From the October-December 2007 Issue
New legislation needed
Mihail and Albina Nikitov
Orthodox Church, BelarusIt is rather difficult for Evangelical Churches to exist nowadays as many of the officially registered congregations are deprived of the possibility to rent buildings in which to conduct their services on a legal basis. Indeed, hundreds of congregations cannot use their own church buildings for this purpose either. Such circumstances have occurred because of the lack of co-ordination in the legislative sphere. The Union of Evangelical Churches has appealed to some governmental institutions and has also addressed a letter to the President asking for this problem to be resolved while awaiting the creation of new legislation.
We would like to draw your attention to some particular examples. The Union of Evangelical Churches in Belarus comes out second according to the number of registered congregations and it owns 197 church buildings (44.3% of the total), but has no right to use them for religious purposes. It turns out that local authorities have the right to act according to their own will, but not according to the definite articles of the law. As a rule, they tend to use prohibitions in the legislation, as was the case when a pastor of an Evangelical Church in Minsk was arrested during the Sunday service on the Day of Pentecost and was imprisoned. On the next day he was prosecuted and fined. The following week he was arrested for the second time and sentenced to three days in prison.
All Christians are indignant at the fact that a pastor who was leading a service was treated as a criminal and was imprisoned. Such an attitude to the leaders of the churches discredits our country in the eyes of the world’s society, as it constitutes a violation of human rights. We wish our government and the President would pay attention to this situation and enable believers to conduct services legally. This would put an end to misunderstanding, strengthen relationships between the government and Evangelical Churches, and lead to stability in the multi-confessional society in Belarus.
From time to time some programmes appear on the State Belarusian channels which treat our denomination as a sect and equate Christians with members of sects. Some parts of church services and prayers are shown on television as examples of raising money in return for getting healing, striving for political influence in society, etc. Meanwhile, the best air time is given to commercials about psychics, astrologers and “healers”, whose services are rather dangerous and harmful to everybody’s physical and mental health.
Nevertheless, the Lord is working in our country and I would like now to share with you a testimony.
Open your hearts to the Lord!
Our everyday life consists of ups and downs, joy and disappointment. We hurry to experience its happiness, brightness and joy. We don’t take it seriously; try to justify our faults, or don’t pay attention to them at all. We are young, attractive, cheerful, easy-going… This was exactly my way of thinking and living which involved love, marriage, giving birth to children – then divorce, loneliness, another marriage and another divorce. It was surely time to stop, to analyze my life, but I didn’t want to. I was striving for a bright life and happiness ahead. I am only 30! Oh, no, I am already 35. No, no I am only 35!
More often now I feel blue and tired, and realize that something has gone wrong. I hope that it may improve, but it worsens and as a consequence comes apathy, depression and I end up in hospital. But still it is so difficult to admit that I have to stop. Then I felt totally crushed, both physically and emotionally. I couldn’t see the way out but only cried, having no strength to change anything. At that time I had no idea about another life – life with God. But I believe that He was in charge of my life then.
I am rather sociable and therefore I used to share my problems with a woman who was very wise and sensible, whom I respected greatly. Though the Head of a department in a big factory was very busy, she always had some time to listen to my problems and give a good piece of advice. I knew that she attended an Evangelical Church, but I didn’t care. When my life came to a dead end and everything became so meaningless I asked her a question with a desperate cry: “What is going on and what am I to do?” She explained to me that God loved me and had a purpose for my life and invited me to visit her church.
I agreed and since then I have been among God’s children. I began to read and study the Holy Bible and the Lord touched my heart. My life has changed and I feel delighted that God destroyed the power of sin in my life! He healed my heart, renewed me and gave me meaning and strength to live! I was overwhelmed with happiness and I want to tell everybody that Jesus has saved me and He loves me, and I have become another person! Open your hearts to God and He will help you! I am so happy because my children attend the church too and I always say to them: “Live in such a way today as if tomorrow you will stand before God”.