2021
God alone, is keeping the door open for GCMM to continue printing Bibles in Russia. No one knows how long this will continue. This is nothing less than a miracle of God in today’s Russia.
Fresh Deliveries of Scripture to Russian Churches
The map shows the latest distribution of the Gospels of John and New Testaments printed in Siberia, Central Russia. New Testaments have been delivered to pin-pointed areas seen on this map. The distribution of the Gospel of John covers a vast area, including over 100 cities and outlying areas across the country by volunteer church workers.
One million evangelism books at a Central Siberian printing facility ready for delivery to churches across Russia, from the Ural Mountains to the Russian Pacific. To date, millions more have been printed including the Gospel of John, the New Testament, and the Russian Bible.
Domestic mission workers with a Siberian map as they plan a strategy to reach thousands of small villages with the Gospel. Siberia is vast and distances are great. The key tools for evangelism for the churches are the New Testaments, the “Experiencing the Power To Change” evangelism books, and the Gospel of John, all of which GCMM has printed in Siberia.
Reaching Siberia’s Unreached Millions Together with the Gospel
Many hundreds of new churches have been planted across the nation. But times are changing. These unmatched opportunities are not forever, and open doors are closing. With new restrictions, one mission organization after another has left Russia. Opportunities for Evangelism are already decreasing, and pandemic challenges continue.
From this perspective, it is indeed a miracle that GCMM has been able to continue equipping Russian churches with printed literature for evangelism.
The question often asked:
“How is it possible that you are allowed to continue printing Bibles in Russia?” Our response: “It is God who is keeping the door open for GCMM. No one knows how long this will continue. We will use this opportunity until we are told to stop.”
Those who have not succumbed to intimidation and pressure by the Kremlin have followed the example of the apostles. They ask, “Who should we obey, the authorities or God?” The Holy Spirit gave the apostles the power and the boldness to continue proclaiming the gospel message.
It is a miracle of God that we have not been labelled foreign agents.
Perhaps it’s because we proclaim the Gospel and have no other agenda.
If an organization has been named hostile and wants to publish any material, it must include a printed statement that the organization is a foreign agent. For GCMM, this would mean no one would do work for us. For example, a printing company would refuse to take book orders, and transport companies would refuse to deliver the books across Russia. This is comparable to what happened during World War II in Germany when the Star of David was glued to the backs of the Jews so that no one would approach them or deal with them. This is the question even now.
Our desire is for evangelical churches to continue leading their countrymen and women to Jesus – to grow in the knowledge of God.
Evangelism can be compared to a relay race, where the baton must be passed to the next runner to win. In doing so, the survival of the Church will be ensured. And those coming behind us will discover that we never dropped the baton. Before Jesus was taken up to heaven, he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” The future of the church is in great danger unless its members become actively engaged in Jesus’ last command to go into all the world to preach the Gospel to every nation.
At present door-to-door ministry by church volunteers is primarily possible in Siberia and eastern Russia where there are more freedoms. The gospel message is still welcomed and received there. In European Russia, evangelists are prosecuted, face prison, and where houses of prayer have been bulldozed.
A Big Thank You from Churches in Siberia
The ministry of Great Commission Media Ministries continues in Russia in exceptionally challenging times. These pastors in Siberia are recipients of the New Testaments and the Gospel of John for church outreach. One of the Siberian churches had a goal to plant 100 new churches in 2020, and by the fall of that year, they had planted 65 home churches. Entire families are receiving Jesus and finding new life in Him.
Photo caption from left to right:
- The Ural Mountains, an area the size of the Canadian Rockies received more New Testaments.
- Literature evangelism along the Chinese border in Ulan Ude.
- Replenishing stock for churches in the city of Bratsk in Eastern Siberia.
Photo caption from left to right:
- New Testaments arrive in Baskiria, an Islamic republic in the Ural Mountains.
- New Testaments for a church in Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains.
- Pastors in the Aksai region say thank you for the just arrived New Testaments.
Pastors in Central and Eastern Siberia and Russia’s Far East express their gratitude to GCMM supporters for the literature they have received.
AKSAI
The churches of Aksai greet you, who have enabled us to receive thousands of fine New Testaments, allowing us to bring God’s word to our community. A big thank you to you, our friends, and God bless you.
ULAN UDE
God has a ‘big heart’, with room for everyone. People all over the world live in different places, and under different conditions and circumstances. With God’s help we can step out of our comfort zones and reach out to the distant places to proclaim the Good News.
ARAMIL
Greetings to you, dear brothers and sisters. I would like to thank you all for shipment of New Testaments that we have received from Novosibirsk. With special thanks to GCMM for making this possible. We received 1,000 copies and will be using them as we begin evangelism in earnest here in Aramil. I believe that each and every New Testament will sow the seed for a new beginning with God. Thank you and God bless you.
BRATSK
I am from the city of Bratsk in Siberia, from the Tree of Life Church. We received 1000 copies of the New Testament. A big thank you to all the friends who have blessed our church in this way! Now we can share the gospel in Bratsk with New Testaments, and not just with our business cards! We thank you Hannu and everyone who took part in making this possible. Once again, a big thank you.
CHELYABINSK
We have received a whole carload of literature. Pastor Evgeny and the church have accepted these life-giving books, that can change a person’s life. These books will reach people who have not even once in their lives, heard about Jesus Christ. The books are even beautiful to look at. These are God’s gift to us and we accept them with gratitude.
ALTAI
I greet you dear brothers and sisters. I want to thank those of you who have printed and send out these beautiful New Testaments. We have also received some and as a result, we have the ability for greater opportunities to proclaim God’s word, and provide people the opportunity to study the Bible. Our desire is that they are encouraged, find answers to the questions they have in their lives and are blessed by what they are reading. May God bless you.
NIZHNY NOVGOROD
Special thanks for the New Testaments we have received here in Nizhny Novgorod. The brethren who were here, are distributing them to their churches as well. These New Testaments have been so needed. A very special thanks to you and we give glory to God for your work and for the blessing that has ensued to us as well.
Volunteer evangelism team leaders on Sakhalin Island, Russian Far East. They have received a small shipment of New Testaments (left) and the Gospel of John (center).
Ex-Atheist Alexey Navalny Speaks of His New-Found Faith in God
Alexey Navalny has become famous for his fight against corruption and the Kremlin’s abuses of human rights. Formerly an atheist, Alexey Navalny found faith in God. Navalny said he came to faith after returning to Moscow in January of this year following his treatment in Germany for poisoning by the nerve agent Novichok.
A month after Navalny’s return to Moscow in February, Navalny was arrested and sentenced to prison. The message of God’s love and mercy has touched his soul and pursued the truth in his own life as well as in the governance of Russia. Navalny’s special focus has been on its leadership, where truth seems to be in short supply.
God’s Word “On Trial”
When Alexey appeared in court to present his defense, his speech was reported widely around the world, and heavily edited. The media were forbidden entry to the courtroom. However, a secret recording of the proceedings showed that his final defense consisted of a sermon. Alexey stated that he had been a staunch atheist, whose worldview had been anti-God, but now had come to faith.
While in pretrial detention, he had found comfort in the words of Jesus as quoted in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled” (the word righteousness in the Russian Bible is “truth”). As one listens to his defense, one can see that only a person who has come to faith is able to speak in the manner he spoke. Alexey Navalny reasoned: “In the world’s eyes, it is mindless to thirst for truth and to be nourished by it.”
(Addendum: Navalny died while serving a 19-year prison sentence in the Russian Arctic, Feb 16, 2024)
Ministering Among Jews in Russia
As coronavirus restrictions for gatherings were lifted, the GCMM Israel ministry team could finally organize events commemorating biblically-based celebrations.
There was a rush to join the Pesach Easter Passover celebration in St. Petersburg. Pre-registration was by phone, and a couple of hundred people called in enthusiastically to participate. It was a reflection of a great desire to be together again after a long period of isolation.
GCMM sent a video greeting for the celebration, with volunteers from the Father’s Heart Messianic Church and Andrei and Ljudmila Evert taking care of the rest of the program. It became evident through the music, praise dances, and the spoken Word of God that the Messiah of Israel came to free, save, and redeem His people.
Freedom of Expression in Russia Punishable by Law
A new law that adversely affects freedom of expression was enacted on 1 June 2021. The new restrictions also apply to freedom of religion and the practice of religion.
Quoting the Bible can now lead to punishment by law, as do educational activities, without special permission from authorities. This includes everything from lectures to any kind of instruction, including audio and video recordings on the internet and all instructional material downloadable from websites.
Bishop Yuri Ananiev stressed this point: “The saddest thing is that for congregations, this new law means that the dissemination of all spiritually or religiously educational material is forbidden.”
The tide continues to turn in Russia.
Ministry in East Ukraine’s War Zone … Trust God, Pray, and Minister!
Working closely with Ukrainian churches, GCMM has conducted large scale media campaigns in both Kyiv, and in the Black Sea port city of Odessa. Using Ukrainian state television channels and mainline media, the message of God’s power to change the hearts and lives of men and women has reached millions of Ukrainians and witnessed new churches being planted.
A third media campaign originally planned for 2020 in the current war zone area in East Ukraine was postponed due to the pandemic, as well as the Russian military activity along the Ukrainian border.
In the East-Ukrainian town of Orlivak, in the war zone area awaiting the campaign. Testimonies of transformed lives were prepared and ready to go for television, radio, and print with the message of God’s reconciling love.
Greenhouse Project for Pilgrim Children’s Home
Gennady Mokhnenko, our representative and a military pastor in the war zone area sends a message:
“I would like to thank all the friends of GCMM for the greenhouse that was given to us. We think of you every day. We can harvest vegetables, even when our country is at war making vegetables and other food difficult to come by. Tomatoes and cucumbers are providing the daily intake of vitamins for the children’s home also. Our farm is working out well. We have chickens, eggs, and even a couple of goats and one pig.”
Gennady Mokhnenko, founder and director of the Pilgrim Children’s Home and orphanage, is a father figure to 34 orphaned children. Gennady serves as as military pastor in the war zone.
“This is the eighth year of the war here in the war zone in Eastern Ukraine. Among the men, we are discussing ways to protect our city. I remember how Finland fought Russia during the Winter War in 1939. Finland is an example of how a small nation repelled a giant, overpowering empire. It appeared they could have destroyed Finland in a matter of days.
Yesterday, as we left the house we could hear the thunder of shelling. The threat of an all-out attack by Russian-backed rebel forces increases by the day. We are drawing up contingency plans for the evacuation of our women and children.
Preparations were made to evacuate children, mothers, and the elderly from villages in the war zone.
We have a direct view of the front lines from the bedroom windows of our house, which is the first thing our family sees when we wake up. My youngest son is 13 years old. He has spent eight of those years in this war zone. In other words, he has seen war for most of his life. I see fear in the eyes of the children at the orphanage, yet the children rejoice that spring has arrived and are out playing volleyball, running, and laughing.
It still feels like this is just some kind of a nightmare, and that somehow we will wake up to discover that it was not real. But the nightmare continues…”
House Churches in the War Zone
Ministry continues under difficult circumstances, by military chaplains and volunteers. Gennady shares: “The power is cut every night for strategic reasons and communication is down. The threat of major military action creates a lot of problems for these churches. Some people have been able to evacuate sensing that something terrible is about to happen, but most people have stayed. They are weary of war and are in a state of apathy. They are saying, “Whatever happens, let it happen. If they kill us, let them kill us, we will not leave. We plan to go back soon to see them again. Our soldiers have no time for visitors, yet they ask that we come. Thank you for your prayers.”
The concentration of Russian forces on the borders of Ukraine and inside its occupied areas caused shortages in food in the villages.
Ukrainian Authorities Green Light the Media Campaign
The delayed GCMM media campaign planned for the war zone received support from a surprising source! The Ukrainian State Security invited church leaders to discuss the impact of the prolonged conflict in the occupied territories of East Ukraine. In addition to authorities approving the campaign concept and subsequent advertisements, they promised to provide the necessary protection throughout the 600-kilometer conflict zone area.
Together with the local churches, the long-awaited media campaign in the region to reach over 6 million people living inside and close to the war zone finally began. The delays had been significant due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign focused on the greater city areas of Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Mariupol.
Leading pastors in East Ukraine shared: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reach millions in our eastern province. We have never seen a campaign like this.”
The Church’s “Message of Hope” serves to restore the hearts and souls of its citizens to become peaceful and blessed residents of their beloved homeland. “Only the Church has the message that can bring healing to minds and hearts, change attitudes, and thoughts so that East Ukraine might once again live as a united nation,” says senior pastor Yuri Babinets of the Kyiv mega church.
The campaign book was published in Ukrainian and Russian and distributed on both sides of the line of fire in their respective language. In this manner, GCMM wanted to show the people in the occupied territories that their language was not an obstacle. “No matter which language you speak, you are equal to your brothers in Kyiv, in West Ukraine, in East Ukraine, and Crimea.”
At the outbreak of the war in 2014, millions of people fled the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Still, millions of others remain in their villages and towns despite the hostilities. “Sooner or later, this war will be over and we will have to look each other in the eye. Yes, there are also churches, pastors, and members of the Church on the other side of the front line as well. We understand that the general population is not to blame for what is happening. Powers beyond their control had led to this. The only thing God requires of us is that we love our enemies.”
Evangelism Campaign gains intensity
In December, the East Ukraine media evangelism campaign rapidly gained intensity near active military activity, just 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the campaign office and call center in Mariupol, the largest city in the war zone. The Ukrainian military was on high alert, guarding 400 kilometers of the front line.
Partnering churches in Mariupol advised their members to prepare for a possible evacuation. Pastor Gennady Mokhnenko advised: “Keep your bag packed with warm clothes, ID, food, and if you have a car, have extra fuel.” A sense of heightened urgency to accelerate all aspects of the evangelism campaign in the war zone came into play.
GCMM has never been in a similar situation in any country where the threat of a major invasion is imminent during an ongoing campaign. Senior Pastor and Campaign Director Yuri Babinets reports: “To date, we have delivered 27,000 special edition Power to Change books to eleven cities of East Ukraine. The cities are Dnipro (1,600 books), Zaporizhzhia (2,000 books), Kharkiv (1,600 books), Mariupol (10,000 books), Slovyansk (11,000 books). Lesser amounts: Zolotonosha, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Lviv.
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians at a church service in the war zone. The speakers were military pastors, and leaders of the Pilgrim orphanage in the city of Mariupol.
The threat of the invasion was real, and tension was running high in villages, towns, and cities within the war zone. We witnessed an escalation of shelling of villages and military targets in the same areas where the campaign was being seen and heard.
Villages along the line of conflict were being shelled daily, among which was the village of Nevelskoye. It had been shelled during the night just hours before we arrived at the village.
TV Channel in Georgia
Georgia in the Caucasus, one of the oldest Jewish areas in the world, has a locally Christian-run TV channel. We have a program agreement with them. Their high-level production team began translating and dubbing our Israel-themed programs into Georgian last year, with the first programs already reaching viewers this year.
A photo at Christmas, of the Georgian TV channel team who are producing Israel-themed programs into the Georgian language.
YouTube Viewer Feedback
In addition to our traditional TV channel programs, YouTube has increasingly grown as a form of media ministry for GCMM, receiving 500-700 messages from viewers monthly.
Here are a few examples:
JANNA
“A huge thank you for your programs, which are eye opening for me. I would like to get to Jerusalem to experience everything for myself.
SVETLANA
“Lord, help me and forgive me. Lead me to your light for Christ’s sake!
Anonymous
“Oh, what a program, I have watched it over and over many times in tears. It’s well done and conveys love and goodness. I have experienced a lot of hard things and want to face more goodness in the world.”
SATELLITES: God’s “Secret Plan” in Reaching Millions of Arab, Irani, Somali Muslims
GCMM’s satellite TV ministry produces up to 1,000 new Christian TV programs annually for evangelism in Arabic, Sudanese Arabic, Amharic, Farsi, Berber, Somali, and Tajik. These programs are shown all over the world on 18 Satellite TV channels. They reach more than 100 million Muslims and Arabs each month, with an average of 200,000 viewers contacting our program centers monthly. Through them, those who wish to take the next steps, have the opportunity to fellowship with Christians in their region and to be connected to thousands of networks created by Christians living throughout the Islamic world.
Below are some stories from viewers where they share how as Muslims, they find Jesus through our programs.
REZA from Morocco
Reza had rid himself of using drugs and heard the good news of the gospel through our programs. He had been addicted to heroin for 16 years. He told us, “I am in love with your programs, that have really blessed me. Now Christ has become the Truth to me.” Reza was very eager to pray with us at the end of our conversation. We prayed together and he surrendered his heart to the Lord.
MOHZEN from Iraq
“I want to tell you good news, of how my mother and father have begun to believe in Christ after 15 years. Now they watch Christian TV channels all the time. It seems that the Lord wanted me to watch your programs over and over again so that I could live a life that glorifies Christ, and that my behaviour when testifying, would reflect that Christ is real.”
MIR from Afghanistan
“I live in Afghanistan. About a year ago, I began to believe in Jesus Christ through your programs. My family knows about it and I can pray and worship the Lord in my own home. However, there are no churches here and I have been threatened by Muslims. If I practice my faith in public, as I do, is my faith in God and Jesus Christ accepting, if I hide my faith to save my life?
If this is not acceptable to Him in this manner, I must declare my faith in Jesus before religious people, even if it means certain death at their hands. This is why I want to know your view – what should I do? Do I keep my faith a secret until an appropriate time, or do I continue to worship Christ at home, where family members are aware of my faith?”
TALAL from Saudi Arabia
Talal knew Christianity as the religion of peace, but he was very afraid to learn about it because he knew that in his country if he apostates from Islam, the result is death. For several years, he worked in Kuwait and met Filipino and Egyptian Christians who warmly accepted him as a friend. He saw peace and love within them. Talal wrote to us, “Unlike what Islam teaches, I have come to realize that it is my right to choose the God who will save me and give me eternal life.” He goes on to say, “I saw a vision before I went to Kuwait. In it, I saw three men with me in a dark room, and one of them was giving me an old book. When I took it from him, I felt a deep peace. Later, when I traveled to Kuwait, I remembered this dream when I curiously entered a church. There, I saw the Bible and amazingly it looked exactly like the book that the man in my dream gave me!”
Talal asked our team to help him learn about the God of the Bible. We began our journey with him so he would learn who Jesus is and what He has done for him. We also sent him a video to explain Jesus’ sacrifice.
He is embracing the gospel message and the Word of God. Christ’s light has replaced the darkness in his life. Please pray for Talal so he would stand firm in his faith and he would glorify God in Saudi Arabia.
Great Commission Media Ministries launches production of Christian satellite TV programs for Afghanistan!
Afghan believers who were able to flee Afghanistan in August appealed for Christian TV programs in the Dari language. GCMM heard their plea. In October, the production of Gospel programs was launched in Dari spoken by 50% of the population. Dari is the Afghan dialect of Persian and is sometimes referred to as “Eastern Persian”. Dari serves as the lingua franca of Afghanistan.
These satellite TV broadcasts can be seen in homes throughout the country. Some believers who fled the country and found refuge in Europe, have been invited to the GCMM Ministry Center in Finland where they are assisting GCMM production teams as hosts and speakers. As well as providing music for the Dari programs.