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, as indicated by an agreement signed in 1999 for greater political and economic integration. Elections in Belarus are often manipulated by corruption.

Many of the Soviet economic policies have been maintained and have hindered development and foreign investment. There are also lingering 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," this law stipulates 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. 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 by belittling their beliefs and attempting to incite hostility against them. In 2006, a pastor was fined for performing baptisms at a local lake because he did not have permission while another pastor faced imprisonment for holding religious services in his home without registration. A number of foreign clergy has been expelled from the country for various trumped up excuses.

• Ask God to give wisdom and guidance to Christians in Belarus as they minister under repressive conditions
• Pray that the Belarusian government yields to international pressure and drops its repressive religion law