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Communists prefer Orthodox mayor of Kiev

COMMUNIST PARTY OF UKRAINE ADVOCATES NEW ELECTION FOR KIEV MAYOR BECAUSE ACTING HEAD OF CITY BELONGS TO PROTESTANT CHURCH
Portal-credo.ru, 26 October 2007

The communist party of Ukraine [KPU] supports the conduct of a special election for the presiding officer of the Kiev city government, NKhM reports, citing "Unian." Unian was told at the press service of KPU that communist leader Petr Simonenko stated this at a press conference in Vinnitsa.

"KPU has to support this election since from the very beginning we have said that strange things are going on in our country: the Orthodox capital has elected as its president an elder of an American church," P. Simonenko said.

He said that the current leadership of Kiev is not dealing with the resolution of the problems of residents of the capital of Ukraine but with the distribution of land.

We recall that Leonid Mikhailovich Chernovetsky has been a parishioner of the "Embassy of God" church in Kiev since 1996.

The "Embassy of God" church was founded in 1993 in the city of Kiev by Sunday Adelaja [a native of Nigeria--tr.]. At the present, the "Embassy of God" is one of the fastest growing protestant churches of Europe and it unites more than 400 churches in various corners of the globe.  (tr. by PDS, posted 26 October 2007)

Note: the web site of the "Embassy of God" in Ukraine is accessible here.

INFORMATION:  Leonid Mikhailovich Chernovetsky is the leader of the Christian Liberal party of Ukraine.

L.M. Chernovetsky is the honorary president of the Praveks-Bank and served as people's deputy of Ukraine in the second, third, and fourth convocations. He is a distinguished attorney of Ukraine, a kandidat of juridical sciences, and honorary member of the procuracy of Ukraine. He has experience as a prosecutorial investigator and teacher.

Leonid Mikhailovich is the author of many draft laws in the sphere of economics, law, social security, and he has performed substantial work in the improvement of draft laws submitted by other subjects of legislative initiative and existing laws. . . .

Leonid Mikhailovich is the leader of the Christian Liberal party of Ukraine and is a member of the "Our Ukraine" fraction. The Christian Liberal party of Ukraine is oriented to Christian values and principles of western European democracy and sees as its task the amassing of a mighty arsenal of Christianity and the power of individual freedom for the spiritual regeneration of society and the implementation of a market model for development of Ukraine on the principles of economic liberalism.

In 2006 Leonid Mikhailovich was elected president of the city of Kiev.

Leonid Mikhailovich is a believing man who professes Christian values. In Darnitsa and through the capital Leonid Mikhailovich conducts substantial charitable work, giving practical help for survival in our difficult time to thousands of poor elderly persons, invalids, and veterans. With his own money he support a free soup kitchen in which always, without any closed days, any hungry person, child or adult, receives food, clothing, and the warm Word of God.

From the web site of the Christian Liberal party of Ukraine


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Call for censorship of religious literature

ARKHANGELSK PRIEST CALLS MANAGEMENT OF BOOK STORE TO RESTRICT SALE OF "SECTARIAN" PUBLICATIONS
SOVA, 24 October 2007

The director of the evangelism department of the Arkhangelsk and Kholmogorsk diocese, Archpriest Evgeny Sokolov, sent a request to the management of the Arkhangelsk "House of Books" to restrict mass trade in occultic and "sectarian" literature.

"When I visited the House of Books in the city of Arkhangelsk I was amazed that alongside a quite small number of Orthodox books customers were presented an enormous selection of occultic and sectarian literature.  It is simply amazing how many works our enemies are producing, people who profess a false spirituality! The consequences of the increase of such literature are fearsome specifically in the spiritual realm. People who sell and buy such literature should know these consequences. Unfortunately, the House of Books does not have an expert who could determine false or true spiritual values that one or another writer is espousing. There are typical expressions:  "there is a demand for the literature so we will sell it." Everything is a matter of buying and selling. 'The Golden Bull' breaks down all walls, even the walls of elementary morality and spiritual security," the priest said.

The editors of the "Orthodoxy in the Northern Land" website note that "members of cells of destructive cults in Arkhangelsk have inserted into the books of their guru leaflets with invitations to classes and seminars, thereby persuading potential converts through the largest bookstore in Arkhangelsk."

The management of the story refused to impose any restrictions, stating that "in the situation where in Russia everybody may believe what they want, imposing censorship on occultic and religious literature is impossible.  (tr. by PDS, posted 24 Occtober 2007)

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Conscientious objector guilty

UDMURT COURT FINES JEHOVAH'S WITNESS FOR REFUSING ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
Interfax, 24 October 2007

The Lenin regional court of Izhevsk (Udmurt province, RF) sentenced a member of the "Jehovah's Witnesses" sect to a fine for refusing to perform alternative civilian service.

As the prosecutor's office of Udmurtiia reported on Wednesday, the convicted Dmitry Belorybkin had been summoned by the Belokholunitski regional military commissariat of Kirov province and assigned to perform alternative civilian service in the city of Izhevsk in the enterprise "Spetsstroe Rossii."

"The worker was assigned in accordance with his specialty in welding to perform work in the construction of residence and of a railroad station, and in car repair shops," the prosecutor's office explained the essence of the case.

"Subsequently, having learned that Spetsstroe Rossii is related to the Ministry of Defense, he refused further performance of civilian service," the report says.

"The defendant did not acknowledge his guilt and he explained that his religious faith forbids him to serve in military subdivisions, since he is a member of the 'Jehovah's Witnesses' religious organization.   However the prosecutor who participated in the judicial session managed to prove that Belorybkin refused to perform the service," the prosecutor's office's statement emphasized.

The court found D. Belorybkin guilty and set his punishment as a fine of 10,000 rubles. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 October 2007)

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Baptists seek identity

REFLECTIONS ON ESCAPING FROM THE GHETTO
Russian Baptist academic symposium held in Moscow
by Dr. William Yoder
Department for External Church Relations, Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
23 October 2007

The belief that many persons can be won for faith in Jesus Christ from a position far removed from society is mistaken. That was a general conclusion resulting from an academic symposium in Moscow on 19 and 20 October on the occasion of Russian Baptists' 140th anniversary. The religion sociologist Professor Remir Lopatkin (Moscow) spoke of a Òvoluntary-involuntary ghetto, from which not all believers desire to escape for fear of colliding with the realities of lifeÓ. Another speaker spoke of the pressing necessity to liberate ourselves Òfrom a complex of social marginalizationÓ.

According to the Moscow scientist and Baptist Michael Nievolin, the route out of the ghetto and into society demands a rejection of all extremism Ð be it liberal or fundamentalist in nature. ÒUnfortunately, extremism does not appear only among Baptists. ItÕs a characteristic common to Russian society. We are nearly incapable of dialogue. Yet in the 21st century we should finally become capable of respecting other-minded opinions. And that should be true both within and outside of Baptist circles. But respect for other views does not imply that one must surrender oneÕs own view. We must learn how to discuss.Ó

Questions of identity and perspective remained at the forefront. Michael Ivanov, Director of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians- Baptists' (RUECB) Department for Theology and Catechism criticized a Ònegative religious identityÓ growing out of a position of enmity. He mentioned as an example the free church Molokan movement of the 19th century: its identity had been sustained by animosity towards the Orthodox. The mindset Ð prevalent not only among Molokans - was: ÒWe are not like they are.Ó Yet through the Bolshevist revolution, the Orthodox suddenly became fellow sufferers. A church with nearly a million supporters soon shrivelled to a tiny minority. ÒWe Baptists were more creative,Ó Ivanov continued. ÒInitially, we were anti-Orthodox, too, but we soon transformed ourselves into anti-atheists. That saved us. Since the 1990s we are taking an antisociety stance. We have always needed to be against somebody.Ó

Ivanov noted that Baptists cannot look to Orthodox or Catholics for answers to the complex matter of locating oneÕs own identity. Baptists are without a body of traditions. They are no ethnic grouping and have no claim to a general, majority Ð ÒCatholicÓ Ð faith. Baptist identity can therefore only result from its commitment to the Bible.

Nievolin confessed he could not imagine the Baptists ever becoming RussiaÕs largest confession. ÒBut the perspective that the faith among us grows and emanates ever more influence on society Ð I certainly can imagine that occurring.Ó

Russian Baptists ascribe the beginnings of their movement to the adult, believers´ baptism of the first ethnic Russian in Tiflis/Georgia on 20 August 1867. The person baptized was Nikita Voronin (1840-1905).

The RUECB, RussiaÕs largest unified Protestant church, represents approximately 80.000 adult members meeting in 1.750 local congregations and groups. Its president is Pastor Yuri Sipko. (posted 24 October 2007

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Baptists:  "No real religious freedom"

BAPTISTS, THE STATE, AND THE CHURCH
Department for External Church Relations, Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
October 2007

Russia's controversial "Law on the Freedom of Conscience" was honored with a round of discussions in the Duma on the occasion of its 10th birthday, 15 June. Though one speaker appealed for a total union of Orthodoxy and the state, Sergei Ryahovski, bishop of the charismatic "United Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith" called for adding the word "Protestant" to the law's preamble. In conversations afterward, the also-present Vitaly Vlasenko explained: "The preamble only speaks of the Russian Orthodox Church 'and other Christian organizations'. That means nothing to many local officials who are unaware of the fact that Protestants are also Christians."

Pastor Vlasenko regards changes in the legislation of 1997 as unlikely. "This law may be full of holes, but it looks very durable. We have no real religious freedom, but that is not a problem for most of this country's movers and shakers." All that can probably be hoped for is a continuing, hesitant toleration of Protestants by the national majority.

On that same evening, Vlasenko participated in the Orthodox reception marking the 17th anniversary of Alexei II's enthronement. Though Russian Lutherans had also been invited, the Baptist pastor was disappointed to apparently have been the sole Russian Protestant in the crowd of 500 invited guests. .

At our department's request, a meeting took place in late August with the regional administration for Moscow district (outside the city of Moscow). On 26 July, the EU Court for Human Rights had sentenced the Russian government to a payment of 6.000 euros. After the chapel in Chehov was destroyed by fire in 2001, the congregation there had been forbidden to meet under the open skies. Further incidents in Latoshino and Balashikha were an additional reason for Baptists to request the meeting. Rev. Vlasenko reported after the meeting: "Our partners had already done some research on us. But they knew nothing about the events in Chekhov which have been reported on widely throughout Europe."

The second Baptist present at the meeting was the businessman Alexander Semchenko, who represents Protestants in the political "Advisory Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations in the presidential administration of the Russian Federation". He remarked in the meeting that Baptists did not expect big changes immediately. Yet the RUECB would always be ready to develop relations with this local administration. He added: "We want to help the people of Moscow region grow in their knowledge of God. We want to help them be good citizens, and we also want to teach our young people to be such."

Pastor Vlasenko concluded: "The meeting did not fulfill all of our expectations. The road is still long. But we want to be patient and not lose the hope that we will someday still meet with Regional Governor Boris Gromov, for he is an important figure."  (posted 24 October 2007)