Kazakhstan - Photo: Needpix

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the second largest country among former Soviet republics, after Russia. Its president, former Communist Party chief Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been in office since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. Ethnic Kazakhs, who make up a slight majority, practice Islam loosely. Other ethnic groups practice Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy and Protestantism, among others.

In late 2011, the government adopted a new repressive religion law. Religious groups were required to re-register with the government, a complex and expensive process. Unregistered religious activity, private religious education and proselytism are illegal, and the activities of registered groups are strictly regulated. Violators face short-term detentions, fines, confiscations of their homes and other penalties. In 2012, the country's new censorship regulations for religious literature went into effect.

Three new measures being considered by the government would "halt illegally functioning places of worship," limit the distribution of religious literature and restrict missionary activity. If implemented, these measures would be in force from 2013 to 2017. Christian converts face harassment from authorities, militant Muslims and family members. After a police raid on Easter Sunday 2013, seven worshippers in a small church were heavily fined, and a 73-year-old woman suffered a heart attack during the raid.

  • Current Ministry Project

    VOMC has come alongside project partners to offer an English camp as an opportunity for evangelism and outreach among youth and young adults. Camp participants are invited to embrace the Good News of the Gospel through the platform of the English Camps.

    Project Fund: Equipping the Saints

  • Country Information

    Population
    19,245,793 (July 2021 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Kazakh (Qazaq) (68), Russian (19.3), Uzbek (3.2), Ukrainian (1.5), Uighur (1.5), Tatar (1.1), German (1), Other (4.4)

    Religion (%)
    Muslim (70.2), Christian (26.2), Buddhist (0.1), Other (0.2), Atheist (2.8), Unspecified (0.5)

    Leader
    President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (2019)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system the theory and practice of the Russian Federation
    Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and b

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Kazakhstan

    Pray that authorities will cease their harassment of unregistered church communities. Until then, pray believers will effectively minister the gospel despite opposition.

    Pray for endurance for those believers facing these challenges.

    Pray for the adage “To be a Kazakh is to be a Muslim” to be broken; pray for freedom from historic spiritual bondages and prejudices.

Kazakhstan News

  • Banking Access Blocked for Church
    Panoramic view of Talgar
    Talgar, Kazakhstan
    Photo: Wikipedia / Makvlad (cc)

    For the past five years, the New Life Pentecostal Church has encountered repeated problems while trying to gain access to banking services – to the point of the recurring situation being described as "incomprehensible." With no access, the church administration has had difficulties paying necessary taxes, along with numerous other challenges.

  • Civil Suits Used in Religious Opposition
    Balance scales and gavel representing justice, with Kazakh money (called Tenge) under the gavel's block

    As a recent spate of civil suits have been launched against religious groups in Kazakhstan, some human rights experts are suspecting that state officials may be instigating the legal action, or at least providing support. If accurate, this would be a new way for the Kazakhstan government to take action against the religious minority groups they oppose.

  • Parliament Debates New Religious Restrictions
    Kazakhstan Senate - Photo: Wikipedia / SenateKZ
    Kazakhstan Senate
    Photo: Wikipedia / SenateKZ (cc)

    On October 6th, amendments to Kazakhstan's religious laws were approved by the Parliament and then passed on to the Senate. The legislation added new restrictions to religious events conducted outside a building of worship owned by a registered religious organization. Already, any religious community not in receipt of an official state registration is presently being banned, and the process of obtaining such registration has proven to be very difficult. Under the new amendments, any activity taking place at a different location from that of the registered place of worship will require approval at least ten business days in advance, along with a detailed explanation of what the event is to entail. The approval of these religious events rests with local officials who could withhold permission for many reasons.

  • Religious Worshippers Monitored and Fined
    Oral, Kazakhstan - Photo: Wikipedia / Bereshev
    Oral, Kazakhstan
    Photo: Wikipedia / Bereshev (cc)

    Since the beginning of 2021, at least 20 cases have gone to court in Kazakhstan for holding religious meetings without state permission. The fines brought against them varied from three weeks' to four months' average wages. Amendments are also presently in the works to further tighten certain religious restrictions in the country.