Persecution begins? Pastor has been taken into custody

Yesterday, in Novokosino, Moscow district, pastor Vasiliy Romanyuk, whose church was vandalized and demolished recently, was taken into custody by local police.  The service which he conducted last Sunday next to the ruins of a church’s building, local police called “illegal meeting”. The local authority stated that demolition of the temporary building was planned  seven years ago.

Pastor Vasiliy called to NI news while he was escorted to the local police station Kosino-Ukhnomskiy. On the question what was the reason to gather together again, Pastor Vasiliy answered:" Because after church has been destroyed we did not have a place to worship. However, this meeting was called "illegal" for nor reason".

Erlier this month, on September 6, around midnight, a group of about 50 people including several policemen, burst into the church’s territory. There was a church’s security, a young female, whom they escorted to the police precinct and held her for about 3 hours; meanwhile the church’s building was completely destroyed. “All church’s belongings were stolen”, - stated pastor Vasiliy Romanyuk. “They stole our sound equipment, which cost about 100.000 Rub (about $3,100) and crushed the windows of a parked car on the property.

When pastor Vasiliy and other leaders arrived, they were physically confronted by unidentified people, who pushed them out of the church territory and threw stones at them. Then bulldozers arrived and destroyed the building.

Raiders presented itself as bailiffs and “people’s militia”, who came to enforce a dispossession proceeding from the year of 2005, said pastor Vasiliy Romanyuk. No court orders or any other documents were presented. Six police officers (Kostino-Ukhtomskiy precinct) stood nearby and didn’t interrupt raiders despite the fact that Christians were begging them to stop such lawlessness.

CBN report: Church Demolished by Russian Gov't Gathers Among Ruins

Church members of a Russian evangelical church in Moscow that the government demolished this week gathered to pray early Sunday morning among the ruins of their once-standing church.

More than 200 people stood with umbrellas worshiping God and listened to Holy Trinity Pentecostal Church Pastor Vasily Romanyuke preach. They also prayed for the country's authorities.

Several banners were hung on the remains of the church's structure, including one that said, "The Building demolished – Church is ALIVE”

Earlier this week, a demolition crew accompanied by police tore down the Holy Trinity Pentecostal Church.

• CBN News Exclusive Photos: Church Demolished By Police Gathers to Pray
• See more exclusive pictures of the church demolition on George Thomas' Facebook page.

Human rights groups and members of the church were shocked by the late night demolition, which was apparently court ordered.

"Right now officials destroyed our church building ... now 4.30 am -- Moscow time," a church member wrote in an email to Frank Wright, president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters.

"They came at night to avoid conflict with people," he continued. "All church property is there... some were stolen, other[s] -- destroyed. We can do nothing... just pray and cry."

The man explained that the Russian government is "forcibly" relocating churches, giving them land in more remote areas to build a new church.

"The usual conditions are that the church develops the property within some specified time period," he wrote.

But in order to build on the land, permits are needed, which are often denied or rejected.

When a congregation fails to meet the deadline, the land is repossessed and everything built on it becomes government property.

Holy Trinity Pentecostal Romanyuk posted a video on YouTube from the scene.

Watch the video and read a translation of all of Pastor Romanyuk's reaction on The Global Lane blog.

"The last service was held last night. And tonight the tough guys have brought the machinery, broken into the church and started to demolish the building," Romanyuk said.

"There was a court decision that we cannot use the building anymore, and it does not belong to us any longer," he explained.

Human rights groups say the Holy Trinity Pentecostal congregation tried to meet the city's legal requirements.

Holy Trinity is among many evangelical churches kicked out of Moscow in recent months. Some Christian leaders fear the incidents are evident that religious freedom is fading in Russia.

The Building demolished – Church is ALIVE

Story by Pavel Tokarchuk, Moscow, Russia

Today was a rainy day, but that could not stop Christians to gather together around the half demolished church's building. More than 200 people were standing on the ground with umbrellas worshiping God, listening the Word and praying for the country's authorities. One of the elders said to the congregation that we need to give everything in hands to our Lord and His wrath, we are seeking His mercy and grace in this very trial of our church. Pastor Vasiliy has asked all Christians to pray for those who are unfair and evil, for those who are seeking to bring pain to the church as well as to have a firm faith in the Lord and keep standing for the church's rights. "We are going to appeal to Moscow Government, Russian Government and President office for the independent investigation and reconsideration of the decision that was made already by the Moscow city authorities, please support me in this!” – said Pastor Vasiliy before closing the service in prayer.

There were four big posters on the half fallen walls and on the ground close to the ruins: “We are inviting to the Church’s Service + Website of the church”, “The Building demolished – Church is ALIVE”, as a background of the sort of stage – “God bless Russia”, “God defend us from Pilates, Herods and Caiaphas”.

Finally pastor said that - “…we are going to have church’s services here no mater  of the whether conditions. Please get warm clothes with you always since we are expecting winter time. We will gather here until our issue will not be solved! God is with us and He is great!”

Please find some pictures that I have took as well as video.

Let’s stay in prayer for this church before Him. Hopefully we will interview pastor Vasiliy at the end of this month.

Church before demolishing:

See also Russia: Church vandalized and demolished

Russia: Church vandalized and demolished

Today, September 6, a group of unidentified people vandalized and demolished Holy Trinity Evangelical church in Moskow, Starostina Str., Novokosino Area.

Around midnight a group of about 50 people including several policemen, burst into the church’s territory. There was a church’s security, a young female, whom they escorted to the police precinct and held her for about 3 hours; meanwhile the church’s building was completely destroyed. “All church’s belongings were stolen”, - stated pastor Vasiliy Romanyuk. “They stole our sound equipment, which cost about 100.000 Rub (about $3,100) and crushed the windows of a parked car on the property.

When pastor Vasiliy and other leaders arrived, they were physically confronted by unidentified people, who pushed them out of the church territory and threw stones at them. Then bulldozers arrived and destroyed the building.

Raiders presented itself as bailiffs and “people’s militia”, who came to enforce a dispossession proceeding from the year of 2005, said pastor Vasiliy Romanyuk. No court orders or any other documents were presented. Six police officers (Kostino-Ukhtomskiy precinct) stood nearby and didn’t interrupt raiders despite the fact that Christians were begging them to stop such lawlessness. 

“Sometime I hear people cursing, but those people are cursing so horribly and cold-blooded, I’ve never heard in my life” - continued pastor. He mentioned that he found a Molotov cocktail bottle not far from the church facility. 

It’s still unclear who were the raiders, because there are no official comments on this matter. Individuals who called themselves “people’s militia” wear no badge and no signs, as well as bulldozers that didn’t carry any license plates or logos. 

Sources:
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Information

Forum 18 News Service found a history of this church:
Holy Trinity Church was established in 1979 by Serafim Marin, a Pentecostal who had spent 18 years in Soviet labour camps for his faith. It gained registration with the Soviet authorities as an autonomous Pentecostal community in the late 1970s. However, the city authorities forced it out of its first building in 1995. The replacement "temporary" church – bulldozed today - was built on the current site in 1995-6.

Officials consistently refused to legalise the building and prevented it from being linked to the water and electricity supply and sewerage. Holy Trinity's Pastor, Vasili Romanyuk, and the congregation have long battled to save their church from confiscation and destruction. "We put a lot of our resources into this building," he told Forum 18.

Struck, But not Discouraged (GGC)

On July 31, the court of appeal in Baku, Azerbaijan, upheld the decision of the lower court, which liquidated Greater Grace Protestant Church on April 26th. Although all church activities are now deemed illegal, God’s people at Greater Grace are not giving up. Pastor Fuad speculates that the judge’s decision was forced and already has plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, and to the European Court on Human Rights if necessary. Thank you for your continued prayers and support to help our Christian brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan.

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