Photo: VOMC
While members of the Baptist church in Karshi, Uzbekistan, were gathered for worship on Easter Sunday, April 9th, police broke open the door and forced their way inside. Using electrical prods, they incapacitated some of the attendees while others cried and prayed. Ten members, including young people, were taken to the police station where they were held in custody until mid-afternoon. The detained believers were released after records of offence were drawn up against them.
Church members say that the raid followed their attempts to rent local halls for a presentation of the Christian faith to commemorate Easter. Visiting German musicians were to be involved in these services, but all rental attempts were blocked. The next day, police raided another worship service in the city of Denov, where the musicians from Germany were performing. The authorities claimed that the meeting was illegal and forced those who were present to disperse. While the music group had intended to visit other various locations of the country, there were concerns that the arrests may have taken place due to the presence of the travelling team.
During the Second World War, the German-speaking Council of Churches [for] Baptists was exiled to Siberia and Central Asia (this includes Uzbekistan). During the time of Soviet rule, church registration was used to control and persecute Christians throughout the former USSR. Because of this history, as well as theological reasons, this group of churches refuses to abide by the registration requirements. To learn more about the persecution of Christians in this Central Asian country, go to our country report.
Ask the Lord to provide Christians who are encountering opposition in Uzbekistan ongoing wisdom, guidance and strength. May they remain faithful to Christ, as they presently face potential punishment. In the meantime, please intercede on their behalf, praying that there will be no ramifications from the recent incidents, and that any formal charges brought against them will be dismissed. Also pray that each of the officials responsible for the raids would be convicted of their own personal need for eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sin, to the point of fully surrendering to the powerful message of Jesus' death and glorious resurrection by placing their faith in Him.
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