With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus became an independent state in 1991. Despite independence, however, the nation has struggled to find its national identity. It has maintained closer ties with Russia than any other of the former republics of the USSR, including an agreement signed in 1999 for greater political and economic integration.

Many of the Soviet economic policies were maintained, hindering development and foreign investment, as well as Soviet policies toward religious freedom.

In November 2002, a new religion law, often called "the most repressive law in Europe," came into effect. Despite constitutional guarantees that "all religions and faiths shall be equal before the law," the law stipulated that all unregistered religious activity, communities with fewer than 20 members, and any religious activity in private homes (apart from occasional, small-scale meetings) are considered illegal. Religious communities that do not have a registered umbrella body are not able to invite foreign citizens for religious work; and all religious literature is subject to censorship. In addition, all religious organizations were required to be re-registered by November, 2004. Registration is often a difficult process and many organizations, including some with thousands of members, have been unable to register. Officials frequently use the media to insult religious minorities, insulting their beliefs and attempting to incite hostility against them.

The New Life Church on the outskirts of Minsk has faced ongoing harassment from authorities. In 2002, the 600-member charismatic church purchased a cowshed to use as a church building. They had been given approval to change the designated land usage in order to renovate the shed as a church by every government department except the religious affairs department of the Minsk city administration.  The situation took a turn for the worse in December 2004. In the months that followed, the church faced several attempts from authorities to close their doors.

• Pray for wisdom for Christians, as they continue to minister under these repressive conditions.  Pray that they will rely on the Spirit of God for guidance.
• Pray that the Belarussian government will yield to international pressure and drop their repressive religion law.  Pray that international pressure will continue.