Pastors' testimonies

Pastor Nicolai Shevchenko

Pastor Nicolai Shevchenko grew up in Uzbekistan in a Baptist household but became a zealous communist with a fearsome reputation before embracing Christ himself. He told us his story.

"When I was seven years old, I was mocked and beaten by other boys because my parents were Baptists and I was not a member of the Communist Youth. One day the pressure from my peers and my teachers got too heavy and I decided to turn against my parents' faith. I started to cling to the communist cause and became a member of the Party and the Soviet Youth.

"After secondary school I joined the army and my zeal for the cause was noticed. I was granted extra leave over Easter to spend more time with my parents in order to show them what real Easter was like. I was very rude to my mother and told her that she ought to be slaughtered like a beast because of her despicable behaviour.

"When my time in the army finished I was due to go home. My parents were very apprehensive and their church was praying with them. Many people shuddered with fear because 'Saul' was coming back; I used to organise public debates and absorbed all the atheist literature. I was determined to convince everyone of the truth of atheism."

But as Nicolai continued to study atheist literature, he felt its arguments were completely unsound. So in 1969, he decided to follow Christ instead. A year later, he married a Christian girl called Vera and in 1978 he became the pastor of a Baptist church in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Nicolai was asked to start a new church in another part of town in 1996. He immediately applied for registration, and the church, which included a thriving children's and youth work, grew steadily. However, their registration was refused, so they tried again in 1999. But the process stalled in a quagmire of red tape and one Sunday a group of nine officers visited their Sunday service, demanding the names of everyone present. Eight young men volunteered to give their names after Pastor Nicolai refused to hand any over. "I have entrusted my life to Jesus," said one young man when an officer explained it would mean no hope for a good education or career.

Nicolai was fined a year's minimum wage salary and told to cease any church activity or face a criminal case. Although the church continued to meet for a while, the threats continued and they had to cancel their meetings. Church members decided to attend services in another part of town.

Although the constitution in Uzbekistan provides for freedom of religion, in practice evangelism and importing religious literature are forbidden or restricted by law. Churches have been forced underground. Christians are threatened, detained and then fined, or cut off from electricity and water supplies to force them out of the village or make them renounce their faith. In addition, Christians are the butt of fierce media campaigns and need strength and patience to deal with the endless pressure inflicted by both local and national authorities.