Christian persecution in Central Asia

The persecution of Baptist Christians is happening in Central Asia.

The Associated Baptist Press reports:

A Baptist pastor in Kazakhstan faces up to a year in prison after refusing to pay a fine equivalent to about two months’ average salary for conducting worship without government permission, the international news service Forum 18 reported Oct. 30.

Police opened a criminal case Oct. 28 against Pastor Pavel Leonov, who was fined in March following a Feb. 28 raid on his congregation in Ayagoz in the region of East Kazakhstan.

Leonov’s church is part of the Council of Churches Baptists, which has a policy of civil disobedience by refusing to pay fines imposed for meeting for worship without the compulsory state registration.

In August he told the court he could not pay the fine because he thinks he did nothing wrong and is the sole breadwinner for his wife and five children and was sentenced to 24 hours in jail.

Forum 18 says Leonov is one of more than 100 people from various faiths in Kazakhstan fined so far this year for offenses such as leading or participating in religious meetings without state permission, sharing their faith with others without being personally registered as missionaries or distributing religious literature away from licensed venues.

This Country’s policy of requiring Church’s to pay fees to have Church licenses, is nothing more than a Communist-like attempt to control what sort of religion is taught. This is nothing more than straight up persecution of Churches. Now, I know what I wrote about the gun issue in the previous posting, that is an American issue and I do believe in abiding by American laws. However, I do have an issue with Government regulations that infringe on basic human rights; whether here in America or abroad.

I ask that all my readers pray for this man and his family; that God would give this man favor in the eyes of this Government. Praying

I have always said, that Christian, and in this case Baptist; Missionaries were the true and real Christians. The difference between an typical America Christian and the missionaries abroad, is that the Missionaries actually put their faith into action. I have always said, that if I ever had it to do over again, that I would have stayed in the Baptist Church and that I would have went overseas to be a missionary. They have my respect, and I always have believed that the secret to a prosperous Church that is thriving and making a difference; is the support of missionaries. Churches that do not support them, often die very quickly, or become cesspools of false doctrine.

May the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless these Missionaries and all missionaries around the World, who are boldly proclaiming the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!