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Belarus

• Church Administrator Handed Huge Fine

  Minsk, Belarus

  Unregistered church leaders in the country of Belarus continued to feel the effects of the toughest religion laws in Europe in late 2004. In the December 22 edition of the Persecution and Prayer Alert, we reported that the church administrator and the pastor of the New Life Church near Minsk were facing charges for leading an unregistered worship service. Forum 18 reports that, on December 28, the church administrator, Vasily Yurevich, was fined 3,200,000 rubles ($1800.00 CDN). This is about 150 times the average monthly wage in Belarus; an exorbitant amount for the father with three children. The punishment for Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko has not yet been announced. Yurevich intends to appeal the fine.

  Pray for Yurevich, Goncharenko and the members of the church as they face this action against their church.

  Representatives from the Voice of the Martyrs in Canada have recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Belarus. Their report will be featured in the March edition of our free monthly newsletter. To subscribe, click here.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in Belarus,click here.

• No Room in the Cowshed for a Church

  Minsk, Belarus

  Minsk, Belarus In 2002, the New Life Church, a 600-member charismatic church, purchased a cowshed on the outskirts of Minsk to use as a church building. All government departments approved the application for a change of use for the building, except the religious affairs department which has repeatedly blocked the process.

  According to Forum 18, the church had been registered for ten years, but has now been denied re-registration because they are not meeting in an approved facility. Any request by the church to rent a different facility has been denied. Church administrator Vasily Yurevich and Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko now face charges for leading unregistered worship. A hearing for Yurevich is scheduled for December 27.

  Pray that the obstacles these believers have before them will be used as an opportunity to demonstrate the grace and power of God. Pray for these men as they face these charges.

  Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Belarus. Their report will be featured in the March edition of our free monthly newsletter. To subscribe, click here. For more information on persecution in Belarus, click here.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, click here.

• Church Continues to Meet Despite Fine

  Brest, Belarus

  Members of an unregistered Pentecostal church in the town of Kobrin near Brest in south western Belarus have pledged to continue meeting for worship despite a fine levied against their pastor, Nikolai Rodkovich, according to a December 12 report from Forum 18.

  Under Belarus' harsh religion law, any unregistered religious activity is illegal. According to his wife, Tamara, Rodkovich was told on November 23 to appear before the local administration, where they tried to persuade him to register his church. When he refused, he was fined 50,000 rubles (about $30.00 Cdn). He was given ten days to pay the fine or it would be deducted from his pay. This church has been in existence since 1952 and has around three hundred members.

  Many churches in the former Soviet republics refuse to register, in part because of concerns about government interference as experienced under Soviet rule. Continue to pray for this church in Kobrin and other churches throughout Belarus facing persecution for their faith.

  For more information on the persecution in Belarus, click here.

• Churches Face Challenges Gathering to Worship

  The ability for small groups to meet to worship in Belarus seems connected to the preferences of local officials more than the law, according to a series of reports received from Forum 18 on October 7 and 8.

  The religious affairs official on one region of Belarus told Forum 18 that small, unregistered groups could meet in homes "as long as they don't disturb the public order." In another region, however, this was denied. Christians are increasingly finding that renting a public hall for a religious meeting or meeting outside is impossible in some regions but allowed in others. Pentecostal Assistant Bishop Naum Sakhanchuk said that, in some regions a letter is all that is needed to hold a baptism service outdoors. In other areas, however, they don't bother writing. "I'll be refused - they'll say that the river is polluted, or that swimming is prohibited in the lake."

  Even for officially registered organizations, there are similar difficulties. According to Belarussian law, a religious organization cannot use a residential address for its official address, nor can it meet in a private residence. However, for many churches, this is their only option, either because they are small groups or they are denied access to public facilities. Of sixty-four registered Full Gospel churches in Belarus, for example, only five have their own houses of worship. Even these, however, are officially listed as residential. While most house churches have been able to continue to meet without harassment, their meetings remain illegal and their denominations face the risk of failing to gain re-registration or possible liquidation because of these activities. Those groups who attempt to construct or purchase a church building face similar difficulties. "After building applications are rejected two or three times we stop counting," said Sakhanchuk. Applications are frequently refused or revoked for petty reasons.

  Pray that the freedom that many of the church communities are experiencing will continue and that those facing opposition will be able to meet in peace. Pray that, in spite of the challenges the churches are facing, they will continue to reach out with the message of Jesus Christ.

• New Law May Place Obstacles On Public Religious Gatherings

  Those of "minority faiths," including Protestant Christians, may find it more difficult to hold public events in Belarus, according to a September 1 report from Forum 18. In June, both houses of parliament approved a law governing public events and demonstrations, stating that organizations may be liquidated (made illegal) if any one event results in "substantial harm to the rights and legal interests of citizens or organisations, or the state or public interest." The law, which came into force on August 29, initially contained exemptions for religious gatherings, but these were reportedly removed by President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The actual enforcement of the law will largely depend upon local and state officials. Some are supportive of religious gatherings while others are very restrictive. Pentecostal Bishop Sergei Khomich told Forum 18 that, "In one region we were told that we could not hold baptisms in lakes and rivers because it would disturb fishermen."

  Pray for wisdom for Christians in Belarus as they deal with the new restrictions placed on them. Pray for their continued ministry and outreach to their nation.