Called By God In The USSR

By Anatoly Bondarenko, Ukraine

During the time of the USSR, Christians were regularly persecuted by the authorities and many suffered. Anatoly Bondarenko, a member of our Newfrontiers International Forum, tells his story.

I was born on 16 September 1938 in Ukraine. My parents were believers and I had five older sisters. The USSR government did not allow children and students to go to church meetings but my mother taught us about God.

In 1954 I went to Rostov in Russia to study, and found a Baptist church where I got close to the pastor, Ivan Denisov. He was a kind, educated, godly man who impacted my spiritual life considerably.

As a young man, Ivan had been arrested and sent to Siberia to work in the camps in appalling conditions for eight years. His future wife, Zinaida, had also been sent to the camps in Kazakhstan. Through overcoming their sufferings, they became even more faithful and strong in God. Many of Zinaida's family had also been imprisoned, one, Vladymyr, for twenty years. As we listened to their stories, we understood it was hard to be a Christian under one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Glory in the USSR church
Vladymyr and I became close, and spent many hours praying and reading the Bible together. He called me ‘son' and tried to pass on to me his knowledge of God's Word gained through his years in prison. He traveled around the former USSR visiting churches and planting new ones, often taking me with him. He used to say that one day God would bring glory to His church in the USSR. This greatly encouraged me during the years of oppression.

In 1957 I was secretly baptised in water at night. In the morning we had to get to the other bank of the Don River by boat. I decided to swim, but when I got to the middle I was exhausted and started to sink. I cried to God, ‘I'm only eighteen years old. I've just given my whole life to You. Save me and I'll give my life to the ministry!' Instantly, miraculous power and energy filled me and I was able to continue swimming.

Choose God or study
Soon the students and teachers at the institute knew I was a Christian and they evicted me from my hostel. The following day I was summoned to the Dean's office and told, ‘Choose - God or study.' I replied, ‘God.' My teachers were ordered to give me poor marks in the exams and I was expelled from the institute. I entered an evening faculty and found a job in the designer's department of a factory.

In autumn 1957, my fiancée Vera and I planned to marry in Novocherkask, Russia. Many guests came, including six pastors from other churches. As we prayed together before the ceremony, about twenty policemen surrounded the house, and arrested everyone. I tried to explain that we were holding a wedding, pointing to our clothes, but they didn't believe me. Having checked the documents of all the guests and interrogated them, they ordered everyone to leave the house. We didn't give up though, and late at night all the guests came back and we became husband and wife.

Called to be a pastor
‘In 1967 Vladymyr told me that God wanted me to be the pastor and lead the church. I should have been excited but I wasn't, even after prophecies from three other men. Being a pastor at that time meant you were continually watched by the police, oppressed, humiliated and at any moment you or your family could be arrested. I needed to be sure that God, not a man, was calling me.

In 1969 God spoke to me again about being a pastor. I could not refuse any more! Arriving home, I was greatly surprised that the believers already knew that I had been called to be a pastor. One of the women explained that the Holy Spirit had revealed it to her, so the church had been prepared. However, I still had doubts in my heart but one incident changed all that forever.

I went to Donetsk for a business trip and it turned out to be a great opportunity to meet other believers. I met with a well-known speaker with a prophetic ministry who astonished me with a prophetic word: ‘My lovely son, do not doubt. God has blessed you and not a man. Do your ministry and I will show you the way.' I realised that although the way wouldn't be easy, I didn't think it would be impossible.

Soon after that I had an unpleasant talk at work with a representative of the government security committee, who suggested I offer to co-operate. Of course I refused. Within ten days I was fired.

Police pressures
I met with Vladymyr and he suggested I go to Karaganda in Kasakhstan to lead the church there. After three years, we moved to the Eastern Ukraine and then onto the Krasnodarsk region in Russia, where I became the pastor. The local authorities didn't let us buy a house and we had many difficulties with the police watching us. During one meeting a police car arrived and took all of us to the police department. They released us at midnight, far away from our house and we had to walk home, but did so relieved to be free.

In 1980, we decided to move to Belarus, Vera's former home. As we were unpacking, I said to Vera, ‘At last your dream has come true, we are in Belarus. Let's thank God.' We prayed and sensed the Holy Spirit say to us, ‘It's not your final place, God will take you to another place, where a house of God's glory is waiting for you.' Vera saw a picture with a lot of beautiful young trees - it was clear that it was a new church.

Church planting
In Belarus we also had a lot of difficulties in purchasing a house because we were Christians, so we left Belarus and went to the Donbass region of the Ukraine. We remembered God's promise of a new church, but at that stage we had nothing. We had neither a house, money, nor job but God is faithful. He blessed us in all spheres of our life and soon a small group of believers gathered. The church grew and we planted three more churches in the nearby villages. At present we have eighteen churches in the eastern Ukraine and it really is the place where God's glory shines. I am grateful to God for all His miracles and blessings, and praise Him for His will and destiny for each of us.

Called By God In The USSR

By Anatoly Bondarenko, Ukraine

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