Belarus Factbook
The people of Belarus
enjoy freedom of religion after many years of oppression. Believers are few in number, but there are
many opportunities for ministry.
Unfortunately, few are there to answer the call, and the government has
begun to restrict the activities of those who are there.
Belarus is one of the
former Soviet republics. It is located
between Ukraine and Russia and also borders on Latvia and Lithuania. The land is generally flat
with marshlands and forests. Much of the
land is highly suitable for farming. Summers are temperate. Winters are cold and sometimes
harsh.
10.3 million people live in Belarus. 98% of them are of Slavic origin including a mixture of Belorussians,
Russians, Ukrainians, and Poles. For
much
of its history, Belarus
has been subjected to foreign powers.
The nation gained independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991 and now operates as a
republic. Unfortunately, the government
has continued communist practices in many respects.
The economy has struggled greatly since
independence. Belarus
still suffers from
the effects of the Chernobyl
disaster in 1986 and centralized government control. Inflation has improved but still runs at an
annual rate
of over 40%. Unemployment is also high.
After nearly 70 years of oppression, Belarus
has enjoyed freedom of religion
since independence. Half of the
population is classified as Orthodox and over 10% more are Roman
Catholic. Christianity has become
fashionable
in Belarus,
particularly in the Orthodox churches, but few demonstrate a
genuine faith in Christ.
Evangelicals number less than 2%, but
their numbers are growing. This is occurring despite increasing persecution
on the part of the government and the Orthodox Church.
Belarus presents many
opportunities for ministry.
Unfortunately, this land has not benefited from the same attention the West has shown
to Ukraine and Russia. Very few missionaries work in Belarus. Pray that the Lord might send laborers
into this harvest field. Pray that
adequately trained pastors would be available for the
churches. Ask the Lord for the people
of Belarus that He
might save many among them.
Copyright 2006 by Brad Garrison
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