The Tyumen diocese disrupted the SDA program

The Board of the Union of Evangelical Christian Missions expressed indignation at the disruption of the Christian program in the Tyumen Puppet and Mask Theatre. On the eve of the theater program, Archpriest Sergei Shvalev, Dean of the Tyumen District of the Tyumen-Tobolsk Diocese, sent a letter to the theater management stating that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a "totalitarian sect" and causes "serious harm to the spiritual and mental health of Tyumen residents."

After receiving the letter, the theatre's management terminated the agreement on holding the Christian program. Similar letters were sent to all power structures of the region.

The Union of Missions of Evangelical Christians believes that the actions of the Tyumen diocese testify "not only to legal illiteracy, but also to an attempt to take over the functions, and even replace the state authorities."

“It is sad that the leadership of the Deanery forgets that the Russian Federation is a secular state and no religion can be established as a state or obligatory one,” the Union of Missions of Evangelical Christians says in a statement. “In Russia, all religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law Yes, and the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, which includes the right to profess individually or jointly with others any religion, to freely choose, have and disseminate religious beliefs and act in accordance with them, is guaranteed by the Constitution to everyone, and not only to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church (Art. 14 and 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).Moreover, paragraph 2, article 29 of the Constitution of Russia prohibits propaganda or agitation that incites social, racial, national or religious hatred and enmity or superiority."

The leadership of the Union plans to hold a meeting with representatives of the SDA Church and develop a common position in connection with the incident. In addition, an emergency meeting of the Congress of Religious Associations of the Tyumen Region will be held.

On March 12, at a meeting of the Council of Christian Churches of Tyumen, which includes representatives of Protestant religious organizations of the city, an appeal was made to the Governor of the region V.V. Yakushev. According to the authors of this document, the goal of Archpriest Sergei Shvalev was "insulting and humiliating the dignity of both the clergyman - Bishop Protasevich Boris Gennadievich (secretary of the East Russian Union Mission, clergyman of the SDA Church, invited to conduct a Christian program in the theater. - Ed.) , and the denomination itself. Also, such accusations cast a shadow on all Protestant, evangelical churches."

"Moreover," the appeal says, "these actions of the Deanery are a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of conscience, which allows not only to profess, but also to spread any religion, especially one that has passed state registration.

By their actions, the Head of the Deanery arouse religious hostility and sow enmity between religions. More outrageous, in our opinion, is that Mr. Shvalev assumes the responsibility to indiscriminately and unsubstantiatedly call the Church of the SDA a totalitarian sect in front of the law enforcement and power structures of the region, which allowed not only its existence, but state registration.

We believe that the actions of the Tyumen Deanery - the Tobolsk-Tyumen Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are defiant, illegal and require a public apology to the SDA Church.

The Russian Federation is a secular state, and no religion can be established as state or compulsory, and all religious organizations are equal before the law."

On March 13, the leaders of the Protestant churches sent an application to the regional prosecutor, as well as the heads of the regional departments of the FSB and the Federal Registration Service. The statement was signed by Bishop of the Euro-Asian Branch of the East-Russian Union Mission B.G. Protasevich; Chairman of the Council (senior pastor of the Tyumen region) R.O. "Church of Adventist Christians of the Seventh Day in Tyumen" V.V. Medvid; chairman of the Congress of Religious Associations of the Tyumen Region, clergyman, head of the board of the Union of Missions of Evangelical Christians, rector of the Tyumen Biblical Seminary of Evangelical Christians E.N. Shestakov; Chairman of the Council of Christian Churches R.O. Tyumen Christian Church of Evangelical Christians, pastor L.I. Brodovsky.

The authors of the statement, again referring to Art. 14, 28 and 29 of the Constitution, they demand to protect their rights and freedoms: “All this (the actions of Archpriest Sergei Shvalev. - Ed. ) violates the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence, offends the honor, dignity and business reputation of the clergyman - Bishop Boris Gennadyevich Protasevich, of the Seventh Adventist Church day, and all other religious associations that are not related to the Moscow Patriarchate.

In accordance with the Constitution, the Russian Federation is a secular state, and no religion can be established as a state or obligatory one. All religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law. The right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, which includes the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion, freely choose, have and spread religious beliefs and act in accordance with them, is guaranteed by the Constitution to everyone, and not only to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church (Art. 14 and 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). Moreover, paragraph 2, art. 29 of the Constitution of Russia prohibits propaganda or agitation that incites religious hatred and enmity or superiority.

We ask you to take immediate measures to protect the constitutional rights of Russian citizens and officially registered Russian religious associations."

Statement of the Union of Evangelical Christian Missions. 2007. March.

Appeal of the Council of Christian Churches of the city of Tyumen to the Governor of the Tyumen Region V.V. Yakushev. 2007. March 12.

Statement by the leaders of Protestant churches addressed to the regional prosecutor and the heads of the regional departments of the FSB and the FRS. 2007. March 13.