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
Sand for construction of Yermak’s residence brought from cemetery, MP says
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that sand illegally removed from a cemetery in Ukrainka was used in the construction of the elite Dynasty cooperative in Kozyn.
Israeli soldiers receive jail terms for mocking statue of the Virgin Mary
Those involved in the act of sacrilege in the village of Debel will spend several weeks behind bars for desecrating a statue of the Mother of God.
Serbian Church officially receives back land of 15th-century monastery
An agreement was signed in Belgrade transferring the territory of the ancient Vojlovica Monastery to the Banat Eparchy.
Pat Daniiel comments on conflict between Phanar bishop and community in Turkey
The Bulgarian Primate believes that the hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate should not have forced the Bulgarian community in Edirne to serve in Greek.
Patriarch Bartholomew congratulates Patriarch Shio on his election
In his message of congratulations, Patriarch Bartholomew called for joint witness before the world within the framework of “pan-Orthodox unity.”
Georgian priest in Germany: Patriarch Shio will preserve Ilia II’s legacy
Priest Elias Schlepegrell, who was present at the election in Tbilisi, said there is a clear disposition toward preserving Ilia II’s line and the unity of the Georgian Church.