Just over a week ago, on the eve of Pentecost, when churches around the world remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the Church, the Light of the Gospel Baptist Church in Balakleia (Kharkiv region) was struck by a Russian drone.
The strike caused a major fire that destroyed the church building. Thankfully there were no casualties, but the church can no longer be used as a place of worship.
At the start of the full-scale invasion, the town fell under Russian occupation, and the pastor, Oleksandr Salfetnikov, was abducted and tortured by occupying forces for being an evangelical minister, accused of being a “foreign spy.” He was eventually released, but only after suffering severe injuries.
Even so, the church community continued to serve local residents by providing humanitarian aid, while volunteers helped others flee to areas under Ukrainian control. After the town was liberated, the church continued serving as a humanitarian relief centre, offering both practical support and the Light of the Gospel.
On the night before Easter Sunday, Russian forces also destroyed another church from the same association — the Light of the Gospel Church. Then, on 16 April, a Russian guided bomb destroyed yet another evangelical church, House of the Gospel, killing a man who was inside the building.
Our hearts continue to grieve for our brothers and sisters in eastern Ukraine, who have suffered the loss of their houses of prayer and, in some cases, endured torture because of their evangelical faith.
We pray that God will comfort their hearts and strengthen their spirits, for the Light of the Gospel cannot be extinguished.