by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - At least 3 evangelical churches have been closed in Russia over the last 6 months, in spite of President Vladimir Putin's pledge at a recent conference to "do everything" to protect Christians in the Middle East.
Oryol Christian Evangelical Church of the Resurrection, Church of the Embassy of Jesus, Cathedral Church of the Word of Life, and possibly Novorossiysk Baptist church will all be closed following investigations by local officials that faulted them for questionable building code violations.
At Oryol, 78 claimed breaches of building code were found, a court later denying the appeal of members who scrambled to fastidiously meet the regulations.
As the institutions close, Christians in Russia were heartened however by a decision from the Russian Constitutional Court on November 14 that believers could meet and perform worship activities in homes.