A Persecuted Pastor to Visit Us

This man is a pastor that ministers in a country where Christians are still being persecuted. It is very difficult and unusual for such a leader to be able to leave the country to visit other believers. We were privileged to be contacted today to see if we would be willing to have this man tell his story and preach to our congregation.

Tom MacAdams writes:

Nicolai is the stalwart leader of a group of churches that are committed to helping men be trained up to teach God's word in his country -- one that is considered to be a "restricted access" country in that foreigners can't come in for religious purposes/business.

Churches in Belarus are legally forbidden to preach/evangelize publicly, and the gospel can only be proclaimed freely inside a registered church. And further, there are limits on what can be a "registered" church. Oppressive laws have basically outlawed house churches and small groups in Belarus, since they are illegal unless "registered" and can't register unless the church has a building AND 100+ people. No public baptisms are allowed. And believers are regularly arrested or detained for various alleged violations.

I think that this might really open the eyes of your church, to see what the Lord is doing in a part of the world that may be new to many of them. It is a open harvest field in many ways, due to the vacuum left after the collapse of the atheistic state and the incorrect Gospel coming from the Orthodox church which is more of a cultural institution. I think he might tell a compelling story of a church still under persecution.

And more -

Pastor Sinkovets comes from a family line of pastors, including his father and his grandfather, who spent 25 years in prison for his faith in the early years of communism. After over 10 years as pastor of the Baptist church in Kobrin, Belarus (which grew from 100 to 1000 under his leadership), he accepted a call 6 months ago to pastor a new and growing church just outside Minsk in the city of Kolodishi.

He is in town this weekend in order to meet with representatives from Slavic Gospel Association.

I highly respect men who serve in places a thousand times more difficult than where I serve. This past year I have prayed often for a Baptist church in Belrussia that has been undergoing many difficult things from its government. I am gladly welcoming this man. He will be with us next Sunday evening!