An Urgent Message to the Churches of America from . . .
     the Persecuted Church in Russia


  "For thirty years we have suffered intense persecution, and now 
freedom is bringing another great harm to our churches. This
damage is coming from the Christians in America who are sending
rock music and evangelists accompanied by rock bands.  

  "Our young people do not attend these meetings because we have
all committed not to participate in secular entertainment.  

  "This is a great burden on our hearts. Many come with Bible in 
hand and rock music. We are embarrassed by this image of
Christianity. We do not know what words to use in urging that
this be stopped. We abhor all Christian rock music coming to our
country.  

  "Rock music has nothing in common with ministry or service to
God. We are very, very against Christian Americans bringing to
our country this false image of 'ministry' to God. We need
spiritual bread, please give us true bread, not false cakes. It
is true that rock music attracts people to the church, but not to 
Godly living.  

  "We were in prison for fifteen years and eleven years for
Christ's sake. We were not allowed to have Christian music, but
rock music was used as a weapon against us day and night to
destroy our souls. We could only resist with much prayer and
fasting.  

  "Now, we have a time of more openness, and we are no longer 
taken to prison. However, now it is Christians from America who 
damage our souls. We do not allow this music in our church, but 
they rent big stadiums and infect teenagers and adults with their 
rock music.  

  We, the leadership and congregations of the Unregistered Union
of Churches, the former Persecuted Church, have made an agreement
to not allow rock music in our Church. We urge you to join with
us and we advise you to remove rock music from America, and
certainly do not bring it to our country.  

  "Do not desecrate our teenagers with it. Even the unbelievers 
recognize it is unholy music and they cannot understand how 
American Christians can be so much like the world. We can give 
you the conclusion that after Russian unbelievers have attended 
these rock concerts where Christ's Word was preached, the people
were very disappointed and disillusioned with Christianity.  

  "We call this music from hell. We urge all Americans to stop 
giving money for the organization of such concerts in Russia. We 
want only traditional Christian music in our churches. This is
the unanimous decision of all our leaders."   

Peter Peters
Head of the Unregistered Union of Churches
Moscow, Russia

Vasilij Ryzhuk
Elder, Unregistered Union of Churches
Moscow, Russia




--
                        THE MISSING LINK, INC.
   Linking Troubled Youth and Adults with Life-Changing Programs
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file: /pub/resources/text/announce: russian.rock.txt