Posted on 04/21/2014 5:49:57 PM PDT by ReformationFan
This Easter Sunday in Ukraine was unlike any other in the history of this nation in crisis. As Ukrainian Christians gathered together at Kiev’s Central Baptist Church to worship and celebrate the resurrection, they heard a special message delivered in person by Alexander Turchynov, the country’s acting president. SGA’s Sergei Omelchenko wrote to tell us about the extraordinary day . . .
Turchinov 4-21-14 Acting Ukrainian president Alexander Turchynov proclaims the Gospel at the pulpit of Central Baptist Church in Kiev—a truly historic moment!
Pastor Vyacheslav Nesteruk, president of the Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (UECB), preached the main message of the day. However, President Turchynov also preached for about 10 minutes, reminding us of Christ’s resurrection and how His death was necessary to save His people from their sins. There were three unbelieving security men with him at the church. When the service was over, he walked through the sanctuary toward the exit, all the while shaking hands with people. To see the president of the country being in a crowd of ordinary people—we’ve never seen anything like this before. We’ve never seen the president of the country to even attend a service in a Baptist church!
Considering the history of Ukraine and the nations that once made up the atheistic Soviet Union, this is indeed a truly a remarkable occurrence! Yet it also underscores the need for ongoing, sustained intercessory prayer from God’s people around the world. A few days ago, we reported to you that leaders in other CIS nations—including Russia—are increasing their scrutiny of Baptist churches because of the political turmoil in Ukraine. This is because they are wrongly identifying them as the cause of the unrest and because President Turchynov happens to be Baptist. Thus far, we have heard of no immediate impacts on the churches’ ministries. Yet please continually lift our brothers and sisters in prayer, asking God to protect them and enable them to . . . stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). In the meantime, rejoice as the Gospel is being boldly proclaimed in Ukraine and across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)!
Our own president preached intolerance, hate, and envy for Easter.
But...but according to numerous Putin-loving Freepers the new Ukrainian government is made up of fascists!
Obama praised Islam
Unlike ours who praised Muslims on this Christian Holy Day.
Has the Russian Orthodox church condemned the ongoing persecution of Born Again Christians? They are the ones that have Putin's ear.
Prayers for the Christians of the Ukraine, especially since our President will throw them under the bus. Might explain his further antagonizing Putin by threatening to freeze Putin’s billions.
The ROC in the Ukraine stood with the Maidan protestors, until the Nazis took over.
Russian law prevents “proselytism” of the sort where one religion seeks to gain converts by bad-mouthing another. Universally disparaging Orthodox Christians as non-Christian is a good way to get a get a wary eye cast on you by the Russian authorities, and no, the ROC does not side with the people slandering them. Foreign-based missions who lump the ROC with the KGB often also come up short. Some make Pussy Riot seem tactful.
The ROC doesn’t want what has happened in Brazil to the Catholics to happen to Protestants in Brazil, where Protestants gleefully savaged the Catholic Church as the the anti-Christ, only to see all sorts of diabolical quasi-Christian cults spring up in their salted Earth and lay waste to Christianity in general. The unfortunate thing is the mechanisms put in place to allow the prevention of such abuses often make it tougher for legitimate religious groups.
That is pretty harsh language to describe Evangelical Christians, Russian oppression of Christians should not be defended.
Good post...the other side of the story.
Which term are you presuming I refer to Evangelical Christians by that is too harsh?
Why are you defending oppression against Christians at all, and it seems that you would like to see global oppression against Protestant Christians.
The Russian Orthodox religion has clearly not been good for Russia, or the 60 million that they have murdered, Tsars, Communist dictator, now Putin, it seems the last thing that an American would be calling for is more oppression and a Government church in Russia, or anywhere else.
I didn’t call for more oppression. And you didn’t answer my question.
As an American I think the world needs more Christians and Protestants, and that they do good work, Russia and Latin America could all use some help.
Wanting to oppress them is bizarre as is happening in Russia, especially for someone from the United States.
The Russian Orthodox are clearly bad news, they need some Christian proselytizing and Evangelism.
Not going to answer my question, are you?
Beyond the photo op, why would Easter be different for him than any other day?
Will there be a Turchynov Bible just like there's a Carter Bible ?
I may have been born at night, but not last night.
He knows he'll be out of a job soon any way it goes and is doing the initial groundwork to for a lucrative career as a speaker and author of pop-up books in the US.
Some things never change, the desire to use the state to impose your religion is one of them.
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