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Belarusian authorities have refused to extend the visa of Father Zbigniew Grygorcewicz, a Polish priest, in an attempt to force him to leave the country, according to a December 24 report from Charter'97. Father Grygorcewicz, who ministers at the Borisov's Nativity of the Virgin Mary Roman Catholic parish, claims the refusal was related to his involvement in holding a Christian music concert in September. Authorities originally granted permission for the concert but then withdrew their support shortly before the event began. Grygorcewicz was reportedly told to be out of the country by January 1.

According to a December 23 report from Forum 18, four Catholic priests and three nuns (all from Poland) face a ban on religious work in Belarus as of January 1. These bans bring to 28 the number of foreign religious workers banned from working with local religious communities since 2004.

Ask God to give wisdom to Father Grygorcewicz and other foreign religious workers as to how to continue serving Him. Pray that the church in Belarus will continue to expand and flourish despite opposition.

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

New Life Church logo

The case of the New Life Church, whose church building was seized last October in accordance with the verdict issued by the Minsk City Executive Committee (click here for more details), will be renewed in September, according to the church's website.

For more information about the persecution facing Christians in this country, visitBelarus' Country Report.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.