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Andrei, a Bible League-trained church planter in Siberia, pleads for the prayers of Christians around the world. In mid-December, a group kidnapped him, took him to a cemetery, and repeatedly beat him. These people gave Andrei an ultimatum to leave the village within one month or be killed.
Andrei recently moved to this area and began Bible studies as a step to planting an evangelical church. He has seen a good response from villagers who want to know more about Jesus, and he has a small, growing congregation.
But some of the local Orthodox church supporters feel threatened by Andrei's growing ministry. And as a result, they've lashed out against him physically.
According to Operation World, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) claims to be the "one true apostolic church and that all other faiths are invalid or sectarian." The ROC asserts its role as the voice of the people, though only 3% of Russians are actively practicing their faith in this denomination.
As a result of this attitude, non-Orthodox Russian Christians have faced several obstacles from members the ROC. They've been treated as second-class citizens, and in some cases, physically harmed. Christian church leaders, in particular, are targeted by those who believe that Orthodoxy must maintain its rightful place as the official Russian religion.
Please pray that God will protect Andrei and give him wisdom as he seeks God's direction. Pray that he will be granted the strength and faith to follow God's leading-whether it is to continue his ministry in this area, or to share his faith in a different community.
Pray also that God will open the eyes of those who are pressuring Andrei to leave-that their hearts will change and they will become fully devoted followers of Christ.
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Russian
church planter beaten, requests prayer