Moscow Prayer Breakfast Draws Dignitaries

On March 17, the Presidential Hotel hosted the 9^th annual National Prayer Breakfast. In keeping with past events, the prayer breakfast drew a number of prominent statesmen, representatives of various Protestant churches, other religious organizations, diplomats, religious adherents, and journalists. Lytkin Aleksey and Mikheyev Vyacheslav were on hand as representative of the Moscow Church of Christ.

Olga Koroleva, an adviser in the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, welcomed participants. She observed the considerable growth of authority of the religious organizations during the last years in Russia. Moreover, the number of services that are being provided by these religious organizations, including social services, peacemaking and charity, care of older generation. Protestants groups are large contributors to these efforts because they possess certain traditions and roots in the Russian society and are an integral part of religious community of Russia. Olga Koroleva concluded by saying, “We call the Protestant religious organizations for active dialogue and cooperation which is possible, is necessary and is real.”

Konstantin Benda, the chairman of the Russian incorporated union of Christians, said, “In the main thing – preaching about the Christ – we should be united, and we try.” This effort has resulted concrete examples of cooperation of Christians of different confessions –assisting those that suffered from military operations in South Ossetia, prison ministries with rehabilitation efforts for former prisoners, preventive measures against drug addiction, and rehabilitation of those addicted. According to Mr. Bendas, the combined efforts of various churches support the work of 500 rehabilitation centers free of charge.

Alexander Torshin, the first assistant of the chairman of the Council of the Russian Federation, expressed hope that one day the prayer breakfast would occur not in a “Presidential Hotel” with Parliament participating but with the President actually in attendance.

In Christ

Igor Petrov