Russia/Belarus (MNN) — Russia’s president is determined to take over Ukraine, but that doesn’t mean all Russian people share the same view. A ministry contact in Russia tells TransWorld Radio that believers continue to meet and pray over the situation in Ukraine.
“They are not sitting [down] saying ‘Hey, we can’t do anything, we’re not going to do anything.’ No, a lot of evangelicals want to pray for the situation, [and] pray for peace,” TWR’s Frank Stephenson says.
Where they can, Russian Christians help refugees from Ukraine in practical ways, like providing food and shelter. “We often hear about the refugees coming to the European Union,” Stephenson says.
“However, there are [also] a number of (Ukrainian) Russian speakers [on the run], and they have chosen – maybe because of the proximity of the borders, et cetera – to go to Russia for safety.”
TWR’s ministry friends gathered recently at a women’s conference in Russia. The situation in Ukraine weighs heavily on these believers as they pray for peace in the region.
The strong international backlash against Russia and Belarus affects believers in these countries.
TWR friends and contacts worry about how they will continue to minister to their fellow citizens as resources dry up. Among the outreach that may be affected in Russia are relatively young but growing FM broadcasts, vibrant internet programming, and groundbreaking broadcasts of TWR’s Women of Hope in the North Caucasus.
(Photo courtesy of TWR)
In Belarus, a TWR contact has family members who lived in Ukraine but now have taken refuge in Central Europe. Because they are Belarusians, they are hampered by sanctions against that country. Yet it’s not safe for them to return to Belarus.
Pray these believers can find ways to get established in their new location. Pray TWR’s contacts can keep working in Belarus and Russia.
“They might not have to deal with the war and violent conflict directly, but [they feel] its effects,” Stephenson says.
“They (Gospel workers in Belarus and Russia) face quite an uncertain future. If you’re not part of the state church, you don’t know how long you will have freedom to share the Gospel and encourage the Christian fellowship.”
See the latest TWR Ukraine updates here.
In the header image, Russian women gather at a recent conference that included some of TWR’s ministry friends. Brothers and sisters in Christ are represented in all three countries – Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
(Photo, caption courtesy of TWR)
