“. . . turn away from any manifestations of hostility, hatred, bitterness, or bloodshed” Prayer Appeal for UKRAINE

The Euro-Asiatic Federation of Evangelical Christian- Baptists, a sub-regional group of Baptists, appealed for prayer for Ukraine during its 55th Kazakhstan, on May 11.

congress in Almaty,

The congress noted that “Ukraine represents one of the early centers of the Evangelical-Christian Baptist movement in pre- revolutionary Russia” and that the country comprises “the largest number of churches as well as individual believers” in the sub- region.

Participants in the conflict in Ukraine were urged “to avoid actions that fuel discord and strife,” to “turn away from any manifestations of hostility, hatred, bitterness, or bloodshed” and to “resist the temptation to escalate tensions and instead to pull back from the darkening abyss.”

“We recognize that prayer is the most important weapon in our spiritual struggle,” the delegates declared. In praying for Ukraine, its leaders and citizens, the Baptist gathering offered “to make every effort to assist the Ukrainian people in restoring peace and in living in a way that is pleasing to God.” Baptist believers in the region were encouraged to join together in a day of prayer and fasting over the situation in Ukraine. Members in the Euro-Asiatic Federation are drawn mainly from countries that were part of the Soviet Union and which gained independence after that country collapsed in 1991. Representatives at the meeting in Kazakhstan came from Russia, Ukraine,

Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

UKRAINIAN & RUSSIAN Baptists Seek Common Ground

Baptist leaders in Ukraine and Russia met in April to “present a visible sign of support for the possibility of a peaceful dialogue between our churches and nations.” The meeting took place in the wake of the collapse of the previous government in Ukraine in February in the face of widespread protests and tensions between Ukraine and Russia that threatened the possibility of war. Vyacheslav Nesteruk, president of the All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (AUUAECB) and Alexey Smirnov, president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, met at the Kiev offices of the AUUAECB on April 8. A communique from that meeting condemned “all acts of violence and brutality against persons as well as the resolution of political problems by military means.” The leaders appealed “to all who are responsible for the future of our countries to hold firmly to the principles of freedom of conscience and confession as well as the non-interference of the state and political forces in the internal organizations.”

life of religious

Baptist and other Christians in both Ukraine and Russia were encouraged “to pray for a peaceful resolution of the political confrontation between our two countries” and “to contribute to the process of forgiveness and agreement between our peoples.” Ukrainians and Russians, Christians in particular, were “to make every effort to avoid any provocations, to retain in their hearts love for the neighbor [and] to respect his human dignity and religious beliefs.”

The leaders expressed sorrow at the loss of life that resulted from the conflicts and pledged “our sincere willingness to pray and support deeds of fraternal dialogue and the promotion of peace in the Russian and Ukrainian societies.” Despite what happens, Nesteruk, the Ukrainian Baptist president, and Smirnov , his Russian counterpart, said “We are ready, regardless of our circumstances, to cooperate further in proclaiming the Gospel in our own countries and throughout the world.”

Below: Russian Baptist Union President Alexey Smirnov (left) and Ukraine counterpart Vyacheslav Nesteruk, at a meeting in Kiev on April 8