{"id":43980,"date":"2022-09-27T14:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T05:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=43980"},"modified":"2022-09-27T13:22:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T04:22:59","slug":"vomk-report-222","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/09\/27\/vomk-report-222\/","title":{"rendered":"UKRAINE: CHURCH BUILDINGS SEIZED, PASTORS DETAINED IN MELITOPOL AND MARIUPOL BUT CHURCHES PERSEVERE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43960″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Russian occupation authorities closed Grace Baptist Church in Melitopol on Sunday, September 11, during the church\u2019s worship service. According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea, occupation authorities have now closed the city\u2019s three largest evangelical Protestant churches in the last two months.” 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]Meanwhile<\/span>, <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea has learned that <\/span>i<\/span>n the nearby village of <\/span>Chkalovo<\/span> in the Melitopol district<\/span>, <\/span>Russian Federation <\/span>soldiers <\/span>came to the <\/span>church\u2019s <\/span>evening service <\/span>o<\/span>n Wednesday <\/span>September 21 <\/span>and forbade the gathering, saying<\/span>,<\/span> “Your feet will not be here after the referendum<\/span>. W<\/span>e have only one faith<\/span>: <\/span>Orthodox<\/span>y<\/span>.”<\/span> The <\/span>church had been holding <\/span>worship services every day since the <\/span>war began<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea <\/span>has also confirmed that <\/span>i<\/span>n Mariupol<\/span>, occup<\/span>ation <\/span>authorities closed <\/span>the Kurchatov Church <\/span>this month <\/span>and <\/span>are <\/span>currently <\/span>holding the church leader and his wife in an unknown location, after initially <\/span>yielding to members<\/span>\u2019 appeals to <\/span>release <\/span>the<\/span> leader and <\/span>permit <\/span>the church <\/span>to remain open<\/span>.<\/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=”43966″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\u201c<\/span>At Grace Church <\/span>in Melitopol <\/span>on Sunday September 11, a<\/span>rmed men <\/span>entered<\/span> the <\/span>sanctuary <\/span>while the congregation was singing a hymn,\u201d says <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea<\/span> Representative <\/span>Hyun Sook <\/span>Foley. \u201cThey <\/span>halted the worship service<\/span>, <\/span>registered the names of all those present, and<\/span> detained several ministers<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d Representative Foley<\/span> says <\/span>Grace Church\u2019s pastor, Mikhail <\/span>Britsyn<\/span>, was ordered to leave <\/span>the city <\/span>within 48 hours.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, t<\/span>he worship service was being broadcast<\/span> live, so online viewers <\/span>witnessed the events. The video <\/span>of the worship service <\/span>has since been taken down<\/span>, though Voice of the Martyrs Korea<\/span> has<\/span> obtained<\/span> several screen <\/span>shots<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/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 Facebook page on Christian persecution. Representative Foley says the organization <\/span>remains in contact with <\/span>Christians and churches who are currently in <\/span>parts of Ukraine now under the control of pro-Russian forces<\/span>, including <\/span>the <\/span>Melitopol <\/span>district<\/span> and Mariupol<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”43974″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Grace Church in Melitopol.” 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_single_image image=”43972″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Screen captures from the live broadcast of worship at Grace Church in Melitopol on September 11, as worship was interrupted by occupation forces.” 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]Grace Church, Word of Life Church, and the Melitopol Church are the three largest Protestant congregations in Melitopol, according to Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]She says that <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea has confirmed reports that the building of <\/span>Word of Life Church was <\/span>seized by <\/span>occupation <\/span>authorities<\/span> in August<\/span>. The <\/span>church\u2019s pastor<\/span>, Dmitry Bodiu, was arrested <\/span>and detained for several days <\/span>in March <\/span>before being released<\/span> and <\/span>then <\/span>leaving the city<\/span>. <\/span>Representative Foley says that <\/span>services continued at the church until August, when they were officially halted<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea <\/span>has also <\/span>confirmed reports that t<\/span>he <\/span>building of <\/span>Melitopol Christian Church <\/span>was seized by <\/span>occupation <\/span>autho<\/span>r<\/span>ities in August, after harassment of the church and its pastor,<\/span> Viktor Sergeev<\/span>, began in March<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cMCC was the largest church in the city,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cIt was a charismatic church, known for its <\/span>large campus<\/span> with a<\/span> thousand<\/span>–<\/span>seat<\/span> auditorium, a<\/span> fountain, palm trees, a<\/span>nd a<\/span> gym.<\/span>\u201d She says eyewitnesses confirmed to Voice of the Martyrs Korea that the church\u2019s cross <\/span>has been removed and the church turned into a<\/span> “cultural-sports-entertainment complex”.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”43970″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The church in the village of Chkalovo, Melitopol district. Soldiers entered the Wednesady evening service on September 21 and ordered the church building closed.” 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_single_image image=”43968″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”File photo of the campus of Melitopol Christian Church before being seized by occupation authorities. (Photo credit: Dima Antifeev)” 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]Confiscation of church buildings and detainment of pastors is also occur<\/span>r<\/span>ing in other Russia-occupied <\/span>cities<\/span> like <\/span>Mauripol<\/span>, says Representative Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>In Mariupol<\/span> this month<\/span>, <\/span>military officials asked <\/span>the <\/span>Kurchatov Church <\/span>to open their <\/span>prayer <\/span>house <\/span>for <\/span>organizing <\/span>a referendum<\/span>, but the church members declined,\u201d says Representative Foley. <\/span>She says that <\/span>authorities came during the week <\/span>and sealed up the <\/span>prayer house<\/span>. But <\/span>church members <\/span>re-opened the <\/span>prayer <\/span>house <\/span>for their usual Sunday <\/span>meeting<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the church was worshiping, the military came and<\/span> took away <\/span>church leader <\/span>Leonid<\/span> Ponomarev<\/span>, who was presiding<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>So a<\/span>fter <\/span>worship concluded, <\/span>the brothers went <\/span>to the<\/span> military office <\/span>with documents <\/span>proving that <\/span>the <\/span>house <\/span>was private property<\/span>. Even according to their regulations, the referendum should be held in an administrative building, not in a private <\/span>home.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, the <\/span>attitude of the authorities <\/span>initially <\/span>changed. \u201cThey <\/span>even began to talk politely with <\/span>the church members,\u201d she says.<\/span> Authorities looked through the documents and <\/span>released<\/span> the church leader<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But <\/span>then the <\/span>authorities reversed course<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

“<\/span>They have now confiscated the building with the intent of holding the referendum there, and <\/span>Leonid P<\/span>onomarev<\/span> and <\/span>his wife <\/span>Tatyana Nikolaevna<\/span> are being detained in an unknown location,\u201d says Representative Foley. <\/span>\u201cWe are closely following reports that h<\/span>e is charged with participating in extremist activities<\/span>. On that basis, authorities <\/span>issued a warrant to search <\/span>the <\/span>h<\/span>ouse of <\/span>p<\/span>rayer on Kurchatov Street <\/span>for <\/span>extremist literature.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”43977″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Kurchatov Church in Mariupol. Occupation authorities closed the Kurchatov Church this month and are currently holding the church leader and his wife in an unknown location” 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_single_image image=”43979″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Kurchatov Church in Mariupol.” 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]Representative Foley says that though the church buildings have been seized<\/span> and<\/span> church leaders have been detained<\/span> in Melitopol district and Mariupol<\/span>, the congregations continue to operate. \u201cUkraine has a tradition of underground church, extending back to Soviet times,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cThe present situation cannot stop the work of Christ<\/span>. <\/span>The c<\/span>hurches <\/span>there <\/span>are continuing to faithfully witness for Christ<\/span>.<\/span> They do not rely on pastors or buildings but on the Lord Jesus alone.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/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 continuing to engage in faithful witness during the present Russia\/Ukraine conflict. Donations can be made to the organization\u2019s 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=”43960″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Russian occupation authorities closed Grace Baptist Church in Melitopol on Sunday, September 11, during the church\u2019s worship service. According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea, occupation authorities …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":43961,"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-43980","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":true,"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\/43980","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=43980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}