{"id":43030,"date":"2022-07-05T14:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T05:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=43030"},"modified":"2022-07-05T14:27:36","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T05:27:36","slug":"vomk-report-211","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/07\/05\/vomk-report-211\/","title":{"rendered":"\uc6b0\ud06c\ub77c\uc774\ub098: \ub7ec\uc2dc\uc544\uac00 \uc0c8\ub85c \uc7a5\uc545\ud55c \uc9c0\uc5ed\uc5d0\uc11c \ud0c4\uc555\ubc1b\ub294 4\uac1c \uad50\ud68c"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43018″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Four Protestant churches are currently experiencing harassment by officials in areas now under Russian control, Voice of the Martyrs Korea has confirmed. The organization also received reports of two pastors from the region who were recently detained and then released.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThree churches in the Donetsk Region–Central Baptist Church <\/span>and <\/span>the Church of Christ the <\/span>Saviour<\/span> in <\/span>Mariupol<\/span>, and a church in <\/span>Man<\/span>h<\/span>ush<\/span>\u2014as well as a church in <\/span>Vasilievka<\/span> in the <\/span>Zaporozhye<\/span> region have rec<\/span><\/span>ently been visited by officials <\/span>or soldiers <\/span>who conducted searches, confiscated equipment, demanded documents, and in one case even forcibly evacuated church members from their building,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr Hyun Sook Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea operates \u201c<\/span>\u0413\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441<\/span> \u041c\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/span> \u2013 <\/span>\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u044f<\/span>\u201d, a Russian language edition of its popular Facebo<\/span>ok page on Christian persecution. Representative Foley says the organization also maintains private channels of communication with Christians and churches who are currently in areas of armed conflict, including those in the Donetsk and <\/span>Zaporozhye<\/span> regions.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”43021″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that church leaders in the region are asking for prayer.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Back in March, <\/span>Central Baptist Church in Mariupol<\/span> buried two martyred church members who were part of a group of five whose van was hit by a grenade as they were doing deliveries and caring for 200 people living in the church basement<\/span> as the city came under attack<\/span>,\u201d said Representative Foley. \u201cNow <\/span>the city is under Russian control<\/span>. The church building itself <\/span>was<\/span> destroyed. Only the basement remains. <\/span>On <\/span>Sunday <\/span>June <\/span>12, <\/span>the<\/span> remaining church members<\/span>, less than a hundred,<\/span> were <\/span>gathered together<\/span> for worship. <\/span>A<\/span>rmed <\/span>men<\/span> came with threats<\/span> and<\/span> demand<\/span>ed the church\u2019s <\/span>registration documents. Unfortunately, the<\/span> armed men <\/span>were given the original<\/span> documents<\/span>, <\/span>which <\/span>they took <\/span>with them<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea also received <\/span>a report <\/span>that on June 15 or 16, officials came to <\/span>a <\/span>minister of the <\/span>C<\/span>hurch of Christ the <\/span>Saviour<\/span> in Mariupol<\/span> and asked <\/span>to see the church\u2019s <\/span>registration. <\/span>\u201cThe minister told the<\/span> officials that <\/span>the leader of the church had the documentation but <\/span>was not presently in <\/span>the city<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The<\/span> officials then directed <\/span>him to visit their office<\/span> regarding the church registration<\/span>.<\/span> He visited, and fortunately at this point the officials have told him they have no further questions.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley sa<\/span>ys th<\/span>e <\/span>outcome was <\/span>more severe<\/span> in the village of <\/span>Man<\/span>h<\/span>ush<\/span>, 30 km away from Mariupol<\/span>. \u201cVoice of the Martyrs Korea received reports that on June 15 or 16,<\/span> the Russian military drove <\/span>the believers <\/span>out <\/span>of their <\/span>prayer house and rehabilitation center<\/span> building<\/span>,\u201d Representative Foley says.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”43024″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Christ the Saviour Church in Mariupol, one of four churches in regions newly under Russian control which have recently been experiencing harassment from authorities.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]A minister from <\/span>the chur<\/span><\/span>ch in <\/span>Vasilievka<\/span> similarly <\/span>reported a <\/span>visit from <\/span>authorities <\/span>on June 15-16, according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea. <\/span>Representative Foley shared the minister\u2019s report:<\/span> \u201c<\/span>A few FSB officers came to the prayer house, registered everyone, said that they were closing the church and there would be no further meetings<\/span>. <\/span>Then officers went to the <\/span>presbyter’s house<\/span>, carried out a search, took away laptops<\/span> and<\/span> phones for checking<\/span>. <\/span>The official <\/span>said that this was not all<\/span>.<\/span> We need God’s support and protection of our family members and the church.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea also received <\/span>reports <\/span>of two church leaders from the region who <\/span>were detained and then released<\/span>. \u201cThe <\/span>Defense Headquarters of the <\/span>Zaporizhia<\/span> Territory <\/span>report<\/span>ed<\/span> that Nikolai <\/span>Zholovan<\/span>, a Baptist pastor in <\/span>Vasilyevka<\/span>, was <\/span>detained<\/span> by authorities on June 18<\/span> and then released<\/span>. Also on June 18, Valentin <\/span>Zhuravlev<\/span>, pastor of the <\/span>Melitopol<\/span> Source of Life Church who<\/span><\/span> is also a local veterinarian, was reportedly <\/span>detained<\/span> by armed Russian soldiers while he was participating in a non-political interfaith public prayer event in the city square, according to eyewitnesses<\/span>.<\/span> He also has reportedly been released<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative<\/span><\/span> Foley<\/span> says that churches in these regions continue to operate despite the <\/span>difficult conditions<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>B<\/span>elievers <\/span>have told us that they <\/span>are trying to restore the<\/span>ir<\/span> church<\/span> buildings<\/span> to usable condition<\/span>, but <\/span>it is <\/span>difficult due to the lack of building materials<\/span>, electricity, and outside <\/span>communication<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cO<\/span>ne<\/span> church leader told us that t<\/span>he occupying authorities do<\/span>n\u2019t permit <\/span>humanitarian aid from <\/span><\/span>Ukraine, America<\/span>,<\/span> or Europe <\/span>to <\/span>enter <\/span>into<\/span> Mariupol. <\/span>But he said that <\/span>Russian <\/span>Evangelical <\/span>Christians are now helping <\/span>their fellow <\/span>believers in the city.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to R<\/span>epresentative Foley, not all churches in the region are being harassed. \u201c<\/span>One church leader told us that n<\/span>obody <\/span>is <\/span>bother<\/span>ing<\/span> them<\/span> at all<\/span>. They <\/span>are able to<\/span> do <\/span>their <\/span>worship services freely and <\/span>are working to help <\/span>restore <\/span>the damaged buildings of other <\/span>churches.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley sa<\/span>ys, \u201cA church leader speculated to us that the <\/span>occupation authorities<\/span> may<\/span> be focusing on churches <\/span>that<\/span> have Ukrainian registration. They may be <\/span>leaving alone the churches that typically<\/span> don\u2019t register with government<\/span>s<\/span>, like <\/span>unregistered Baptist churches. Leaders tell us that Ukrainian church registration is simply treated as illegitimate.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that one regional church overseer <\/span>told Voice of the Martyrs Korea that he <\/span>has advised ministers <\/span>in the region not to provide the original copies of registration documents if they are demanded by authorities<\/span>. \u201cI<\/span>nstead<\/span>, he says churches should <\/span>make copies <\/span>of the registration <\/span>that are <\/span>certified by t<\/span><\/span>he church seal and <\/span>signed by the minister, and to provide these to authorities upon request<\/span>.<\/span> Otherwise, authorities could simply keep the original documents and claim the church is not properly registered,\u201d says Representative Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43029″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”On June 18, Pastor Valentin Zhuravlev of the Melitopol Source of Life Church was detained by Russian soldiers but has now been reportedly released.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley says that <\/span>dealing with issues of registration <\/span>i<\/span>s nothing new for churches in the<\/span> region. \u201cSince <\/span>2014, <\/span>when so-called People\u2019s Republics were declared in <\/span>Donetsk and Luhansk<\/span>, <\/span>Protestant churches have <\/span>been required to <\/span>register<\/span> with authorities<\/span>, and to produce copies of their registration upon request,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>One church leader told us that worship s<\/span>ervices are held <\/span>only where and when officials tolerate them<\/span>.<\/span> The leader told us, \u2018[<\/span>O<\/span>fficials]<\/span> present everything Protestant as American<\/span>–<\/span>planted, an<\/span><\/span>d only the ROC MP <\/span>[<\/span>Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate<\/span>]<\/span> has the right to operate<\/span>\u2019<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea is providing emergency assistance to local church congregations and individual Christians who are <\/span>continuing to engage in faithful witness during the present Russia\/Ukraine conflict.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>Every time the front line of the war moves, we Christians should pray for the churches and individual Christians that are now behind the line,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s calling is to help support the tiny churches <\/span>and Christians <\/span>that are faithfully <\/span>witnessing to the priority of the kingdom of God <\/span>above all earthly kingdoms, <\/span>despite the likelihood that it may cost them their lives<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Donations can be made to the Ukraine Emergency Fund at <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/a><\/span> or via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uad6d\ubbfc\uc740\ud589<\/span> (KB Bank) 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uc608\uae08\uc8fc<\/span> (Account Holder): (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please include the phrase \u201cUkraine\u201d with the donation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43018″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Four Protestant churches are currently experiencing harassment by officials in areas now under Russian control, Voice of the Martyrs Korea has confirmed. The organization also received reports …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":43019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":false,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}