DAGESTAN (ANS) -- Christians from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Armavir (in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia) on July 18, gathered at the Hosanna Church in Makhachkala, Dagestan for the funeral of Pastor Artur Suleimanov, who was shot to death earlier in the week as he was leaving the church.

Pastor Artur Suleimanov

According to the Wheaton, Illinois-based Russian Ministries, throughout his pastorate, Pastor Artur -- husband, father, brother and spiritual leader -- received threats from radical Muslims, and as yet, law enforcement agencies haven’t ruled out an attack by radicals.

In a report received by ASSIST News, Russian Ministries Anita Deyneka says grieving church members recall their pastor as "a strong, supportive and positive leader.

"Under his leadership, the church ran a rehab center, developed an anti-drug campaign and a prison ministry. The church also had a café that was open to the community," Deyneka states.

Deyneka goes on to say that the week Pastor Artur was murdered, a team of Russian Ministries' School Without Walls students from nearby Kabardino-Balkaria were running an evangelistic summer camp for children in Mahachkala.

"Ironically, as these School Without Walls students returned home to Karbardino-Balkaria, their own region exploded in violence early Wednesday morning," Deyneka said.

According to an Associated Press (AP) report, two carloads of assailants attacked a hydroelectric station in that region early Wednesday, killing two workers and setting off bombs. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Deyneka stated: "Although Karbardino-Balkaria experiences less violence than neighboring Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, people throughout the Northern Caucasus region, and in Moscow, remain on alert for more violence from extremists."

A source close to Russian Ministries recalled that, "Artur had gift of networking and was committed to seeing a unified body of Christ, a unified witness in Dagestan. It had always been his desire to see all believers working together in unity in Dagestan, and he worked hard to see that happen.

"Artur became a representative of churches in Dagestan to Muslims or to the government. Muslim religious leaders saw him as the 'chief mufti,' or chief spokesman of Christians in Dagestan."

Russian Ministries’ source pointed out that Dagestan is a "really, really tough place for missionaries. Few come to Dagestan or stay long, whether it’s missionaries from the West or from Russia and Ukraine."

A little over a month before Pastor Artur’s senseless death, Forum 18, a vocal advocate for religious liberty worldwide, reported on the restrictions authorities imposed on the protestant church’s social work in Dagestan. (Click here www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1456  for Forum 18’s report ).

As Christians in Dagestan mourn the death of this strong leader, Russian Ministries asks for believers in the West to please pray:
• for Vladimir Chumakov, the church’s assistant pastor, as he assumes responsibilities as the senior pastor of Hosanna Church.
• for unity among church members, and that they will trust God’s protection and not become overwhelmed with fear.
• for the church’s continued witness to the Muslim community in Mahachkala.

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Russian Ministries
P.O. Box 496
Wheaton, IL 60187
USA
website: http://russian-ministries.org  

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter