Often called “Europe’s last dictatorship,” Belarus is a republic in name only. Its centuries-long domination by Russia continues even today. The political turmoil of the 1990s strengthened even closer ties with its eastern neighbour. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr Lukashenko has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Political leadership still clings to the autocratic Communist past and has proved unyielding to Western diplomatic overtures.
Although Christians account for almost 71 percent of the population (mainly Orthodox), there is very little religious freedom despite its guarantee in the constitution. A law passed in 2002 makes non-registration of religious congregations illegal, and registration is a tedious, expensive and occasionally impossible process. Officials frequently use the media to insult religious minorities by belittling their beliefs and attempting to incite hostility against them. Protestants in particular have seen the government’s stance go from antipathy to outright hostility.
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. In 2010, a Belarusian film documenting Soviet-era persecution of Protestant churches was banned from a Catholic film festival and a massive fine was imposed on a Pentecostal church in Minsk for alleged “environmental damage.”
Prayer Requests
- Pray for patient, overcoming faith for believers to withstand difficulties, as evidence suggests that evangelicals are persisting and growing.
- Pray those in government who harass and persecute God’s Church will discover the truth of the gospel and the love of Christ. Pray for unity among various evangelical groups.
- Pray for a truly indigenous expression of Belarusian Christianity to develop and then spread using all methods: church services, theological education, literature, broadcasting, etc.
