Beslan, Northern Ossetia, Russia …. [ANN Staff]
Although the very small, eight-member community of Seventh-day Adventists in Beslan, Northern Ossetia were spared direct harm from the recent terrorist siege at a local school, church members there and throughout the Euro-Asia region are responding with prayer and support for victims.
“In the territory of Northern Ossetia there are only two Adventists churches — in Vladikavkaz and Mozdok — also we have two groups in Beslan and Alagir,” explained Valery Ivanov, communication director for the Euro-Asia church region. “All together, there are 146 Adventist members in the immediate area, but none were injured in the tragedy.”
However, Ivanov, added, “We suffer [along] with our brothers and sisters from the Baptist Church. There are 200 Baptists in Beslan, and the Baptist church elder Taimuraz Tatiev and his five children were all hostages. His brother, Segei, has six children, of which three were hostages. There were children from other Christian families.”
Both Baptist families lost children in the siege, Ivanov said.
The local Seventh-day Adventist Church expressed its condolences to the leaders of Baptist churches in Russia and in the Northern Caucasus region, Ivanov noted. The local Adventist Church donated 30,000 rubles (approximately U.S. $1,027) to help the victims, and is raising more funds through a special bank account.
On Sabbath, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, local Adventist church leaders participated in the funeral services held in the Belsan Baptist Church. Ivanov said Adventists are visiting children who are in hospital, along with their relatives. They pray with them and help with funeral arrangements, because many of the victims are friends and neighbors.
In a message to Russian president Vladimir V. Putin, Euro-Asia church president Artur A. Stele offered sympathy during this time.
“We express deep condolences to the relatives and friends of hostages who had been killed in city Beslan, [as well as] to those who died in the plane crashes on Aug. 24 and those killed at the Rizhskaya metro [subway] station in Moscow as a result of terrorist attacks. Thousands of Adventist churches in deep sorrow pray that God will give all Russians strength and endurance to stand the loss of children, relatives and friends,” Pastor Stele wrote.
Although the Seventh-day Adventist Church endeavors not to be involved in political issues, the church, on a global basis, rejects the use of violence as a method for conflict resolution.
“While it is inevitable that nations and people will try to defend themselves by responding in a military way to violence and terror — which sometimes results in short-term success — lasting answers to deep problems of division in society cannot be achieved by using violent means,” church leaders urged in a 2002 statement.
“Lasting peace does not result from violent means, but is achieved by negotiation, dialogue, and, inevitably, political compromise. In the long run, reasoned discourse has superior authority over military force,” the statement indicated.
Copyright © 2004 by Adventist News Network.
