Religious persecution continues to intensify in Russia as courts shut down three additional Baptist churches in October for operating without government registration. The banned congregations, located in the southern Krasnodar region, belong to the historic Council of Churches Baptists—a network that has already seen seven others outlawed this year. Established during the Soviet era to resist state control, the Council remains unregistered to preserve its independence from government interference. Russian attorney Anatoly Pchelintsev described the growing campaign against believers as a “witch hunt,” questioning lawmakers’ motives for passing laws that punish rather than protect religious freedom. Once a church is banned, it is forbidden from meeting anywhere in its district, effectively criminalizing Christian worship outside state oversight.

This wave of suppression underscores the growing spiritual darkness settling over Russia, where faith is once again viewed as a threat to the regime. The same spirit of control that defined Soviet atheism has reemerged under new labels of “security” and “legality.” Scripture foretold a time when believers would face persecution for standing firm in their convictions (2 Timothy 3:12), and the silencing of independent churches serves as a sobering reminder of that reality. While earthly authorities attempt to outlaw the gospel, they cannot extinguish it. The same faith that survived the Iron Curtain continues to burn quietly behind closed doors—unregistered, unyielding, and unafraid.

SOURCE: ICC