Updates from Grace to Russia
May 26, 2006
Dear Friends,
Today Christ Covenant Reformed Baptist Church of Minsk was closed down by the state government of Belarus. The pastor Georgi Viazovski and co-pastor Slava Viazovski are safe and not under arrest. Crucial decisions have to be made. Will they comply with the law? If so, how, and for how long? Our brethren need wisdom and courage. Please remember them in your prayers.
We will keep you posted as we receive updates.
Michael Phillips, Pastor
March 16, 2006
Dear Friends,
We are happy to announce our dear brother, Pastor Georgi Viazovski, has been released from prison on time and unhurt. We thank the Lord for His mercy, and we thank you for your prayers.His church services remain illegal, however, and we ask you to continue praying for him, his son (and co-pastor) Slava, and their church, Christ Covenantof Minsk, Belarus.
We have included two attachments, one from Slava, and the other from a news organization, giving some of the details of his release and the overall picture in Belarus.
We wish you all the best in Christ. Hebrews 13:3.
Michael Phillips, Pastor
Here is a letter written by Georgis son Slava:
Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers. My father has been released from prison on Monday, March 13.
From past experience we knew that authorities could play a bad trick with a prisoner. For examplethe prisoner might have been released an hour earlier beforethe official time. This would put him in an awkward situation - nobody meets him. He would be exhausted, with no laces in his shoes, no belt, no money, no phone and no watch. So we decided to gather near the prison gate one hour before the time of release. However my father was released right on time.
About 40 Christians gathered to meet my father. To our amazement there were at least 30 armed officers stationed in front of the prison gate. We were not allowed to come closer than 1/2 mile. Only relatives were admitted to meet him. There were also four empty police buses ready for taking in arrested people. As we understand the authorities expected a protest from religious fanatics and were ready to suppress them. However we only wanted peacefully to meet the released prisoner.
As you may guess, the prison conditions were not very good. The first three days my father was in a small cell with four other people. Later he was transferred to a larger cell (270 Sq feet) with a honey bucket in the corner for 13 men. Each man had just enough space on the floor for a plank-bed (no covers) to sleep on. This particular prison is used (as he said) "for drunkards whose wives could not stay with them any longer and called police to get them". All of the inmates smoked all the time and my father actually was poisoned by smoke and was unable to eat for two days.
Now he is back home and feels fine. He is calm as usual and resumed his pastoral ministry. Yesterday we had a regular midweek Bible study in the church. As for the next Sunday we decided to minimize the risk of meeting with police again.
I am afraid that some people may connect my father's imprisonment with the presidential election, which is March 19th. However I want to underscore that this is the case of religious and not political persecution. Our church does not participate in any political movements or actions. Moreover visits of police started long before elections - in early autumn of2005. Even if there were no elections at the end of March, my father would be imprisoned anyway.
Please continue to pray for us. Our church needs protection from the Lord and wisdom what to do next.
May the Lord bless each of you.
Slava Viazovski
If you would like more information, click on the links below:
The Voice of The Martyrs report
Forum 18 report
March 3, 2006
Georgi Viazovski, Pastor
Slava Viazovski, Asst Pastor
Georgi is imprisoned.
Dear friends,
Today my father, pastor of our church, was summoned to the court. He was charged with holding systematic religious meetings in his private home without permission from the local authorities. I should explain that in our country since 2002 churches can meet only in buildings registered as "religious". Our congregation meets in a building which formally belongs to my father as his private home. That's why our Sunday meetings are "illegal".
We expected that he will be found guilty. What we did not expect at all is the punishment for his "crime". The hearing took about an hour and a half. In an hour the judge announced the verdict - 10 days of imprisonment.
This was a real shock to all of us who were present (about 25 pastors and church members). This never happened since 1986 when the last religious prisoner was released from the Soviet prisons. My father is the first to be imprisoned for Christian faith in the former USSR since the fall of the Soviet empire.
After the announcement of the verdict we waited for about two hours when finally my father was given the court's decision in written form. From the court he was taken straight to the police station and from there to jail. I had just enough time to go home and bring him warm clothes and some food.
I will not see my father for the next 10 days. He will be released on March 13, about noon. But we will pray that the Lord may strengthen him and use this situation for His glory.
Please pray for my father and our church. Please let your friends know that persecutions against Christian faith in Belarus have begun. Pray that the Lord may protect religious freedom in our country.
I will be leading our church meeting next Sunday. I do not know whether police will come and try to stop our service, but we will continue to worship our Lord.
Slava,
Son of Georgi Viazovski imprisoned pastor of Reformed Baptist Church "Christ Covenant" in Minsk.
