Pastors fined and harassed

Aleksandr Kravchenko, a Russian pastor, has been fined for conducting religious worship without state approval. He is the first religious leader in Russia known to be fined under the country's new Demonstrations Law. Pastor Aleksandr insisted in court that advance notification is not legally required for religious events.

In Moscow, Pastor Vasily Romanyuk may be prosecuted for holding an "unapproved meeting" after he led Sunday worship at the ruins of his church. His church was demolished by authorities earlier this month (for more, click here).

Meanwhile, in the country's north, police raided a Sunday morning church service at a hall believers have rented for over two years.

Please pray that these Christian leaders will continue to witness boldly for the Lord. Pray that they will rely on the Lord to give them the words to say when they stand before accusing authorities (Matthew 10:19). Pray that Christians throughout Russia will not be deterred from spreading the message of Christ's forgiveness and redemption.

To learn more about the suffering of our Christian family in Russia, go to the Russia Country Report.

Russia News

  • Church Congregations Banned
    Police are roaming through a church building while church members sit on the stage.
    Police raid of a Council of Churches Baptist congregation.
    Photo: Council of Churches Baptist via Forum 18

    Courts in Russia have prohibited the activities of several Council of Churches Baptist congregations due to their refusal to register with the state. As a result, at least five church buildings were forcibly closed, and three more are presently under investigation. A court order issued in September 2024 applies to all the congregations of this denomination, which comprise of an estimated 2,500 churches.

  • Heightened Persecution of Christians
    Video link
    Click here for the Closer to the Fire podcast.

    This Friday, February 24th, marks one year since the Russian offensive in Ukraine began, a war that has resulted in the death of thousands, the destruction of whole cities and the forced displacement of millions of people. The outbreak was triggered by a major escalation of tensions, which have been simmering since the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and the ongoing struggles with Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

  • Rising "Tax on Faithfulness"
    ''Do You Believe?'' newspaper
    Do You Believe? newspaper.
    Photo: VOM Korea

    Evangelical believers in Russia were forced to pay what is being called a "tax on faithfulness" in 2022, and this year that price is expected to increase. Throughout the country, basic Christian activities have been investigated and punished as crimes. "Believers paid fines, appealed their decisions, and in most cases lost their appeals," reported Dr. Hyun Sook Foley from The Voice of the Martyrs Korea. "It is a trend that The Voice of the Martyrs Korea is monitoring closely as 2023 begins."

  • Theological Colleges Stripped of Licenses
    Bible and notebooks on a park bench
    Pray that believers in Russia will have wisdom as they pursue religious freedom.

    On April 6th, the Theological Institute run by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Ingria was stripped of its higher education license. Another Lutheran college in Russia is in the process of fighting a similar action. The colleges of the Baptist Union and Pentecostal Union have likewise lost their licenses, and other colleges have been banned from accepting new students.