Younger Generation Evangelizes Russia

Ukraine evangelist tells of rapid church planting and growth.

A younger generation is evangelizing Russia, according to Slavik Radchuk, Christian Aid's special envoy to former Soviet lands.

Slavik just returned from a gathering of 700 church leaders in Moscow, February 21 to March 5. He said they came from all over Russia and former Soviet lands, including the Islamic republics, and represented most of the Bible-preaching churches in the former Soviet Union. Each leader represented a group of churches.

"There are now about 10,000 evangelical churches in Russia," Slavik said. This is up from only 480 in 1990 when the atheistic Communist empire collapsed from within, and up from 7200 at the end of 2000. They are growing at a rate of more than 100 new churches every month.

Well-known as an evangelist throughout former Soviet lands and especially in his native Ukraine, Slavik was invited to preach to these leaders. When he asked men 60 years old or older to stand, only seven stood; all the rest were 30 to 50 years old.

"This is amazing," Slavik told Christian Aid. "When I attended a meeting of the same alliance of leaders 12 years ago, only five of the 200 pastors then attending were under 50."

Church planters serving with these ministries are struggling to find necessary financing to construct buildings, rent facilities,  and acquire evangelistic equipment. Financial assistance from Christian Aid helps them greatly, especially since their congregations of unemployed and unpaid workers give sacrificially to build churches and conduct evangelistic meetings.

The leaders were so stirred by Slavik's strong Bible message that many of them came to him afterward and said, "We want you to come and bring us the Word of God, even if you can't bring money."

When asked about church growth in Belarus, Slavik said the churches there are growing faster there than anywhere else in the former Soviet Union.

"It's because of the persecution," he said. "A church must have100 members to register with the government, but it hast to start with zero. So until the time it reaches 100 members, the people have to endure persecution and meet in houses. So the churches there grow quickly from zero to 100 members."

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