At the Center of History and Beyond

Praying in the Kremlin with SGA

Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil (Psalm 90:15).

By Joel Griffith
SGA Communications Manager

Dr. Komendant with translator Sergei Omelchenko

In my 16 years at SGA, I thought I had heard most of the tremendous testimonies and stories connected with our mission dating from the time when communism was collapsing in the Soviet Union. I should have known better. As former UECB president Dr. Grigory Komendant made abundantly clear during our 75th Anniversary Celebration, we’ve only scratched the surface of what God has done in the lives of His people.

We were in the middle of the Saturday morning session, which was given the theme, “Murderous Josef Stalin Couldn’t Stop the Gospel.” We had just watched a brief SGA film produced during the Soviet period when persecution of believers was still rampant. Then it was Dr. Komendant’s time to speak from his heart, as had several other UECB leaders at the conference.

It is hard to describe — much less to hear about — the horrific persecution inflicted on Russian Christians under communism. And no Soviet ruler was more brutal than Josef Stalin. Millions of people perished during his reign of terror, including untold numbers of Christians. Pastors were killed and imprisoned. Churches were closed. Bibles and Christian books were confiscated and destroyed. Dr. Komendant quietly acknowledged the suffering of those dark days, but then went on to share something remarkable that happened during the reign of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader. These were the days when communism’s grip was beginning to loosen, but no one yet knew how much, nor the magnitude of what God was doing unseen by the rest of the world.

Speaking in Russian through a translator, Dr. Komendant’s voice took on a different note. He began describing how Mr. Gorbachev began inviting religious leaders to the Kremlin for meetings, including Dr. Komendant, who was president of the Baptist Union at the time. This was remarkable in itself because of how evangelical churches have been oppressed in Russian society. Even more remarkable was the fact that the late Peter Deyneka, Jr. — the leader of SGA in those days — was also present at this meeting. As he told the story, a broad smile broke out on Dr. Komendant’s face. “When we asked to pray at the end of the meeting, Mikhail Gorbachev clasped his hands and bowed his head during the prayer … like he was a Baptist!” After the clapping and joyful laughter faded in the conference hall, Dr. Komendant added, “Isn’t that like our God?”

The Kremlin

Indeed, isn’t that like our God? SGA and our partners prayed unceasingly for our Russian brothers and sisters during the dark communist years. The Lord used our tiny mission to supply, equip and encourage them despite all the roadblocks thrown in our way by the communists. And as the 1990s began, there we were — standing side by side with our Russian brothers praying in the Kremlin office of the Soviet leader! God placed SGA squarely at the center of history being made in Russia, so that we might glorify Him today by helping Russian churches reach their people for Christ.

And the harvest fields are still there, teeming with people waiting and wanting to hear. We still have much work to do!