Story number 1 for 9 May 2000

We begin today with a new era for Russia, marking its first democratic transfer of power. President Vladimir Putin has formally been inaugurated and has already vowed to restore their world status. Russian Ministries’ Peter Deyneka says religion will have a definate part of that restoration. “President Putin has been on television nation-wide talking about spiritual values and the need for new spiritual foundations for Russian, in order to be a strong country.” Deyneka says this could be a big boost to evangelism and church planting in Russia. “It means that we can continue our seminars to train evangelists and church planters. And then, to go out into areas where there are no churches and start new churches.” Putin has religious roots as his grandmother secretly baptized him as a child during the days of communism.