Pastor Mikhail and his wife Svetlana
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1.
Please help Christians who suffer oppression and violence for their faith in Jesus today.
As you gear up to celebrate another Christmas with family and friends, will you help Christians who are living under oppression and the threat of violence?
Pastor Mikhail still remembers well the last service he led in his church – because it was stormed by armed soldiers.
Around 200 Christians were worshipping in the Melitopol Baptist Church in southeastern Ukraine when twenty or so fully armed, masked and helmeted Russian soldiers entered, locked the doors and began arresting people.
‘They blocked people in the sanctuary and started taking fingerprints and checking documents and taking photos of everyone. They blocked our internet and arrested the pastors and deacons. People were interrogated in the church office.’
Pastor Mikhail was arrested and interrogated separately, for several hours. His home was searched and computers and church records taken. He and his wife were then given two days to leave the city. ‘We felt they would kill us if we didn’t leave,’ he said.
Could you send a gift of £30 or more to Release International to help us support Christians around the world like Mikhail and his family who suffer oppression and the threat of violence for their faith in Christ?
Mikhail said he and other church leaders had realised the threat, having been previously arrested and questioned for praying in the city square. ‘All summer they had tried to scare us or blackmail us,’ he said. Fearing further arrests and violent treatment, Mikhail and his wife Svitlana had already sent their four children to a safer part of Ukraine by the time their church building was raided.
Mikhail and his family now live in Western Ukraine, in the home of Christian friends. Many of his former church members have also left Melitopol – some even fleeing to other countries. He has since sought to provide them with some pastoral care. ‘We have tried to make contact with them and to pray with them online,’ said Mikhail. Some have remained in the city.
The church, built by Ukrainians early in the 20th Century, has now been annexed by the Russians. Its cross has been removed and it has been turned into a regional Ministry of Culture office. Mikhail’s great hope is that one day he will be able to return to Melitopol and conduct services in the building again.
Although the causes of wars can be complex, our concern is always for brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith and gospel witness. Our partners working in Ukraine have been providing trauma relief for pastors caught up in the current conflict. They also support Christian leaders in Ukraine who are continuing to engage in evangelistic, pastoral and humanitarian work. Could you make a gift at this time to support us in our work?
A gift of £30, £50, £100, £250 – or any amount you can give – can make a real difference for Christians, not just in Ukraine but in other parts of the world where they face on-going oppression and the threat of violence, simply for their faithfulness to Christ and the gospel.
Mikhail remains strong in his faith, despite all he has seen and been through. ‘God has allowed these things to happen, but he is in control,’ he said.
But on-going oppression can be wearying, even for the strongest of Christian souls. That is why we are asking you to consider making a gift at this time to support those who suffer because of their faith.
Thank you so much for your concern for persecuted Christians around the world. Every gift you give enables us to support our partners in all the vital work they do to show God’s love to those who suffer for him.
May God bless you in the coming Advent and Christmas season,
Paul Robinson
CEO, Release International
