Story number 1 for 30 Mar 2001

(Russia)–Our newscast begins in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has strengthened and expanded his power base. This week, Putin reformed his cabinet and named staunch loyalists to the defense and interior minister posts. Russian Ministries’ Andrew Semenchuk says they’re watching the situation. “We’ve noticed, just at the kind of people Putin has been putting into place, that our situation could be very shaky in the future. We already have reports, particularly far away from the big cities, there is pressure both from former Communists and by the Orthodox church.” As for their continued ministry in Russia, Semenchuk says: “Pray for the evangelical leadership that is making inroads. In fact, the president of the Evangelical Christian Baptist Union had an audience with Putin, and is asking for another one to present their problems to the President directly.”