I have had three weeks to observe the needs of the church in Belarus. I do not think they need Americans to invest in church property here. I don’t even recommend that they try to build a lot of church buildings with the political climate as it is. They need to establish Bible study groups in homes in every town and village. In area like this, the fastest growth has always been through house churches. (The book of Acts is a good example of that.).
But they desperately need financial support. When men like Georgi and Vladimir travel to Gomel, for instance, the travel is almost a 500 mile round trip. The trip to Maidel this week was 135 miles one way. Osipovichy is 85 miles one way. Gasoline is more expensive here. We can encourage these men to take the gospel to these areas but we must remember that it is a costly ministry. I think one of the greatest needs is for financial support for pastors and those who are going to other cities to establish Bible study groups in every town and village.
This week ten Americans were arrested for preaching the gospel without permission and deported back to the United States. We are slowly losing our Southern Baptist missionaries as the Belarussian government is refusing to renew their visas. We must find a way to train and support the Belarussians themselves to do the ministry of the church. The most effective evangelist in Belarus is not an American transplant. It is the Belarus pastor. I pray the Lord will lay it on the heart of somebody or some church to support a pastor or a particular ministry over here.
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