nefase military camp, Eritrea)

Eritrea (MNN) ― Open Doors says Eritrean military officials have rounded up another group of evangelical Christians this week.

Authorities arrested 35 believers on July 3 on suspicion of gathering for worship in Assab, a port city. The group, which included 17 women, was taken to the Adi-Nefase military camp near Assab, a notoriously harsh detention center. 

  

Open Doors also reports that 25 Christian students from Mai-Nefhi Educational Institution (roughly 12 miles southwest of Asmara) have been released on bail in order to sit for their final exams. They may have been part of a group of students arrested at the beginning of June for "unpatriotic behavior." Sources in the country expect the students to be taken back into custody as soon as their exams have been completed.

Meanwhile, government pressures continue on the sanctioned Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Islamic groups to enroll their religious workers under the age of 30 for compulsory military training. All but the Catholic Church have complied, protesting that in the past, church workers were exempted from military service because of their religious duties.

Despite these stories and others about open persecution, the government continues to support its statement issued in May 2003 that "no groups or persons are persecuted in Eritrea for their beliefs or religion."

Eritrea ranks 12^th on the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List, a compilation of the top 50 countries where persecution of Christians is the worst.

That said, believers in Eritrea ask for prayer for their country, where at least 1,000 religious prisoners endure harrowing incarceration conditions country-wide. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada,of the Christians in detention, "not one has yet been charged with a crime or faced trial."

Pray that the government will stop the campaign against evangelicals and will allow freedom of religion for all.