Charismatic pastor urges “re-baptizing” UOC faithful to sever ties with RF
Photo from Pastor Andriy Tyshchenko’s page. Photo: Facebook
On December 29, 2025, Andriy Tyshchenko, the senior bishop of Ukraine’s charismatic evangelical churches, published a Facebook post urging believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be baptized again, claiming this was supposedly necessary to “sever ties with the Russian Federation.”
In his post, the pastor addressed Christians “who were baptized in the UOC,” proposing that they undergo a second baptism. As an argument, he cited the Apostle Paul’s words about there being “one baptism.”
In the comments under his post, Tyshchenko questioned the validity of infant baptism, writing: “If you were a three-month-old baby, what could you promise? Nothing. That’s why baptism cannot be considered valid.”
In this way, the pastor effectively rejected the practice of infant baptism accepted in the Orthodox Church, where baptism is performed as a Sacrament in the faith of the Church, rather than on the basis of the baptized person’s personal, conscious promise.
Tyshchenko also said he was ready to take part personally in “re-baptizing” UOC believers, without providing any canonical or theological justification for such actions.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Poltava Region, a Protestant cleric was convicted for refusing mobilization.
Read also
UGCC cleric slammed for wearing clothes with Nazi unit insignia
A historian criticized a UGCC cleric over photos showing him wearing clothing bearing symbols of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division.
UOC cathedral community in Chernivtsi helps over 200 displaced people
Displaced residents from Pokrovsk, Nikopol, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv received charitable assistance from the UOC cathedral community in Chernivtsi.
SBU charges Kyiv resident over antisemitic statements
The SBU has reported a suspicion to a Kyiv woman over her calling for attacks on synagogues, violence against the Jewish community, and the overthrow of Ukraine's government.
Metropolitan Yevlogiy: Yelensky's main goal is to destroy UOC
The UOC hierarch described the head of DESS as a militant atheist and an enemy of God.
Patriarch Bartholomew commemorates Dumenko at Liturgy in Bulgaria
Worshippers responded to Patriarch Bartholomew's commemoration of the OCU head with cries of "Anathema!"
UOC lawyer asks faithful for support ahead of Upper Lavra court hearing
The next hearing in the Upper Lavra case is scheduled for October 20 at Kyiv's Northern Commercial Court of Appeal.