Russia: Evangelicals v Orthodox Church
For decades, the Russian Orthodox Church was persecuted under the Soviet Union's Communist Party. For eight years, Yuri Sipko ran one of the largest Baptist organizations in Russia. Now, 20 years after the fall of Communism he worries about the growing threats against the country's evangelical movement. ‘The government recently…
Russia: Deadly clashes on border
A gun battle on the Karachayeva-Stavropol border stirs fears of violence spreading across the ethnically divided Caucasus. Violence in that particular area has been less frequent than in neighbouring Dagestan, or Ingushetia and Chechnya where deadly attacks take place almost daily. One of the bombers behind numerous attacks has been…
Russia: Clergy may run for office
The Russian Orthodox Church has ruled that hierarchs (church leaders) and clergy can run for office in exceptional cases when their presence is needed to fight ‘forces striving to use electoral power to fight the Orthodox Church.’ A document passed on 2 February by the Bishops' Council, which was meeting…
Russia: Churches set on fire
Three churches in a predominantly Muslim province in Russia were set on fire by arsonists early Monday. One of the buildings, an Orthodox church in the village of Ordzhonikidzevsky, was almost totally destroyed. An Orthodox church and a Baptist church in the nearby city of Karachaevsk sustained only minimal damage…
