TIRASPOL, Transnistria – A outstanding Christian revival is underway in a Russian-controlled a part of Moldova, regardless of Moscow’s heavy hand. Only a few overseas journalists are allowed in, however CBN Information gained uncommon entry to the Transnistria area.
Getting right here isn’t any straightforward feat. We started the 5,000-mile journey from the U.S. East Coast, stopping first within the tiny former Soviet republic of Moldova’s capital, Chisinau. From there, we drove north alongside Ukraine’s southwestern border, the place Moscow has lately stirred up political turmoil.
We made our approach by way of a number of Russian checkpoints to Transnistria’s capital, Tiraspol, the place an enormous statue of Lenin nonetheless adorns the city sq..
The Lord put a burden on Yuriy Semenyuk’s coronary heart to maneuver his household to this risky area.
“In my coronary heart, I actually love individuals; that’s my ardour to serve individuals. I like God and I wished to do one thing for Him all my life. And after some time, God informed me, ‘Yuriy, I would like you in a single place that title is Transnistria’,” the pastor of Church of Christ Savior tells us.
In 2000, Pastor Yuriy, his spouse, and three kids determined to maneuver from their residence nation in neighboring Ukraine to Transnistria. The primary seven years of ministry as a missionary household weren’t straightforward.
“I used to be focused by some individuals from the federal government, policemen, KGB, and gangsters. The worst in fact was from the gangsters as a result of they tried to kill me, they tried to kidnap my kids. As soon as I used to be kidnapped, however reward God, God let me escape,” he recollects.
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A house video from Might 2000 exhibits Semenyuk’s first foray into preaching. Regardless of ongoing threats, he continued to brazenly share the gospel, typically taking his message to areas managed by gangs.
“A few of the gangsters grew to become Christian, they grew to become evangelical, their wives grew to become evangelical, in order that they hated this, in order that’s why they tried to cease us,” Semenyuk says.
In 1990, Transnistria broke away from Moldova to ascertain its personal authorities, foreign money, and statehood. And whereas it isn’t acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, the breakaway territory grew to become economically, politically, and militarily depending on the Kremlin. Russia has about 2,000 troops stationed right here.
Moscow’s brokers quickly started harassing Pastor Semenyuk. However he was undeterred.
“Every morning, I get up I say to myself, ‘Yuriy, you might be nonetheless alive, and you’ve got yet another day to evangelise the gospel, yet another day to do one thing for God’s Kingdom’,” he says.
From these humble, and at occasions nerve-wracking beginnings, Church of Christ Savior at the moment is the most important congregation in Transnistria.
“We’ve got an unbelievable revival,” he says. “We’re nonetheless alive 24 years in a while the mission area, we’re nonetheless alive!”
Every Sunday, lots of pack the church with many listening to the gospel message for the very first time. Semenyuk says the key to the church’s development is easy: “We love God, we attempt to be very obedient to His Phrase and to His Spirit, and since we love individuals, we do no matter is feasible to assist individuals.”
Baptisms are an everyday incidence, and in the course of the week, Church of Christ Savior holds a number of youth applications for various age teams.
Mother and father additionally get their ministry time. And when people cannot get to church, members typically hit the streets of Tiraspol and neighboring cities, holding evangelistic rallies.
Semenyuk says the church typically studies indicators, wonders, and miracles following the preaching of the gospel.
“For instance, it may be most cancers, and the most cancers disappears. Or anyone has an issue with their imaginative and prescient and God fixes their imaginative and prescient. Deaf individuals can hear,” he describes. “I consider all this energy is within the gospel and all these miracles occur as a result of individuals preach the gospel and God equips us for the gospel, to evangelise the gospel and make disciples.”
In the meantime, CBN’s Orphan’s Promise companions with Church of Christ Savior to run their College of Life venture right here in Transnistria.
Every week, younger individuals attend varied courses, together with laptop expertise, stitching, pictures, English, math, and discipleship courses by way of CBN’s Superbook.
A few of the moms take dance, singing, and cooking courses run by Orphan’s Promise volunteers.
Many who attend can not afford to pay, so Orphan’s Promise holds the courses at no cost in Semenyuk’s church.
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“For College of Life we use the basement rooms and the youngsters can hear what’s occurring on the primary flooring once they have youth conferences, teenager’s ministry, Sunday ministry, and due to that sound they begin becoming a member of, they begin coming to the sanctuary they usually be part of the church and after some time their dad and mom be part of the church so by that relationship with Orphan’s Promise we’re increasing the Kingdom of God,” he says.
Whereas the bulk right here would fairly be a part of Russia, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has many residents involved that warfare might quickly be on their doorstep as nicely.
Semenyuk is not afraid. He plans to remain regardless of fears of battle.
“We all know our calling. God informed us to evangelise the gospel and make disciples, so nothing modifications, warfare, or no warfare, would not matter what sort of scenario we face round us, we now have the identical calling on a regular basis.”
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