RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS

---

Neopentecostalism in Russia criticized

Recently I had occasion to observe the following picture.  In a city bus, under an advertisement with the inscription "God freed me from drunkenness" a drunk young man was stretched out. From an partly empty cup a thin stream of beer flowed onto the floor. What's this, the result of the noisy "Experience the Power of Change" action?

For a time you were amazed about what some unscrupulous news media did. A once respected district newspaper along with our television stations advertised the evangelistic action of the sectarians for more than a month. It seems that was not for free. Some of our reporters have tried up to now to defend the "insulted protestants," without forgetting at the same time how one should "kick" Orthodox believers. After all, they had usurped the right to mold the religious consciousness of citizens.

But let's look at this ballyhoo from a different point of view. One of the organizers of the action is the "New Generation" neopentecostal religious group. They identify themselves with the Christians of Evangelical Faith; sometimes they say unpretentiously but still deceitfully, "We are Christians;" and most often they simply avoid answering the question about their affiliation with this or that confession.

Not so long ago in Saratov there was an international practical conference "Neopentecostal sects in Russia: the threat of religious extremism." In order not to be accused of tendentiousness, I recall that among its participants were not only representatives of Orthodoxy, but also pastors, priests of other confessions, theologians, philosophers, physicians, and psychologists. These included the president of the Associated Eurasian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, R.I. Bilas, who stated specifically: "The 'New Generation,' in the form that it now exists, is unacceptable to us." Why do "kindred" confessions (Lutherans and Calvinists) suddenly distance themselves from their "colleagues"?

Let's begin from a greater distance. Neopentecostals appeared in Arkhangelsk at the beginning of the nineties. Their "worship services" (neopentecostals themselves say "service") were conducted then in the "Rus" movie house. Here is what a parishioner of one of the Arkhangelsk churches, Elizaveta Troitskaia (the names have been changed), said with respect to the religious rituals of neopentecostals:

"Before New Year's my cousin and I saw an advertisement that the Christians were conducting worship services at 'Rus.' At that time we still did not know what kind of faith this was. In general, we decided to go. At first it seemed that everything was fine. To be sure, it was surprising that the people assembled there sang about Christ to 'Tender May' music. But then when the pastor suggested that they pray something unimaginable began. People in the theatre began laughing hysterically, speaking completely unintelligible talk, and many were crying violently. And suddenly, as if by the wave of a magician's wand, everything stopped. Then the pastor 'called down the Holy Spirit' on people. These people fell down from his hands, as if they were puppets from the movements of a puppeteer."

And here is the opinion of participants in the previously mentioned conference regarding the essence of the teaching of neopentecostals. "The entire so-called relationship with the Lord for them comes down to psychophysical experiences, excitement, and ecstatic experiences, when a person loses control of himself and usually does not even remember what happened to him. The leaders of neopentecostal societies employ in their meetings occult and magical devices of influencing the personality and they resort to methods of mass hypnosis and other means of controlling consciousness which evokes mass hysteria in those present. Such widely scattered practices as 'speaking in tongues,' 'sacred laughter,' 'slaying in the spirit,' 'hand prayer,' and 'suppression of original sin' destabilize the psyche and are not Christian." Is that impressive? And these claims are not just spoken. Video tapes of "worship services" of neopentecostals have often been shown on central television stations. More than a year and a half ago TDK channel showed throughout the country all the "delights" of the religious rituals of the "New Generation," conducted in one of the houses of culture of Yaroslavl.

So is the "Experience the Power of Change" really harmless? It reminds us of how, in the guise of missionary activity, representatives of the American intelligence agencies tried to penetrate our region, through the notorious sect of Ron Hubbard.

Incidentally, neopentecostals have managed to conduct their action in large part thanks to its "social" aspect, trying to help drug and alcoholic addictions. But  the "protestants" did not present a distinct program of social aid and instead preferred to invest enoumous sums in advertising the "Jesus" film, by which, obviously, they tried to entice Arkhangelsk residents into their ranks. For several years now, the charitable organization "Rassvet" has been operating under the aegis of the Arkhangelsk and Kholmogorsk diocese. It does not spend resources on organizing evangelistic points but on participating in social projects. Along with the Lutheran church of Norway antituberculosis programs have been conducted and charitable dining rooms and free food for school children have been organized. A project for prevention and treatment of AIDS has been conducted. To be sure, the Orthodox prefer not to shout about this on every street corner. (tr. by PDS, posted 7 June 2005)

Russia Religion News Current News Items

Russian presidency informed of Pentecostals' plight

Portal-credo.ru, 6 June 2005

Following the session of the Council for Relations with Religious Associations of the Russian presidential administration that was held on 1 June, the head of the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) [ROSKhVE], Sergei Riakhovsky, informed the head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Medvedev, about the violence committed by Moscow police against Pentecostal Christians of the"Emmanuel" church, who were conducting since 30 May a picket on Tver Square of Moscow across from the capital city hall, the press secretary of the "Emmanuel" church, Yury Popov, reported.

The picketing continued as a sign of protest against arbitrariness of Moscow government workers who have tried to confiscate from believers land that had previously been allocated for construction of a church. The conduct of the picketing must be recognized as legal since its organizers were not informed by the prefecture of the Central Administrative District of Moscow about the transfer of the site for conducting it in accordance with the procedure established by law, Popov maintains. He said that the picket was broken up crudely, accompanied by cursing and use of physical force, by police from the Tver district Department of Internal Affairs under the command of Major A.P. Krylov and by OMON special forces. Ten believers, including the senior pastor of the "Emmanuel" church, Alexander Purshaga, were arrested and detained for seven hours and placed in the "monkey cage" of the department. On following days, until 3 June inclusively, the police daily, and sometimes several times per day, used force to break up the picket by the "Emmanuel" church on Tver Square.

According the PopovŐs information, the head of ROSKhVE, S. Riakhovsky, asked the head of the presidential administration, D. Medvedev, to inform Russian President V. Putin about the violence of the Moscow police against protestant Christians.

On 6 June a civil judge of the Tver district court reviewed the case on the charge against participants in the picketing who were subjected to detention of administrative violation of the law, Popov reported. (tr. by PDS, posted 6 June 2005)

Russia Religion News Current News Items

Moscow Pentecostals' demands met

A conference with representatives of the "Emmanuel" central church of Christians of Evangelical Faith, Senior Pastor Alexander Purshaga and church administrator Bakur Azarian, was conducted on 6 June by the first deputy director of the Department of City Construction Policy, Development, and Reconstruction of Moscow, A.D. Kosovan, the press secretary of the church, Yury Popov, told a Portal-credo.ru correspondent. 

At the conference in the Department for City Construction two questions were reviewed: granting the "Emmanuel" church a new parcel of land for construction of a Spiritual Culture Center and drawing up permission for reconstruction of an old House of Culture in Solntsevo, which the church had obtained for conducting worship services. The conference was conducted on the personal order of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who took the resolution of these questions under his personal supervision after the "Emmanuel" church conducted a week of picketing across from the Moscow city hall and following a report from his deputy, Mikhail Men. 

For resolving the first question A.D. Kosovan gave an order to a representative of the Moscow Commission on Architecture, V.Beliaev, to allocate a new lot for construction of a spiritual culture center by 30 June, of equal value with the former one and satisfying the needs of "Emmanuel" church. All expenses for finding and other work for developing the new lot, which already had been paid by "Emmanuel" church for the lot  previously granted for construction of the center, will be paid by the government of Moscow. 

In connection with th e delay for drawing up permission for reconstruction of the old building in Solntsevo, A.D. Kosovan ordered to inform a representative of the administration of the Solntsevo district, the director of the Department for Development of Infrastructure, Yu.S. Kiselev, that, in his opinion, the bureaucrats have engaged in arbitrariness and he demanded that they immediately prepare the documents necessary for reconstruction. If this is not done in the near future he will be forced to report this personally to Yury Luzhkov and to ask him to make a decision regarding the positions of those bureaucrats of the administration which will answer to the resolution of this quesiton. 

At the conclusion of the conference Pastor A. Purshaga thanked the leadership of city hall for an effective resolution of the problems, but he reserved for members of "Emmanuel" church the right to continue public actions of protest in the event that there are again delays in resolving these questions. (tr. by  PDS, posted 6 June 2005) 

Russia Religion News Current News Items

Jehovah's Witnesses get mixed results in north Russia

The public council of the city of Inta (Komi republic) permitted the "Jehovah's Witnesses" to build a house of worship. This was done despite the objections of Orthodox believers, the Sunday republican edition of the "Argumenty i fakty" reports. 

At the same time the head of the city council, Vladimir Lavrov, called attention to the (in his opinion) improper procedure in conducting the meeting. "The community did not invite many interested persons, including the leadership of the city council. Thus it turned out that the majority at the hearing consisted of members of the sect themselves," he said. 

At first the "Jehovah's Witnesses" asked for granting them rental of several apartments out of the municipal residential fund, although this scenario was turned down. 

JEHOVISTS DENIED BUILDING
AiF-Komi, 5 June 2005 

Recently in Inta there was a public hearing where the intention of Jehovists to build a house of worship was reviewed. Despite the objections of Orthodox believers, the participants in the hearing granted approval. 

"Usually public hearings occur in our district on an open basis," AiF-Komi was told by the chairman of the city council, Vladimir Lavrov, :"But in my opinion these were conducted incorrectly. The community did not summon many interested persons, including the leadership of the city council. Thus it turned out that the majority at the hearing were members of the sect." 

According to Lavrov, the Jehovists were requesting to be granted rental of several apartments from the municipal residential fund. This question was reviewed at the city residential commission, and it was denied. 

There was no discussion of granting Jehovists rental of nonresidential premises; the city council did not review the sectarians' request. The activities of the "Witnesses" have evoked acute dissatisfaction on the part of city residents. Nevertheless, Lavrov sees no cause for serious conflict. (tr. by PDS) 

Background:  "Jehovah's Witnesses want to build in northern Russia" 

Russia Religion News Current News Items

Local initiative for merging Ukrainian Orthodox churches

A document regarding start of unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kievan patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church (UAPTs) was signed on Friday [3 June] by priests of the churches in Ternopol. 

As reported to the news agency "Novosti-Ukraina" by the head of the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox church, Fr Evstraty, "this action flows directly from decisions made by the Holy Synod and Supreme Ecclesiastical Council of the Kievan patriarchate [UPTsKP] in February of this year." At that time, according to the priest, appeals were adopted to the episcopate, clergy, and believers of the Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous church [UAPTs] calling for actions for unification on all levels. 

"It can be said that this also was one of the steps taken in the direction of unification on the part of clergy," Fr Evstraty noted. 

He recalled that back in 2000 agreements were signed at the episcopal level between UPTsKP and UAPTs regarding the necessity of mutual understanding and unification. "But then three forces intervened and representatives of UAPTs halted this process. At that time the process was halted from above, and now we see that it is quite possible to continue it from below," the priest said. 

Fr Evstraty also said that "a united church structure does not exist in the autocephalous church; there are only separate portions of UAPTs which exist in very strange and ill-defined relations. Many do not recognize the primate, Metropolitan Mefody. This intensified after he praised the candidacy of Viktor Yanukovich during the election campaign," the head of the press service of UPTs said. "In such a situation priests also have sought a way out of such abnormal circumstances and have tried to resolve the problem of the division of Orthodox believers," Fr Evstraty noted. 

He said, "it is difficult to say how long in time the process of unification of the churches will continue. But the creation of a united local church in Ukraine is necessary and unification is not a matter of principle since there are no doctrinal, canonical, and even ideological reasons for the division. Thus the process will not extend for long years," the priest said. 

According to information from the State Committee on Affairs of Religions of Ukraine, at the present time on the territory of Ukraine there operate over 10,500 parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate, 3,500 parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kievan patriarchate, 3,400 parishes of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church (Catholics of the Byzantine rite) and about 700 parishes of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church. (tr. by PDS posted 5 June 2005) 

Russia Religion News Current News Items

If material is quoted, please give credit to the publication from which it came.
It is not necessary to credit this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please include reference to the URL, http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.