2020-10-16
Words from the President October 2020
Every month we try to catch up with the UECB President, Peter Mitskevich to understand what’s going on in the Russian Christian world and how people in the west can be praying. Here’s the latest update on some recent major events.
What’s happened in the last month we should know about?
At the end of September, for three days, all the Baptist Presidents from Asia, Middle East and Europe gathered together. This was the first time when we all gathered online. It was supposed to take place in Russia this year, but with the country being closed, it didn’t happen that way. So the Lord provided for us to pray for each other, to hear reports, and I’d like to praise the Lord for what He is doing in the Christian Baptist churches all over Europe and Asia. However, Christianity in Europe right now is not growing, so part of my role is to get our people praying for revival in Europe. It is hard to witness to people there. The biggest churches I hear about in Europe are immigrant based from displaced middle east and African refugees. In Great Britain and Germany, the soil is hard there. And it’s hard here too, I’m afraid. Pray for the people in Russia to have a hunger for God’s Word, and to find Christ. Also I learned that in Lebanon and Syria, some very hard things are happening socially and economically, so our brothers there are doing a great work in caring for thousands of refugees, loving them and sharing the gospel with them. Praise God for that!
What about the Euro-Asian Federation Baptist Conference? Tell us about that.
Oh yes, that too. It happened last week. Twelve Slavic/Russian speaking Baptist Unions countries were represented. We gathered for two days and heard what the Lord is doing, and prayed for each other. It’s so good when brothers can support each other in a time when people are divided, when countries have their own interests. It’s so good to hear Slavic Baptists come together and help one another. We asked the questions, “Where is the pain and where is the blessing?” And the brothers shared with each other. I would ask you to pray for all the countries of the former Soviet Union, and all the Slavic people that are scattered throughout the world (in Israel, Australia, the U.S.). There is much to do...but who is building the Church? Christ is building the Church. He’s just using us as His instruments and His ministers in His Kingdom. So may the Lord continue to build His united Church. It is our desire that every Slavic speaking person would hear the gospel and respond to it. It doesn’t matter if it’s the time of Covid or not.
What’s one thing you personally have taken away from these conferences?
We cannot underestimate the ministry of prayer. We must spend time with the Lord in prayer. 2020 was supposed to be the “Year of Ministry” and because of Covid and the lockdown, the Lord is really teaching us to do the ministry of prayer. It is not just about praying for sick people but participating in the spiritual battle. All the challenges we face now in life are in the Lord’s sovereign hands. He’s behind all of it. May the Lord give us wisdom, the Holy Spirit will fill us and use us, and may the Lord protect us from the evil one. Let’s pray for each other. The apostle Paul in Ephesians said that we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, but the evil one. May the Lord bless you!
May the Lord give all of us a greater ministry of prayer in these last few months of 2020!
