Commentary
L a d u s h k i n -- Shock was the overriding reaction felt by Russia’s Protestants when the invasion of Ukraine broke loose on 24 February. “I never thought I would live to see something like this!” was a feeling expressed by thousands. Yet once the initial dust had settled and once the Kremlin’s decision appeared irreversible, it became a near consensus among the general population that Russians need to “stand together and see this thing through”. This may well help explain Vladimir Putin’s surge in popularity with approval ratings hovering around 85%. There is much talk of hypocrisy: Naughty tongues claim Western ire directed at Russia was provoked by Russia smashing America’s monopoly on foreign invasions.
Shrinkage is the order of the day. A leader at Russia’s Baptist Union headquarters in Moscow chuckled when he overheard me conversing with another US-American in English. Seeing two Americans at once has become a rarity in Russia. The Baptist Union’s every-fourth-year congress is scheduled for 19 and 20 May in Moscow. “We’ve sent out very many invitations and do hope that at least several Americans will pay us a visit,” one of the Union’s secretaries stated.
It appears that entertainment stars, intelligentsia, computer programmers and Protestants are prominent among the groups most eager to emigrate. The sudden flight of Moscow archbishop Dietrich Brauer to Germany in mid-March sent shock waves through Lutheran circles. One recent report had 30.000 Russians and 10.000 Ukrainians marooned in Mexico awaiting entry into the USA. The “horizontal rapture” that accommodated the outbreak of hostilities transported approx. 300.000 citizens beyond Russia’s borders.
The Western embargo on the transfer of funds to Russia has sobered more than just computer programmers; Southern Baptists’ immense “International Mission Board” pulled its last die-hard missionaries out of Russia as soon as this embargo took hold. Missions and denominations incapable of exiting are working on new channels of funding routed through third countries such as Hungary, Serbia and Kazakhstan.
The current situation
An insider reported on a 3-way split within Baptist circles: Unpolitical, pro-Western (he called them “colonialist”) and nationalist, pro-government groups. A statement by the “Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists” (RUECB) on 8 April assured that “we make no political evaluation of those involved in the conflict. We call all to peace and human mercy.“ This reflects traditional Baptist aloofness regarding the political realm. Sergey Ryakhovsky, head bishop of the „Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith” (ROSKhVE), has in contrast stoked controversy especially in Ukraine and the West by making statements regarded as overly-supporting of the war effort.
A leading Baptist theologian in Moscow asks whether our faith is now up to the difficult task at hand. “War was completely beyond our list of possible options,” he states. “For some believers it’s as if God is deaf; he does not hear our prayers. We are at a loss on how to pray, on what to preach. We Russians are suddenly regarded as outlaws by the West and we do not know how to react. We can find logical reasons to justify the current war, but how can we square that with Jesus’ commands?” The alienation between Russian and Ukrainian evangelicals appears profound and lasting. In social networks, Christians in Ukraine and Russia are expressing themselves in ways far beyond the constraints of the Christian faith.
Vitaly Vlasenko, General-Secretary of the “Russian Evangelical Alliance”, concludes that we need nothing less than another Moses, a new leader capable of showing his people the way towards liberation. “We must remain convinced in the power of the Christian message,” adds Vlasenko. “We are otherwise lost.”
Not surprisingly, the current crisis has at the same time brought Russia’s denominations closer to one another. In April, both ROSKhVE and the RUECB produced statements condemning the eventual banning of the Moscow Patriarchate from Ukraine. Historically, the Moscow-based Orthodox patriarchate is Ukraine’s largest Christian denomination.
Another Moscow pastor has a completely different reading on events and peers far beyond the immediate question of war. He claims to feel comfortable regarding the present, global transition. The fog has lifted; the sheep and goats are separating. The true state of affairs is becoming visible. The identity of the church’s true friends – and its fair-weather-friends – is becoming apparent. After 35 years, Russia is once again willing to stand up and defend its own interests. The can-do attitude has returned. Only such determination can make a country strong.
Who truly is a Russian patriot, and who is content to remain the foreign appendage and arm of Western sponsors? “Our church organisations must find their funding in Russia – there are monies to be found here,” this evangelical pastor claims. He concludes that one can no longer sit simultaneously on two chairs in the secular realm, collecting one’s profits in Russia and spending them elsewhere.
A theologian friend in Kiev has thrice demanded that this Moscow pastor publically distance himself from Russian actions in Ukraine. Yet this pastor finds that perspective superficial and demands instead that one reckon with the much larger, global context.
The danger of hyperbole
It’s important to remember that full mobilization has occurred only in Ukraine. Indeed, the call-to-arms of all able-bodied males between 18 and 60 was a reason for emigration during the first days of the war. Fortunately, not all refugees are traumatised and in rags. Ukraine refugees and Russian vacationers are meeting – usually unwillingly - on the beaches of the Turkish resort town of Antalya. I am personally aware of multiple cases in which Ukrainian citizens residing long-term in Russia have availed themselves of the current golden opportunity to emigrate westward.
Moscow pastor Leonid Kartavenko reports that Antalya hosts at least 800 refugees from Ukraine. With aid from the Ukrainian consulate, half of this number found their way to an evangelical Easter service. Another Moscovite reports that, despite all departures, church attendance is increasing. People on the street are open to conversation on matters of faith, much as if it were 1990 once again.
In contrast to Russia, Ukraine is a war zone and individual freedom is more restricted there. Russians continue expressing anti-war sentiment on social media, including Youtube. Vitaly Vlasenko made waves when in the name of the Russian Alliance he apologised on 14 March to Ukrainians for the suffering the current conflict has caused them. Bishop Brauer explained in Germany that he fled Russia in order to escape possible future, not current, repression (see German Wikipedia).
When watching Western media, one would think the present Ukrainian conflict qualifies as total war. Yet tragically, weeping mothers, dead civilians and damaged buildings can be found on all sides. The West prefers to hide the general, larger picture. Observers such as the US-American veteran Scott Ritter note that the Russian army began its operation with great caution, hoping to be greeted with bread and salt. Until recently, rail lines and communal services remained intact and Kiev is still visited almost daily by Western politicians. Phone (and gas) lines between Ukraine and Russia have been working. Yet the war is dragging on, the infrastructure is now being attacked and conditions are bound to get worse.
A note on the usage of the term “war”: According to the Russian interpretation, the current war began in February 2014 with the putsch in Kiev – nearly 14.000 deaths over the course of eight years followed. The current “special operation” is consequently only intended to end a war, and not to start one. This at least was Russia’s reasoning in February 2022.
The only solution
The naked emotion so apparent in Western Europe destroys logic and reason. The establishment of peace requires cooler heads. Describing the conflict in black and white is massively counterproductive. On the essential point there is no need whatsoever for wavering nor soul-searching: Negotiation and compromise are the only route to a peace in the foreseeable future! Continuing the shipment of weapons or awaiting a decision on the battlefield deserves only the sharpest possible condemnation. The region of Ukraine and its people must not be destroyed! As the German politician Sahra Wagenknecht claimed on 5 May, a Russian defeat would require a Western victory in a nuclear conflict. The warmongers dare not be offered such an opportunity.
The Russian Alliance
On 31 March, the 2003-founded “Russian Evangelical Alliance” announced a major restructuring. Its new president is Sergey Lavrinov from Tyumen in Western Siberia. Lavrinov (born 1964) serves as a bishop in the Pentecostal, afore-mentioned ROSKhVE. He replaces the long-time president Alexander Fedichkin, a Baptist pastor from Moscow. Fedichkin (born 1951), who only served the first year of his latest six-year term, remains one of the REA’s four vice-presidents. A new constitution and by-laws are planned.
General-Secretary Vitaly Vlasenko has assembled a team of dynamic younger leaders with plans. His biggest challenge now will be to insure that the established evangelical denominations remain onboard and active in the Alliance.
Ladushkin, Kaliningrad region, 10 May 2022
Originally from Webpage: "wyoder.de"
CCD reprinted with permission.
最初的反应是震惊
当2月24日对乌克兰的入侵爆发时，俄罗斯新教徒的第一反应是震惊。“我从没想过我活着时会看到这样的事情！”，这是成千上万人的心声。然而，一旦最初的尘埃落定，一旦克里姆林宫的决定似乎不可逆转，普通民众就几乎达成了共识，即俄罗斯人需要“团结一致，将此事坚持到底”。这很可能有助于解释弗拉基米尔·普京受欢迎程度飙升的原因，其支持率徘徊在85%左右。有很多关于虚伪的讨论：有不当的言论声称，西方对俄罗斯的愤怒是由俄罗斯打破美国对外入侵的垄断引起的。
现今的结构秩序是收缩。莫斯科俄罗斯浸信会总部的一位领导人无意间听到我与另一位美国人用英语交谈时，就暗自发笑了起来。在俄罗斯，同时见到两个美国人已经很罕见了。浸信会每四年一次的大会定于5月19日至20日在莫斯科举行。浸信会的一位秘书说:“我们已经发出了很多邀请，并希望至少有几个美国人会来参加。”
娱乐明星、知识分子、电脑程序员和新教徒似乎是最渴望移民的群体。3月中旬，福音路德会的莫斯科大主教迪特里希·布劳尔（Dietrich Brauer）突然飞往德国，这在路德宗的圈子里引起了轩然大波。最近的一份报告显示，3万名俄罗斯人和1万名乌克兰人被困在墨西哥，等待进入美国。考虑到敌对行为爆发的“横向狂喜”将大约30万名公民运送到了俄罗斯境外。
西方对向俄罗斯转移资金的禁运令唤醒的不仅仅是计算机程序员；禁运令一经实施，美南浸信会庞大的“国际传教委员会”就将最后一批坚守的传教士撤出了俄罗斯。无法离开的传教团和教派正在通过匈牙利、塞尔维亚和哈萨克斯坦等第三国寻找新的资金渠道。
当前形势
一位内部人士报道了浸信会圈子内的三方分裂：非政治的、亲西方的（他称之为“殖民主义”）和民族主义的亲政府团体。俄罗斯福音派基督徒-浸信会联盟4月8日的一份声明保证称：“我们对卷入冲突的人不作政治评价。我们呼吁所有人保持和平和人性的怜悯。”这反映了传统的浸信会对政治领域的冷漠。相比之下，俄罗斯福音派-五旬节信仰基督教联合联盟的首席主教谢尔盖·里亚霍夫斯基（Sergey Ryakhovsky）因发表了被视为过度支持战争行动的言论，尤其在乌克兰和西方国家引发了争议。
莫斯科一位著名的浸信会神学家问道，我们的信仰现在是否能胜任眼前的艰巨任务。他说：“战争完全超出了我们的选择范围。对一些信徒来说，上帝好像是聋子；他听不见我们的祷告。我们不知如何祷告，不知该传讲什么。我们俄罗斯人突然被西方视为不法之徒，我们不知道该如何反应。我们可以找到合乎逻辑的理由来为当前的战争辩护，但我们如何使之符合耶稣的命令呢？”俄罗斯和乌克兰福音派之间的疏远似乎是深远而持久的。在社交网络中，乌克兰和俄罗斯的基督徒表达自己的方式远远超出了基督教信仰的限制。
俄罗斯福音联盟秘书长维塔利·瓦拉森科（Vitaly Vlasenko）总结说，我们需要的正是另一个摩西，一个能够带领他的人民走向解放的新领袖。瓦拉森科补充说:“我们必须继续坚信基督教信息的力量，否则我们就会迷失方向。”
不足为奇的是，当前的危机同时也使俄罗斯各宗派的关系更加紧密。4月，俄罗斯福音派-五旬节信仰基督教联合联盟和俄罗斯福音派基督徒-浸信会联盟都发表声明，谴责俄罗斯东正教会对于乌克兰的最终禁令。从历史上看，总部位于莫斯科的俄罗斯东正教会是乌克兰最大的基督教教派。
另一位莫斯科牧师对远远超出直接战争问题的事件和同行有完全不同的解读。他声称对目前的全球转型感到满意。迷雾散去；绵羊和山羊正在分开。事态的真实情况正在变得可见。教会真正的朋友和不可共患难的朋友的身份正变得越来越明显。35年后，俄罗斯再次愿意站出来捍卫自己的利益。这种积极进取的态度又回来了。只有这样的决心才能使国家强大。
谁是真正的俄罗斯爱国者，谁满足于继续成为西方赞助者的附庸和武装？这位福音派牧师声称：“我们的教会组织必须在俄罗斯找到资金——这里可以找到资金。”他得出的结论是，一个人不能再在世俗领域同时坐在两把椅子上，在俄罗斯收集自己的利润，然后将它们花在其他地方。基辅的一位神学家朋友三次要求这位莫斯科牧师公开与俄罗斯在乌克兰的行动保持距离。然而，这位牧师认为这种观点是肤浅的，并要求人们考虑到更大的全球背景。
言过其实的危险
重要的是要记住，全面动员只发生在乌克兰。事实上，在战争的最初几天，所有18到60岁的健壮男性的征召是移民的一个原因。幸运的是，并非所有难民都受过创伤，衣衫褴褛。乌克兰难民和俄罗斯度假者通常在不情愿的情况下，在土耳其度假胜地安塔利亚的海滩上相遇。我个人了解到了多个关于在俄罗斯长期居住的乌克兰公民利用目前的黄金机会向西移民的例子。
据莫斯科牧师列奥尼德·卡尔塔文科（Leonid Kartavenko）报道，安塔利亚收容了至少800名来自乌克兰的难民。在乌克兰领事馆的帮助下，这些人中有一半找到了参加福音派复活节礼拜的途径。另一个莫斯科人报告说，尽管有很多人离开，但去教会做礼拜的人越来越多。街上的人们对信仰问题持开放态度，就像回到了1990年一样。
与俄罗斯相比，乌克兰是一个战区，个人自由在那里受到更多限制。俄罗斯人持续在包括Youtube在内的社交媒体上表达反战情绪。3月14日，维塔利·瓦拉森科以俄罗斯福音联盟的名义就当前冲突给乌克兰人造成的痛苦向乌克兰人道歉，这引起了轩然大波。布劳尔主教在德国解释说，他逃离俄罗斯是为了逃避未来可能会有的压制，而不是现有的压制。
在观看西方媒体时，人们会认为目前的乌克兰冲突是一场全面战争。然而，可悲的是，到处都能看到哭泣的母亲、死亡的平民和被毁的建筑物。西方更喜欢隐藏总体的、更大的图景。美国退伍军人斯科特·里特尔（Scott Ritter）等观察人士指出，俄罗斯军队在开始行动时非常谨慎，希望看到的是“箪食壶浆，以迎王师”。直到最近，铁路和公共服务仍然完好无损，几乎每天都有西方政客造访基辅。乌克兰和俄罗斯之间的电话（和天然气）线路一直在工作。然而，战争仍在继续，基础设施正在受到攻击，情况势必会变得更糟。
关于“战争”一词用法的说明：根据俄罗斯的解释，目前的战争始于2014年2月基辅的政变，其在随后的八年时间里造成了近14000人死亡。因此，目前的“特别行动”只是为了结束战争，而不是发动战争。这至少是俄罗斯在2022年2月的理由。
唯一的解决办法
在西欧，赤裸裸的情感破坏了逻辑和理性。建立和平需要冷静的头脑。用非黑即白的方式来描述这场冲突会适得其反。在关键问题上，没有任何动摇或反省的必要：谈判和妥协是在可预见的未来实现和平的唯一途径！继续运送武器或等待在战场上作出决定只应受到最严厉的谴责。乌克兰地区及其人民不能被摧毁！正如德国政治家萨拉·瓦根内克希特（Sahra Wagenknecht）在5月5日所宣称的那样，俄罗斯的失败需要西方在核冲突中取得胜利。不敢让战争贩子得到这样的机会。
俄罗斯福音联盟
3月31日，成立于2003年的俄罗斯福音联盟宣布进行重大重组。它的新任主席是来自西西伯利亚秋明的谢尔盖·拉夫里诺夫（Sergey Lavrinov）。拉夫里诺夫（1964年出生）在五旬节派，即上述的“俄罗斯福音派-五旬节信仰基督教联合联盟”中担任主教。他取代了长期担任主席的亚历山大·费迪奇金（Alexander Fedichkin），他是一位来自莫斯科的浸信会牧师。费迪奇金（1951年出生），在最近的6年任期中只担任了第一年，仍然是俄罗斯福音联盟的4个副主席之一。新的i教会宪法和附则正在计划中。
秘书长维塔利·瓦拉森科组建了一个充满活力的年轻领导人团队，制定了计划。他现在最大的挑战将是确保已建立的福音教派在联盟中保持活跃和参与。
原作者威廉·尤德博士（William Yoder, Ph.D.），写于2022年5月10日，加里宁格勒地区拉杜什金
俄乌冲突中的俄罗斯福音派
Commentary
L a d u s h k i n -- Shock was the overriding reaction felt by Russia’s Protestants when the invasion of Ukraine broke loose on 24 February. “I never thought I would live to see something like this!” was a feeling expressed by thousands. Yet once the initial dust had settled and once the Kremlin’s decision appeared irreversible, it became a near consensus among the general population that Russians need to “stand together and see this thing through”. This may well help explain Vladimir Putin’s surge in popularity with approval ratings hovering around 85%. There is much talk of hypocrisy: Naughty tongues claim Western ire directed at Russia was provoked by Russia smashing America’s monopoly on foreign invasions.
Shrinkage is the order of the day. A leader at Russia’s Baptist Union headquarters in Moscow chuckled when he overheard me conversing with another US-American in English. Seeing two Americans at once has become a rarity in Russia. The Baptist Union’s every-fourth-year congress is scheduled for 19 and 20 May in Moscow. “We’ve sent out very many invitations and do hope that at least several Americans will pay us a visit,” one of the Union’s secretaries stated.
It appears that entertainment stars, intelligentsia, computer programmers and Protestants are prominent among the groups most eager to emigrate. The sudden flight of Moscow archbishop Dietrich Brauer to Germany in mid-March sent shock waves through Lutheran circles. One recent report had 30.000 Russians and 10.000 Ukrainians marooned in Mexico awaiting entry into the USA. The “horizontal rapture” that accommodated the outbreak of hostilities transported approx. 300.000 citizens beyond Russia’s borders.
The Western embargo on the transfer of funds to Russia has sobered more than just computer programmers; Southern Baptists’ immense “International Mission Board” pulled its last die-hard missionaries out of Russia as soon as this embargo took hold. Missions and denominations incapable of exiting are working on new channels of funding routed through third countries such as Hungary, Serbia and Kazakhstan.
The current situation
An insider reported on a 3-way split within Baptist circles: Unpolitical, pro-Western (he called them “colonialist”) and nationalist, pro-government groups. A statement by the “Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists” (RUECB) on 8 April assured that “we make no political evaluation of those involved in the conflict. We call all to peace and human mercy.“ This reflects traditional Baptist aloofness regarding the political realm. Sergey Ryakhovsky, head bishop of the „Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith” (ROSKhVE), has in contrast stoked controversy especially in Ukraine and the West by making statements regarded as overly-supporting of the war effort.
A leading Baptist theologian in Moscow asks whether our faith is now up to the difficult task at hand. “War was completely beyond our list of possible options,” he states. “For some believers it’s as if God is deaf; he does not hear our prayers. We are at a loss on how to pray, on what to preach. We Russians are suddenly regarded as outlaws by the West and we do not know how to react. We can find logical reasons to justify the current war, but how can we square that with Jesus’ commands?” The alienation between Russian and Ukrainian evangelicals appears profound and lasting. In social networks, Christians in Ukraine and Russia are expressing themselves in ways far beyond the constraints of the Christian faith.
Vitaly Vlasenko, General-Secretary of the “Russian Evangelical Alliance”, concludes that we need nothing less than another Moses, a new leader capable of showing his people the way towards liberation. “We must remain convinced in the power of the Christian message,” adds Vlasenko. “We are otherwise lost.”
Not surprisingly, the current crisis has at the same time brought Russia’s denominations closer to one another. In April, both ROSKhVE and the RUECB produced statements condemning the eventual banning of the Moscow Patriarchate from Ukraine. Historically, the Moscow-based Orthodox patriarchate is Ukraine’s largest Christian denomination.
Another Moscow pastor has a completely different reading on events and peers far beyond the immediate question of war. He claims to feel comfortable regarding the present, global transition. The fog has lifted; the sheep and goats are separating. The true state of affairs is becoming visible. The identity of the church’s true friends – and its fair-weather-friends – is becoming apparent. After 35 years, Russia is once again willing to stand up and defend its own interests. The can-do attitude has returned. Only such determination can make a country strong.
Who truly is a Russian patriot, and who is content to remain the foreign appendage and arm of Western sponsors? “Our church organisations must find their funding in Russia – there are monies to be found here,” this evangelical pastor claims. He concludes that one can no longer sit simultaneously on two chairs in the secular realm, collecting one’s profits in Russia and spending them elsewhere.
A theologian friend in Kiev has thrice demanded that this Moscow pastor publically distance himself from Russian actions in Ukraine. Yet this pastor finds that perspective superficial and demands instead that one reckon with the much larger, global context.
The danger of hyperbole
It’s important to remember that full mobilization has occurred only in Ukraine. Indeed, the call-to-arms of all able-bodied males between 18 and 60 was a reason for emigration during the first days of the war. Fortunately, not all refugees are traumatised and in rags. Ukraine refugees and Russian vacationers are meeting – usually unwillingly - on the beaches of the Turkish resort town of Antalya. I am personally aware of multiple cases in which Ukrainian citizens residing long-term in Russia have availed themselves of the current golden opportunity to emigrate westward.
Moscow pastor Leonid Kartavenko reports that Antalya hosts at least 800 refugees from Ukraine. With aid from the Ukrainian consulate, half of this number found their way to an evangelical Easter service. Another Moscovite reports that, despite all departures, church attendance is increasing. People on the street are open to conversation on matters of faith, much as if it were 1990 once again.
In contrast to Russia, Ukraine is a war zone and individual freedom is more restricted there. Russians continue expressing anti-war sentiment on social media, including Youtube. Vitaly Vlasenko made waves when in the name of the Russian Alliance he apologised on 14 March to Ukrainians for the suffering the current conflict has caused them. Bishop Brauer explained in Germany that he fled Russia in order to escape possible future, not current, repression (see German Wikipedia).
When watching Western media, one would think the present Ukrainian conflict qualifies as total war. Yet tragically, weeping mothers, dead civilians and damaged buildings can be found on all sides. The West prefers to hide the general, larger picture. Observers such as the US-American veteran Scott Ritter note that the Russian army began its operation with great caution, hoping to be greeted with bread and salt. Until recently, rail lines and communal services remained intact and Kiev is still visited almost daily by Western politicians. Phone (and gas) lines between Ukraine and Russia have been working. Yet the war is dragging on, the infrastructure is now being attacked and conditions are bound to get worse.
A note on the usage of the term “war”: According to the Russian interpretation, the current war began in February 2014 with the putsch in Kiev – nearly 14.000 deaths over the course of eight years followed. The current “special operation” is consequently only intended to end a war, and not to start one. This at least was Russia’s reasoning in February 2022.
The only solution
The naked emotion so apparent in Western Europe destroys logic and reason. The establishment of peace requires cooler heads. Describing the conflict in black and white is massively counterproductive. On the essential point there is no need whatsoever for wavering nor soul-searching: Negotiation and compromise are the only route to a peace in the foreseeable future! Continuing the shipment of weapons or awaiting a decision on the battlefield deserves only the sharpest possible condemnation. The region of Ukraine and its people must not be destroyed! As the German politician Sahra Wagenknecht claimed on 5 May, a Russian defeat would require a Western victory in a nuclear conflict. The warmongers dare not be offered such an opportunity.
The Russian Alliance
On 31 March, the 2003-founded “Russian Evangelical Alliance” announced a major restructuring. Its new president is Sergey Lavrinov from Tyumen in Western Siberia. Lavrinov (born 1964) serves as a bishop in the Pentecostal, afore-mentioned ROSKhVE. He replaces the long-time president Alexander Fedichkin, a Baptist pastor from Moscow. Fedichkin (born 1951), who only served the first year of his latest six-year term, remains one of the REA’s four vice-presidents. A new constitution and by-laws are planned.
General-Secretary Vitaly Vlasenko has assembled a team of dynamic younger leaders with plans. His biggest challenge now will be to insure that the established evangelical denominations remain onboard and active in the Alliance.
Ladushkin, Kaliningrad region, 10 May 2022
Originally from Webpage: "wyoder.de"
CCD reprinted with permission.
Evangelicals in the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict
