Photo: New Life Church (cc)
On September 15th, the Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on renewed threats against the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus (read more). The church building was sealed by governing authorities in February 2021, and since then its members have met weekly in the facility's parking lot.
Disappointingly, officials have now forced a halt to those outdoor meetings. After congregation members gathered for worship on September 18th, police took action against the church's pastor, Vyacheslav Goncharenko, as well as Antoni Bokun, the pastor of another church who had attended the worship service that day. Both men received fines equivalent to two months' average wages. Their mobile phones have been seized until the fines are paid.
Despite appeals from the church leaders, city officials have rejected all attempts to return the church building to the Christians and denied their requests to resume holding the meetings outdoors. Artyom Tsuran, the Deputy Chair of the Minsk City Executive Committee, has threatened the church with liquidation, which would then render any activity by the congregation illegal and subject to punishment.
To read additional reports on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, including several that further outline the difficulties encountered by members of the New Life Church, go to our country report.
As the members of the New Life Church must now consider their next steps, pray that they will hear the voice of God clearly so they can wisely follow His leading (Isaiah 30:21), not only regarding their future worship meetings but also in their endeavours to be effective witnesses through this very situation. Please also pray that city officials will be willing to work cooperatively with the church leaders so a reasonable solution to this challenging situation can be amicably established.
