Tajikistan: Grace for the Church in face of new laws

Christians are heavily affected by persecution in the church sphere. No church has been able to register, and even if churches are able to meet and conduct services, they always face monitoring. Their meetings can be interrupted and believers interrogated. A law introduced in 2011 restricts the work among youths. Another law introduced in July 2012 prohibits Tajik citizens from going abroad in order to receive religious education, preach and teach religious doctrines or to establish ties with foreign religious organizations. Though this law is aimed at every religion, including minority Muslim groups, Christians are greatly affected by it. There is no domestic Bible school or religious training center in the country. Any learning course on local or church level must be reported to the local authorities.

Pray:

• Six Christians were given heavy fines in 2013 for owning, printing and importing religious materials. Pray for God to provide for their financial needs.
• Although the Communist era in Tajikistan ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the legacy of the Communist religious bureaucracy remains. Pray for Christians targeted by these laws.
• It is almost impossible for religious groups to register, yet those that do not register are considered illegal. Pray for their protection as they meet together.