Russian Christian Leaders Express Concern Over Home Church Ban Bill
Russian Christian leaders have expressed concern about a bill that would prohibit holding home church meetings.
Recently, the Russian Federal Assembly issued a bill aimed at prohibiting home church meetings, which could severely impact the activities of home churches and prayer gatherings in private residences. The bill has raised concerns among Russian Christian leaders.
Vitaly Vlasenko, head of the Russian Evangelical Alliance (REA) in Moscow, said in an interview with the evangelical news agency IDEA: “This measure could be seen by Russian Protestants as a hidden restriction on religious freedom. I hope such a bill will not be passed. Russia has previously made attempts to limit the number of Protestant places of worship, including attempts to ban religious services in private homes in November 2019, but fortunately, thanks to the efforts of lawyers and human rights activists led by Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation had previously declared such proposals unconstitutional.”
Egumeniya Kseniia Chernaya, head of the legal department of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Moscow Patriarchate, also expressed concern about the bill regarding its impact on conducting prayer services and intercession for the sick in homes, warning against the bill and stating: “This ban could also lead to the closure of Orthodox home churches.”
The lawmakers who submitted the bill to the Federal Assembly claimed that due to significant reactions to it, they said: “This bill was drafted with the aim of protecting residents of residential complexes from disturbance and preventing potential conflicts. The bill’s authors have also raised concerns about safety and fire hazards in residential buildings.”
However, Vladimir Proverov, bishop of the Russian Lutheran Church, emphasized that existing laws in Russia are sufficient to address such problems without violating religious rights.
