How to Write a Letter to the Editor - Russia's War on Faith

If you have never written a letter to the editor before, don’t worry. It’s easy!

You don’t have to have any special knowledge of Ukraine or even of newspapers. It takes just a few minutes. It’s a very effective way to let your community and your elected representatives know you care about Ukraine.

Step 1

Choose what newspaper you want to submit a letter to the editor to.

Step 2

Look up the newspaper’s submission instructions.

What word count range does the newspaper accept? A good length to aim for is usually around 120-150 words.
How does the newspaper receive letters to the editor? Most have a simple online form to fill out, while some take submissions via email.
What personal information does the newspaper require for verification? Many newspapers require an address and telephone number. These aren’t published, but used to check that you are a real person from their area.

Step 3

Write your letter. We have a template below you can use to get started. Simply copy & paste the text text below, personalize it with a few sentences of your own, and submit it.

Example LTE titles:

Stop Russia’s War on Faith
Christianity Is Under Attack in Ukraine
Russia Is Jailing Priests. The West Is Silent
Faith Is a Crime in Russian-Controlled Ukraine
Russia Is Jailing Priests and Bombing Churches
Occupied by Russia, Oppressed for Believing
Putin’s Crackdown on Faith in Ukraine
Russia Targets Churches, Not Just Soldiers

Topic ideas:

Expose Russia’s persecution of Christians in Ukraine. Describe arrests of clergy, church closures, and desecration of sacred symbols.
Call on faith communities to stand with persecuted Christians. Urge churches, pastors, or denominations in the U.S. to speak out.
Highlight how Russia is violating religious freedom in occupied Ukraine. This is part of a broader pattern of human rights abuse.
Russia’s persecution of faith is not incidental – it’s deliberate.
Tell the story of a persecuted pastor or church in occupied Ukraine. Make it personal; name a known case and ask why we aren’t hearing more.
Call for more coverage of this issue in local or national media.
Write meta: why is this not front-page news?

Templates / example letters

Example 1:

Title: Russia Is Jailing Priests. The West Is Silent

Religious freedom is under attack in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.Churches are being shut down, worship services raided, and pastors arrested — simply for preaching or praying.

These are not isolated incidents. Russia is systematically targeting people of faith, especially in areas it controls. Why isn’t this front-page news?

The United States must speak out. Christians everywhere must speak out. If we care about religious freedom, we can’t ignore what’s happening in Ukraine.

Example 2:

Title: Occupied by Russia, Oppressed for Believing

Right now, in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia, people are being arrested and tortured for their faith. They are targeted for being Protestant, or for belonging to any faith that is not the state-approved Russian Orthodox Church.

This hits close to home. Many in our community came to America seeking freedom of worship. We cannot take that right for granted while others are being denied it.

I hope more local news outlets will report on this. And I hope readers will take a moment to learn more and speak up.

Example 3:

Title: Faith Is a Crime in Russian-Controlled Ukraine

Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine has brought brutal persecution of religious believers. Churches are raided, services shut down, and ordinary people punished simply for worshiping. Pastors have been abducted, tortured, and even murdered by Russian security forces. Religious freedom is a universal right, yet in occupied Ukraine it has become a crime.

The United States and faith communities must speak up – and that starts at home. I urge everyone reading this to speak up about this issue that has received disappointingly little attention. I hope to see coverage of Russia’s religious oppression in the pages of this paper, and I hope readers will use their voices to bring awareness to the plight of the oppressed.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your City]