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Minsk, Belarus |
Minsk, Belarus In 2002, the New Life Church, a 600-member charismatic church, purchased a cowshed on the outskirts of Minsk to use as a church building. All government departments approved the application for a change of use for the building, except the religious affairs department which has repeatedly blocked the process.
According to Forum 18, the church had been registered for ten years, but has now been denied re-registration because they are not meeting in an approved facility. Any request by the church to rent a different facility has been denied. Church administrator Vasily Yurevich and Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko now face charges for leading unregistered worship. A hearing for Yurevich is scheduled for December 27.
Pray that the obstacles these believers have before them will be used as an opportunity to demonstrate the grace and power of God. Pray for these men as they face these charges.
Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Belarus. Their report will be featured in the March edition of our free monthly newsletter. To subscribe, click here. For more information on persecution in Belarus, click here.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, click here.
