Russian court ruling could benefit local Methodist churches

A recent court interpretation of Russia's 1997 religion law should help local United Methodist congregations as they register or re-register with the government, according to Bishop Ruediger Minor.

Russia's Constitutional Court issued a Nov. 23 ruling on the law after a complaint was filed in October 1998 by a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and a Pentecostal group.  The religion law basically forbids religious groups that have been in Russia for less than 15 years from owning property, conducting public worship, distributing literature or bringing in non-Russian clergy.

Although the court upheld the law, it ruled that religious organizations registered before the law was passed in September 1997 would not be required to register again.  The court also ruled that local branches of denominations registered as "centralized" religious organizations - including the United Methodist Church -- do not have to prove a 15-year history.

Methodists began evangelizing in St. Petersburg in 1889, and the Methodist Church received legal status in Russia in 1909.  Eventually, political changes forced much of the church to disband.

The United Methodist Church's Russia Annual Conference was re-registered as a centralized organization last January.  However, Minor told United Methodist News Service that the conference was still in the process of re-registering established congregations and registering new ones.

"Therefore, it is positive for us, too, that the court clearly ruled that the 15-year clause is waived for those who belong to a centralized organization," Minor said."  And we remain concerned about the discrimination against independent organizations."

Minor noted that United Methodists were not invited to a November gathering in Moscow that drew representatives from 33 traditional Christian communities of the former Soviet Union, including the Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals.

"While some church leaders continue their discriminatory practice against Russia's United Methodists," he said, "we are grateful for grass-roots contacts and not only with other Protestants."