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Belarus

• Pastor Antoni Bokun Receives Three-day Sentence

  Pastor Antoni Bokun, who was arrested and fined on May 28 for holding an "unsanctioned mass meeting" (click here for more details) received a three-day prison sentence on June 4 for leading a worship service without state permission the previous day. According to Forum 18, the day he spent in detention following his June 3 arrest is considered part of his sentence. Bokun is scheduled for release on June 6.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to theBelarus Country Report.

• Christians Detained and Fined After Church Raid

  The police raided the John the Baptist Pentecostal Church in Minsk during a morning worship service on May 27, according to a May 28 report from Forum 18. The church, which holds state registration, meets in the home of Pastor Antoni Bokun since it has been refused state permission to rent any other premises. Pastor Bokun was arrested and held overnight at a police station and church member Jaroslaw Lukasik, a Polish citizen married to a Belarusian, was detained for several hours. On May 28, Pastor Bokun was fined 620,000 Belarusian roubles ($313 CAD) for holding an "unsanctioned mass meeting." On May 30, Forum 18 reported that Lukasik was fined 31,000 Belarusian roubles ($15 CAD) on administrative charges of engaging in "illegal religious activity." He also received a second deportation order and has until June 7 to leave the country.

  Belarusian authorities have barred several other Christian communities from renting property for holding worship services. Hence, congregations may be registered but cannot meet legally.

  Pray that Antoni and Jaroslaw will remain steadfast in the work the Lord has given them (1 Corinthians 15:58). Pray that Christians in Belarus will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite increasing government opposition (Hebrews 10:23).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to theBelarus Country Report.

• American Volunteers Ordered to Leave Belarus

  Ten American volunteers opted to leave Belarus voluntarily on February 16 rather than be forcibly deported after they were fined and ordered to leave the country for teaching English without a license in an evangelical church in the eastern city of Mogilev. Oleg Slepchenko from the Belarusian Interior Ministry told the Associated Press that when police raided the class, Bibles were found on the tables and the group was singing religious songs. The Americans have been banned from the country for two years. 

  Belarus places strict controls on group training that is not specifically state-sanctioned. There are also laws against religious propagation by foreigners and severe limitations on unregistered church groups.

  Pray that God will strengthen the church in Belarus in spite of the opposition they face. Pray that believers will be firm and steadfast in their faith (1 Peter 5:10).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to theBelarus Country Report.

• Hearing Scheduled for New Life Church

  A hearing by the Belarusian Supreme Economic Court is scheduled for December 22 to decide the fate of the New Life Church in Minsk, according to the church's website. The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the verdict of the Minsk City Executive Committee to seize the church building along with the land was legal or not. Pray for the outcome of this hearing.

  To learn more on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to the Belaurs Country Report.

• Highest Court Re-examines Case Against New Life Church The Presidium of the Highest Economic Court of Belarus has cancelled all previous court decisions against the New Life Church in Minsk and will re-examine the case against the church within two weeks, according to a November 4 report from the New Life Church website (www.newlife.by). This is an unusual action by a court body which normally examines matters of state importance, according to the church's legal adviser. Pray for a positive decision by the court.
  
  

  Diplomats' vehicles at New Life Church Photo fromNew Life Church

  International attention has been centered on the church because of pressure placed on foreign governments as well as a hunger strike by two hundred church members. On November 2, diplomats from nine European countries and the USA visited the church to better understand the situation. Stephan Eriksson from the Swedish Embassy told them, "During the last weeks we have been observing the things going on in this church. That's why we decided to come here and express our solidarity with the believers' legal demands. Everyone has the right to assemble in the church freely."

  To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to the Belarus Country Report.

• Recent News on New Life Church

  On September 29, the city of Minsk deposited money into the account of the New Life Church as payment for their church building being confiscated. According to Belarusian law, the church was obligated to turn over the building within ten days of this payment. Since that time, dozens of church members and others have been participating in a hunger strike to protest this action.

  According to an October 20 report from Forum18, the authorities may be showing signs of relenting. Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko is said to be aware of the situation and a senior state official has made a "strong recommendation" to Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko to file another appeal. The church has filed the appeal and intends to continue the public protests until the legal ownership of their property is acknowledged. Pastor Goncharenko has written on the church's website, "Among all this confrontation with lawlessness we are praying that our hearts would be pure toward those people that wish us harm." Join with the New Life Church in this prayer.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, click here.

• Update on New Life Church

  Belarusian pastors gathering to support the New Life Church (photo fromwww.newlife.by)

  For several months, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has followed the plight of the New Life Church in Belarus whose building is to be confiscated by. The Minsk authorities have stated that they will pay their assessed fair market value of the building; an amount the church says is only three percent of the actual value. On September 29, money was transferred into the church's bank account to pay for the building. According to Belarusian law, the church is obligated to turn over the building within ten days of this payment. However, the church disputes the court decision and members are refusing to turn over the building. Churches across Belarus are publicly supporting the New Life Church. Current news is available from the church's website at www.newlife.by/eng. Continue to pray for Pastor Slava Goncharenko and the New Life Church during this difficult time.aid, their case reportedly remains open.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus,click here.

• Court Rules Against New Life Church

  Time may be running out for the New Life Church inMinsk, Belarus as they endeavour to prevent the forced sale of their church building. The Minsk City Economic Court ruled on July 21 that the church must sell their converted cowshed for a small fraction of its estimated value. On August 4, the church filed its final appeal. They also published an open letter to the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, asking him to intervene. Also on August 4, the church's pastor, Vyacheslav Goncharenko, was fined one million rubles ($523 CAD) for organizing an unsanctioned church service. This fine is thirty times the minimum monthly wage in Belarus.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus, go to theBelarus Country Report.

• Pentecostal Pastor Faces Fines

  The Belarusian government continued its actions against "unregistered" churches as a Pentecostal pastor from the small south-western town of Povitye was fined 150,000 roubles ($77.00 CAD) for leading a worship service without state sanction.  According to a Forum 18 report, a police officer came to the home of Pastor Ilya Radkevich on May 17 and informed him of the charges against him.  The congregation of fifty has been in existence since 1944 and has been fined numerous times in its history.

  The fining of unregistered churches is becoming so commonplace in Belarus that many churches apparently do not even bother reporting them anymore. The Baptist Union leader, Nikolai Sinkovets, told Forum 18 on May 25 that his churches barely pay any attention to all the fines that are now being imposed. "The first time such fines were handed down we paid attention. Now we're tired of all these fines. It makes no difference if we publicize them or not. They're happening all the time. People only bother to tell me if they are very heavy."  Church leaders have also told VOMC that they believe that the Belarusian government has found the fining of churches to be a lucrative source of income.

  Pray that Pastor Radkevich will remain unshaken from the work the Lord has given him, trusting the Lord to bring eternal results (1 Corinthians 15:58). Pray that he and the congregation will consistently love and pray for those responsible for the fines (Matthew 5:43-44). Pray that God will move the hearts of government leaders to stop their harassment of non-Orthodox Christians in Belarus.

  For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Belarus,click here. News reports filmed on location in Belarus by VOMC staff are available on the multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

• Update on New Life Church

  New hope has been given to the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus after a judge halted the forcible sale of the church's building, according to a May 24 report from Forum 18. On May 16, Judge Aleksandr Karamyshev promised to investigate the situation surrounding the case against the New Life Church after discovering inconsistencies in the arguments from the city officials.  The court learned, for example, that Aleksei Vaga from Minsk's Architecture Committee had sworn under oath that religious affairs officials had no influence in their decision to deny the church permission to use the building. A December 22, 2003 letter from the Architecture Committee to the church, however, specifically states that their decision took into account a written conclusion from the Religious Affairs Department.

  The New Life Church has been worshipping in a former cow shed since September 2004. Minsk officials refused to change the land use designation on the building and initiated action to confiscate the building.

  Praise God for this positive development. Thank God that these believers have been able to maintain ownership of the building thus far. Pray that they will be able to continue to worship at this facility without any further charges or fines.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Belarus,click here.