A video of an evangelical church service in St. Petersburg featuring songs about ballistic missiles and the chorus “Russia for Christ” went viral over the weekend, prompting Pastor Olga Golikova of the Light of Christ Mission Church to respond this Sunday.
The video, published in March, featured Golikova speaking over background singers and music while people walked in circles carrying Russian and Israeli flags, flags with the slogan “Russia for Christ” and others that appeared to show military hardware and mushroom clouds.
“We take, Lord, this runway, we rise into the sky with your ballistic missiles. We rise there, Lord, with supersonic planes to carry the good news that Russia is for Christ!” says Golikova in the video.
Many evangelical Christians believe that as evil grows in the world, the end times grow nearer, and with that, with variations on the details, believers will ascend to Heaven and Christ will return to rule the Earth.
Influential American Evangelical Pat Robertson said in March 2022 that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “compelled by God” to invade Ukraine to fulfill this prophecy of armageddon.
The Light of Christ Church was founded by an American evangelist in 1993. Golikova has an English-language YouTube channel in addition to a Russian one with 113,000 subscribers.
In her sermon this Sunday, Golikova thanked people outside of her church for the attention the video received. She explained that many years ago God had put the phrase “Russia for Christ” in her heart.
She added that God has a “special purpose” for Russia, adding: “All countries that might think of our country as some kind of monster. For these countries, Russia will become a huge blessing.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
