Ukraine’s evangelicals need US support

Prior to Russia’s full-fledged invasion, 7,170 Protestant associations, educational institutions, and churches found refuge in Ukraine. And to this day, Ukraine retains the distinction of being Europe’s largest evangelical country, with approximately 800,000 to 1 million individuals attending Protestant churches every Sunday. Despite what Putin would like Americans to believe, Ukraine is Europe’s evangelical stronghold — the “Bible Belt” of Eastern Europe.

This flourishing evangelical presence in Ukraine owes much to the country’s restored independence from Russia in 1991 — and to America’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s evangelical population. Although Ukraine had been a land of diverse religious affiliations, with Protestantism deeply ingrained in its culture, Soviet repression and persecution once targeted those who dared to express their faith.

After Ukraine’s independence, the country welcomed hundreds of thousands of American preachers, missionaries, and ministers annually. With the Ukrainian government’s support, Americans played pivotal roles in reestablishing Ukraine’s evangelical community by building churches, organizing children’s camps, and worshipping together with Ukrainians.

Although Ukraine has a much larger Orthodox Christian population, Protestants have seamlessly integrated into society without facing restrictions or prohibitions. They enjoy access to education, employment opportunities, and the freedom to assemble for gatherings, prayers, and services. Notably, many Protestant individuals have risen to prominence in various fields, including politics, business, and the military — a phenomenon uncommon in post-Soviet territories, yet characteristic of Ukraine’s commitment to freedom and human rights.

However, since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and initial occupation of Eastern Ukraine, Putin stands as an adversary of Christianity, freedom of religion, and the church itself. Churches have been shuttered, ministers detained and tortured, and religious freedom suppressed. The full-scale invasion of 2022 intensified and brought this assault on Protestantism to newly-seized territories.

Among the Russian occupiers’ most brutal assaults is the martyrdom of Pentecostals in Sloviansk. In June 2014, four members of the Transfiguration of the Lord Church, including two deacons, were captured and executed by fighters aligned with Russia. There is also the near-fatal beating of Pastor Oleksandr Salfetnikov, who had remained in occupied Balaklia to assist several church members who were unable to relocate. After a few weeks, he was abducted by FSB officers and subjected to torture. He narrowly survived the ordeal.

This persecution extends beyond temporarily occupied Ukraine’s territories, with evangelicals in Russia also subjected to state-sponsored repression. Draconian laws enacted in 2016 severely curtailed the activities of Protestant churches, banning missionary work and restricting foreign involvement in religious services. At the same time, Jehovah’s Witnesses were labeled as extremists, which led to the closure of Kingdom Halls and the persecution of congregants.

Russia’s disdain for Christianity is evident in its systematic assault on religious freedom and the brutal treatment of evangelical Christians both at home and abroad. To be an evangelical Christian in Russia is to be deemed an enemy of the state and society — a grim reality reflected in legislation passed by the Putin-controlled Duma and statistics of persecution inside Russia.

Despite the false narrative propagated by some American media outlets portraying Putin as a defender of Christianity, reality paints a different picture. Russia’s hostility toward evangelical Christians is manifested through draconian laws, violent crackdowns, and desecration of places of worship. Russia operates as a totalitarian regime, imposing strict laws and repression upon Christians. Any deviation from Orthodox beliefs aligned with the Moscow Patriarchate brands you an enemy.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a long history of evangelical cooperation between Americans and Ukrainians. In 2007, Rev. Franklin Graham delivered a sermon to a packed Olympic Stadium in Kyiv of 100,000 people. Franklin’s celebrated father, Rev. Billy Graham, along with Viktor Gumm and numerous others, frequently visited Ukraine. Some of America’s most renowned preachers have worshipped with Ukrainian evangelicals.

It is time for American and Ukrainian evangelicals to come together once again to ensure religious tolerance in Ukraine. As the Apostle Paul wrote, let us extend goodwill to all, especially to fellow believers. As Ukraine struggles for its sovereignty and survival, it also struggles for the freedom to worship, just as Baptists in Louisiana or Minnesota can worship freely and without fear of repression. However, unfortunately for evangelical Christians in occupied Donetsk or Crimea, worshipping carries extreme danger. Russians may call themselves Christians, but their crimes against humanity speak for themselves.

Let us heed the Apostle Paul’s admonition: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The time has come to sow the seeds of justice and righteousness, standing firm against tyranny and upholding the principles of freedom and faith, for evangelicals in America, in Ukraine, and throughout the world.

Andriy Yermak, a film producer, serves as head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.