News and Analysis

The Kazakh parliament building in the heart of Astana, the capital.

This past fall, both houses of Kazakhstan’s parliament passed a controversial new bill on religion, which will impose severe restrictions on missionary activity in the country. Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbaev urged passage of the new bill, and as expected, signed it once it reached his desk.

Once the freest of the Central Asian republics, Kazakhstan has begun to severely limit religion freedom.

According to Reuters, the new law stresses “the historic role of the Hanafi school of Islam and of the Christian Orthodox faith in the cultural and spiritual development of the Kazakh nation.” The vast majority of Kazakhstan’s Muslims are followers of the Hanafi school of law, considered to be the oldest and most “liberal” within the Sunni Muslim tradition.

Evangelical churches are troubled at the law’s requirements for missionaries to register once a year with the government, the expulsion of missionaries who threaten the “constitutional order” and “public peace,” and banning prayer rooms in all state institutions. Other provisions ban unregistered religious activity, impose compulsory religious censorship and require government approval to build or open new places of worship. A Voice of America report quoted supporters of the law as saying it was an important step in challenging the growth of radical Islam. At SGA, we are concerned about the impact on evangelical churches and their ministries, especially in the realm of evangelism and planting new churches. Please join us in lifting this troubling situation before the Lord in prayer. We know that the Lord will continue to build His church and advance the Gospel, as He has said … My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure (Isaiah 46:10).

Tragic Abortion and Divorce Rates in Russia

Professor Vasily Zhukov of the Russian Social University in Moscow says the number of abortions is vastly understated in the country. “Our statistics don’t exactly reflect the perameters of this trouble. Indeed, from three to four million abortions are annually carried out in Russia, rather than the 1.3 million officially reported.”

In addition to these troubling numbers, Professor Zhukov also said that the number of divorces is rising, with 60 divorces for every 100 marriages — more than half of married couples. Russia has been facing a serious demographic challenge, although the population decline that began in 1992 has begun to slow.

Evangelical churches are deeply concerned about the impact of abortion and divorce in Russian society, and the only solution is saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for increased opportunities for evangelism in these challenging days.