ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — A Russian bomb struck a Baptist church in Zaporizhzhia during an evening prayer meeting April 16, killing at least one person and wounding eight others.
Religious freedom advocates say this was a deliberate attack on a congregation known for its humanitarian work.
“This was not an accidental hit. It was a direct hit,” said Sergey Rakhuba, president and CEO of Mission Eurasia, a gospel-based humanitarian organization headquartered in Franklin, Tenn. Rakhuba is also a member of The Church at Station Hill, a Tennessee Baptist Convention church located in Spring Hill.
The House of the Gospel Church — a congregation of roughly 300 members — was struck by a KAB-1500L laser-guided bomb as worshippers gathered inside, according to the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States. Rescue workers were still on the scene when the embassy issued its public statement.
Rakhuba, who grew up in Zaporizhzhia, said the church holds deep personal and historical significance. The congregation traces its roots to the underground Baptist movement that was persecuted by the Soviet regime and the KGB. After the Soviet Union collapsed, members spent two years of volunteer labor transforming a Soviet propaganda building into what Rakhuba described as “a beautiful, magnificent church.”
“Since the war began, that church has become a major humanitarian hub, serving people in their darkest hours,” Rakhuba told the Baptist and Reflector. “And that is exactly why it was targeted by Russian forces.”
Local ties to a distant tragedy
Mission Eurasia has maintained a close relationship with the Zaporizhzhia congregation for years. Kate Akers, the organization’s director of marketing and a member of Brentwood Baptist Church, told Baptist Press the church is the home congregation of one of ME’s key leaders, who has since been displaced to Moldova.
The son of one of the church’s retired pastors now leads a church plant that holds Sunday afternoon services in Mission Eurasia’s Reimer Center in Zaporizhzhia, Akers said.
“Sadly, churches like this are often targeted, especially when they are serving their communities in times of crisis,” Akers said. “That is one reason Mission Eurasia has devoted significant attention to documenting religious persecution and attacks on churches in Ukraine.”
Russia has killed at least 58 priests and pastors and damaged or destroyed more than 700 churches across Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to Mission Eurasia.
“Churches that bring hope are being deliberately destroyed,” Rakhuba said.
Silver lining
The day after the strike, Rakhuba said hundreds of believers from Baptist churches across Zaporizhzhia gathered at the damaged building, spending the entire day clearing rubble before joining hands in a circle to pray and commit to rebuilding. The city’s mayor publicly acknowledged the Christian community and held the church up as an example of how people should care for one another.
Rakhuba added that the attack has not diminished the church’s witness or reach across Ukraine.
“That tells you something about the spiritual hunger of the people,” he said. “God is using even suffering to awaken hearts and draw people to Himself. The Church has always grown under pressure, and we are witnessing that again.”
The Baptist Union of Ukraine reports that more people have been baptized in its churches during the four years of war than in the previous decade combined. Mission Eurasia alone has distributed millions of copies of Scripture since the invasion began. Rakhuba said the Bible, for adults and children alike, has become one of the most requested items after food.
“That tells you something about the spiritual hunger of the people,” said Rakhuba.
A call to pray
Rakhuba urged Tennessee Baptists and Christians across the West to remain engaged.
“First, pray for this war to end. God can intervene — even when stubborn political leaders struggle to find answers,” he said. “Pray for protection for pastors and leaders serving in dangerous areas. Pray for boldness — that the gospel will continue to go forward with clarity and power.”
He also asked believers not to turn away from the ongoing crisis.
“The suffering is real. People need help. And believers in Ukraine need to know they are not forgotten.”
Mission Eurasia continues to document Russia’s systematic persecution of Christians and the destruction of religious life in occupied Ukrainian territories. For the latest reports, visit MissionEurasia.org.
Note: Some information for the story was pulled from the Baptist Press article “Russia’s deadly strike on busy Ukraine Baptist church ‘wasn’t an accident,’ advocates say” by Diana Chandler.
