Russia (MNN) — Earlier this month, the Russian Federation added Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) to its list of “undesirable organizations.” It gave no explanations for the decision, which essentially shuts down all organizational operations. 

“[The designation] also means that even individual churches or Christians, bookstores, libraries can’t even carry a single copy of their materials. If they do, they’ll be subject to criminal penalties,” says Eric Foley with Voice of the Martyrs Korea.

“That is a massive change for an organization that has behaved absolutely responsibly and with integrity in not only the Russian Federation but around the world for decades.” 

Unfortunately, CEF is not alone in this new existential challenge in Russia. And it has a sobering example of what could be ahead. In May, Russia added Mission Eurasia to the “undesirable” list. Within 24 hours, police had conducted raids on four evangelical educational institutions and a bookstore in St. Petersburg, confiscating Mission Eurasia printed materials. Less than two weeks later, authorities confiscated print materials from a church and fined the pastor. 

“We’re really calling upon Christians around the world to pray for Child Evangelism Fellowship, because if Russian authorities take similar action, what we could be looking at would be very significant, very serious for many ordinary churches in Russia,” says Foley. 

Ask God to uphold ministries like Child Evangelism Fellowship and Mission Eurasia in these unexpected legal challenges.

Park Tae Yeon (Photo courtesy VOMK)

That’s not the only legal concern present in Russia right now. Voice of the Martyrs Korea is also raising prayer for detained Korean Missionary Park Tae Yeon. Missionary Park was arrested in Russia in January on trumped-up immigration charges, a week before she was returning to Korea. 

“Her trial is set to begin on July 28, and that trial may continue through August 10 on three charges that relate to immigration. She faces a possible 17-year sentence,” says Foley.

Local officials allege that Missionary Park’s work was associated with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

“They [also] allege her to have been brainwashing children by having them memorize parts of the Bible. So, although none of the charges [against her] relate to evangelism activities, we have reason to believe that a psychiatrist will be called to testify at the trial that Missionary Park put pressure on these children in order to get them to pray, for example,” says Foley. 

He says this is a strategy they have seen in recent years by the Russian government against Protestant missionaries and churches. 

“The government will often allege that the defendant put psychological pressure to pray or read the Bible,” says Foley. “In Missionary Park’s situation, we can’t exactly determine the connection because we’re not party to any of the government’s internal workings.” 

Foley encourages earnest prayer as a response.

“It’s almost as if all of this happens under a shroud, a legal shroud that we can’t penetrate. But we know that the Lord is able to expose all of these things and bring the truth to light,” he says.  “The truth shows that Missionary Park has been a faithful servant in Russia and a distinguished citizen for more than 30 years. We pray that her trial will be speedy and swiftly exonerate her.”

 

Header photo: Russian flag (Photo courtesy of Dimmis Vart/Unsplash)