Faith Under Siege: New Documentary Exposes Severe Persecution of Evangelical Christians by Russia
A new documentary is shining a light on the growing persecution of evangelical Christians here in Ukraine, a crisis that remains largely unknown in the West. “A Faith Under Siege” takes viewers to the front lines, where pastors and missionaries are providing hope amidst the horrors of war.
The Russian war against Ukraine has inflicted devastating tolls, not only on soldiers but also on Christians who refuse to bow to Moscow’s demands. The new documentary aims to expose the truth about religious persecution in Ukraine.
Executive producer Colby Barrett explained, “Right now there’s so much propaganda out there around these kind of issues that we wanted to get right to the truth and talk to the people that had suffered under Russian occupation for their faith. And that’s really the heart of the documentary.”
“A Faith Under Siege” features firsthand accounts of pastors, aid workers, and believers who have been captured, tortured, or forced to flee because of their faith.
Barrett noted, “The folks that stayed in these war-torn areas to help and to minister to their folks and to others, to provide aid, were really doing some amazing stuff. And what you see when the Russians took over and found these evangelicals, they find them very threatening.”
Russian propaganda often claims to uphold traditional values, but on the ground in Ukraine, evangelicals are targeted as threats to the Kremlin’s control.
“Evangelicals especially are very loyal to our leader, Jesus, not so much political leaders… And so when they find evangelicals, and they are only loyal to God, that’s disruptive,” Barrett explained.
CBN News traveled to Ukraine to join former Green Beret Christian Hickey, who moved to Ukraine in 2022 as a missionary to soldiers fighting on the front lines.
Hickey shared, “We’ve been bringing in thousands of audio Bibles to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. It’s one of the best ways to get Scripture into their hands. They can listen while they’re on the move, while they’re taking shelter. And we know from experience that God’s word never returns void.”
The documentary isn’t just about exposing Russian war crimes; it also serves as a call to action for Christians worldwide to pray and stand with their brothers and sisters in Ukraine.
“So the purpose of this movie isn’t to make a bunch of money. We’re going to be providing it for free. And what we’re really relying on is that our American brothers and sisters, especially in the Christian community, latch onto this and want to host screenings and show it in their own communities,” Barrett said.
The film is gaining exposure at the Museum of the Bible, and producers hope to shed light on the crisis and mobilize Christians.
Reporting on the ground has confirmed the claims made in the documentary that evangelical Christians in Ukraine are facing targeted persecution at the hands of Russian forces. Barrett concluded, “We pray for the Christians that are caught in this conflict, that they’re able to serve as a model for our faith… as well as just an end to this war, a just end to this war.”
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