Photo: Baptist Council of Churches
As the members of a Baptist church in the city of Urgench began to increase in numbers, they soon found themselves exceeding the capacity of their worship facility. To accommodate the growth, the congregation purchased a plot of land and began to construct a new church building. They had received all the necessary building permits to do so, and other developments were being built around them in various parts of the same vicinity.
Unbeknownst to the Christians, a civil suit had been filed against the church. At the court hearing, which took place on April 25th, the judge ordered the demolition of the building – along with the home of a church member that was being built on the same property. As the Christians had not been informed of the hearing, they weren't able to represent themselves in court.
More than a month later, the order came into effect. The resulting demolition unexpectedly began on July 30th but was halted when the church members announced that they would be filing a complaint against the decision. A week later, the destruction resumed, but then it was delayed again on August 8th after numerous believers further protested the action. While the teardown efforts have ceased for the present time, officials told the former landowner that they are "determined to complete the demolition sooner or later."
Reasons for the demolition order have been unclear. One official claimed that it was due to "a tax issue" but refused to give any details. Additionally, while the judge referred to the land as "arable" (suitable for cultivation of crop), and thus disqualified for construction development, no action has been taken against the buildings surrounding the worship facility. Church members described the land parcel as "full of buildings and construction work," clearly confirming that no prospective farming initiatives have been planned for the area.
Though officially a secular state, the Uzbek government has relentlessly oppressed Christians, particularly those who belong to unregistered fellowships. For more details on the difficulties facing believers in this Central Asian nation, go to our country report.
Pray that the Lord would provide these church leaders and congregation members His divine peace, strength and direction as they determine their next steps of action. At the same time, may He also powerfully work in the lives of the judge and governing officials involved with the demolition order by speaking to their hearts – in hopes they will obediently respond to the Holy Spirit's promptings and reconsider their decision. As the congregants await the outcome, may they continue to boldly reach out to others in their community with the message of the Gospel, knowing that the Lord will ultimately meet their growing needs.
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