IT IS DIFFICULT FOR THEM
TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 6,
2011.
WHAT THEY DID WAS NOT
RIGHT.
WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO
SAVE THE BIBLES.
Reporter: ON A RECENT
MORNING ON THE EDGE OF
MOSCOW, THIS 12-YEAR-OLD AND
A HANDFUL OF HER FRIENDS
HELD SUNDAY SCHOOL ON THE
STEPS OF WHAT USED TO BE THE
ENTRANCE OF THEIR CHURCH.
I WANT THE PEOPLE WHO DID
THIS TO KNOW, I STILL LOVE
CHRIST AND I'M GOING TO PRAY
FOR THEM IN OUR COUNTRY.
Reporter: IN THE EARLY
HOURS OF THAT SEPTEMBER
MORNING, ABOUT 45 MEN,
BACKED BY LOCAL RUSSIAN
POLICE, DESCENDED ON HOLY
TRINITY PENTECOSTAL CHURCH.
I GOT HERE ABOUT 4 A.M.
AND SAW TWO LARGE EXCAVATORS
TEARING THROUGH THE CHURCH
BUILDING.
Reporter: AS WORD
SPREAD, OTHER CHURCH MEMBERS
RUSHED TO TRY TO SAVE THE
CHURCH.
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE
SOUND OF MY CHURCH BEING
CRUSHED.
IT WAS SO PAINFUL.
Reporter: THE PASTOR
ALSO TRIED TO STOP THE MEN,
BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
THIS IS VIDEO OF HIM THAT
NIGHT.
WHEN I TRIED TO GET INTO
THE TERRITORY, I WAS STOPPED
BY DRUNK, TOUGH GUYS, WHO
INTRODUCED THEMSELVES AS A
VIGILANT GROUP ACTING ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY
DISTRICT.
THEY REFUSED TO SHOW THEIR
I.D.s AND PAPERS.
Reporter: BY 3 A.M.,
THE THREE-STORY BUILDING WAS
IN RUINS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE'RE
SEEING TODAY IS NOTHING
NEW.
FOR DECADES, EVANGELICAL
CHRISTIANS IN RUSSIA HAVE
EXPERIENCED SIMILAR OR
WORSE.
Reporter: HOLY TRINITY
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH BECAME
REGISTERED IN THE 1970s.
IN 1995, THE CHURCH WAS
FORCED OUT OF HIS ORIGINAL
BUILDING AND MOVED TO THIS
SITE SOME 45 MINUTES OUTSIDE
MOSCOW.
THE CHURCH ERECTED A
TEMPORARY BUILDING, BUT
BATTLED AUTHORITIES OVER
BUILDING PERMITS.
FOR 17 YEARS THE CITY EVEN
PREVENTED THE CHURCH ACCESS
TO WATER AND ELECTRICITY.
THEN IN LATE AUGUST, 2012, A
DISTRICT OFFICIAL NOTIFIED
ROMAN NEUTE THAT THE CHURCH
WAS SLATED FOR DEMOLITION.
THIS MAN RUNS A CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY IN MOSCOW.
THEY HAVE CHOOSE SEN, IN
FRONT OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY,
IN FRONT OF THE WORLD, IN
MOSCOW, IN THE CAPITAL, JUST
TO LEVEL THE EVANGELICAL
CHURCH, MAKING THAT
STATEMENT.
Reporter: EVEN THOUGH
THE COUNTRY'S CONSTITUTION
CLEARLY STATES THAT ALL
RELIGIONS ARE EQUAL BEFORE
THE LAW, THE GOVERNMENT IS
OFTEN ACCUSED OF
DISCRIMINATING AGAINST
CITIZENS WHO PROFESS FAITH
OTHER THAN ORTHODOX
CHRISTIANITY.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
ORTHODOX CHURCH VIEW US
EVANGELICALS AS A THREAT.
THEY SEE OUR CONGREGATIONS
GROWING, AND THEY SEE HOW
DYNAMIC OUR SERVICES ARE AND
THEY'RE THREATENED BY IT.
Reporter: A LEADING
HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER IN
MOSCOW SAYS HOLY TRINITY
CHALLENGES ARE LEGAL
PROPERTIES ARE PART OF A
CHALLENGE FOR EVANGELICALS.
BECOME LINE, THIS IS
DISCRIMINATION.
THIS YEAR ALONE, THE
GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN THE
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH 200
PERMITS.
Reporter: AND WHAT EF
CULLS AR EVANGELICALS, MOST
CONCERNED ABOUT IS THEY
ACCUSE VLADIMIR PUTIN OF
TEARING DOWN WALLS BETWEEN
CHURCH AND STATE.
YOU WILL NEVER HEAR OF AN
ORTHODOX CHURCH BEING
BULLDOZED AND RANSACKED IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
Reporter: BACK ON THE
GROUNDS OF HOLY TRINITY,
ROMAN NEUTE AND THE
CONGREGATION ARE PRESSING
FORWARD.
THEY'RE HOLDING WEEKLY
SERVICES IN A LARGE TENT
NEXT TO THE DEMOLISHED
CHURCH.
THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THE
CITY WANTS TO TURN THE LAND
INTO A LARGE SPORTS
COMPLEX.
I NEVER IMAGINED IN MY
LIFE I WOULD GO THROUGH SUCH
AN EXPERIENCE.
BUT TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I
FEEL EMBOLDENED AND FULL OF
HOPE, THANKS TO PRAYERS FROM
CHRISTIANS AROUND THE
WORLD.
Reporter: 12-YEAR-OLD
SVETA IS HOPEFUL.
SINCE THIS HAPPENED, I
HAVE BEEN ASKING GOD TO GIVE
US ANOTHER PLACE THAT WE CAN
SHARE WITH OTHERS.
I KNOW GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF
US.
