(Photo courtesy of KRHamm)
Uzbekistan (MNN) ― Pastors and leaders in Uzbekistan's Baptist Union went to trial over false charges related to their children's camp ministry, Joy Baptist Children's Camp.
"Camp Joy" serves hundreds of children every summer and is well known as a Baptist non-profit enterprise.
Bob Provost with Slavic Gospel Association says despite all evidence to the contrary, a judge convicted Pavel Peichev, Head of Uzbekistan's Baptist Union and two colleagues. "The sentence eliminates the president of the Baptists, the director of the camp, and the book keeper; [they] would be out of ministry. Secondly, they would have to pay $14,000."
Specifically, the ruling deprives Peichev and Yelena Kurbatova, the Union's accountant, and Camp director Dmitri Pitirimov of the right to lead an organization's administrative and financial activity for three years.
According to Forum 18, the imposed fine is the equivalent of 260 times the monthly minimum wage for each conviction, allegedly for tax evasion and teaching children religion illegally. The Baptist Union will also have to pay to the State Budget the allegedly unpaid taxes on their income from the Children's Camp.
Provost says the team doesn't want to let the conviction stand, so they are planning to appeal within 10 days. The move is so hostile it's raising more questions. "The camp director believes that the authorities want to change the leadership of the Baptist Union and somehow gain control over the churches."
The bottom line? Pray. "We have a government that wants to eliminate evangelical Christianity from their soil. The Bible says that God can change the heart of a king. If He can change the heart of a king, He can change the heart of a judge."
Ironically, the verdicts come as Uzbekistan continues encouraging intolerance of people exercising freedom of religion or belief.
Yet, the distribution of religious material is legal in Uzbekistan, although materials not approved by the State Committee for Religious Affairs are not. Officials who claim that the material would be used to convert Muslims often confiscate it. That means Bibles, Christian literature and films.
Pray for continued strength for Christians facing charges and harassment from authorities.
