In the latest incident, officials began interfering with one church’s attempts to follow the law. “The New Life Pentecostal Church [was] just trying to get a new name to register, and then the police started visiting homes, interrogating them,” explains Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

“In some cases, the authorities arrived at the people’s homes late at night, and even threatened those who did not appear to cooperate.”

Religious groups can only gather if registered, and they can only register if their group consists of at least 50 founding members. Often, “the authorities will try to intimidate people so that they won’t list their names as members,” Musselman says.

Persecution in Central Asia

(Courtesy VOM Canada)

All religious groups in Kazakhstan have to register their activity with the government. As described here by VOM Canada, a 2011 law severely limits religious freedom:

Unregistered religious activity, private religious education, and proselytism are illegal, and the activities of registered groups are strictly regulated. Violators face short-term detentions, fines, confiscations of their homes and other penalties.

Pew Research Center ranks Kazakhstan third on a list of countries with the most restrictions. Only China and the Maldives place more limits on religious activity.

“There’s this fear that Christianity is a threat, and then there’s also the concern of radical Islam or militant Islam. They want to keep that under wraps,” Musselman says.

“They throw everything (all religions) in the same basket and then just try to oppress it.”

Next steps

Now that you know, what will you do to help? Prayer is the best place to start.

Pray authorities will release their chokehold and ask God to sustain Kazakh Christians. “Pray that they wouldn’t be gripped by fear, and also that they would have wisdom on how to go forward,” Musselman adds.

Find more prayer needs here.

You can also meet the tangible needs of persecuted Christians through VOM Canada. Learn more about Special Funds and donate online here.

Header image depicts police officers in Kazakhstan. Image obtained via Wikimedia Commons.

Kazakhstan formerly enjoyed a significant amount of religious freedom immediately after the Soviet collapse, but the government has increased pressure on evangelical churches. (Map, caption courtesy SGA)

Now, another disturbing development is emerging.

According to both ASSIST News and Forum 18 News, a Presbyterian pastor has been detained in a psychiatric center after praying for the sick. Although the man isn’t mentally ill, he’s been charged with “harming health,” and authorities want him declared insane.

Joel Griffith with
Slavic Gospel Association says this type of accusation was common under Soviet rule.

“That was one of their methods of trying to stamp out religious faith,” explains Griffith. “It really is a perplexing situation, why they would be targeting religious groups like this with these types of measures.”

Though officials seem to be employing Soviet-style methods, Griffith says it doesn’t appear Kazakhstan is moving toward Communist rule. Along with its fellow Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan is a secular state trying to implement a market economy.

But this arrest, combined with pending additions to Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code that increase punishment for missionary activity, is raising red flags.

Forum 18 News says a law proposed in March will allow religious leaders and those who share their faith to be imprisoned for up to four months. Originally scheduled to appear before Parliament in July, the proposed text will now reach Parliament in Autumn 2013.

If passed, this will be the first time faith-based actions are considered a criminal offense since Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991.

“On a surface level, [Kazakhstan’s leaders] would probably tell you that they’re worried about religious extremism. But again, evangelical churches are just simply not known for that,” says Griffith.

“Typically, they’re just focused on sharing the Gospel and worshipping, so it does sort of beg understanding about why [officials] would view the churches as such a threat.”

As Kazakh officials employ more Soviet-era control over religious freedom, Griffith says, the response of Christians will follow suit.

“They didn’t stop proclaiming the Gospel then, and no matter what gets thrown at them, they’re not going to stop proclaiming the Gospel now,” states Griffith.

Find ways to come alongside SGA in Kazakhstan here.

“In the past, we would help support summer camps, Bible training, Bibles, and Christians literature. But obviously, with this new day–this new period of stepped-up persecution, we’re having to be a whole lot more discreet,” Griffith explains.

“I think the most important thing we can do right now for them is pray.”

Pray for missionary pastors, church leaders, and individual believers “that the Lord would give them abundant wisdom on what to do in their particular situation.

“We need to pray for a hedge of protection to be placed around these churches and their pastors in leadership,” says Griffith.

Pray also for SGA. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom on how to best serve believers in Kazakhstan, while at the same time protecting their security.

Now, another disturbing development is emerging.

According to both ASSIST News and Forum 18 News, a Presbyterian pastor has been detained in a psychiatric center after praying for the sick. Although the man isn't mentally ill, he's been charged with "harming health," and authorities want him declared insane.

Joel Griffith with
Slavic Gospel Association says this type of accusation was common under Soviet rule.

"That was one of their methods of trying to stamp out religious faith," explains Griffith. "It really is a perplexing situation, why they would be targeting religious groups like this with these types of measures."

Though officials seem to be employing Soviet-style methods, Griffith says it doesn't appear Kazakhstan is moving toward Communist rule. Along with its fellow Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan is a secular state trying to implement a market economy.

But this arrest, combined with pending additions to Kazakhstan's Criminal Code that increase punishment for missionary activity, is raising red flags.

Forum 18 News says a law proposed in March will allow religious leaders and those who share their faith to be imprisoned for up to four months. Originally scheduled to appear before Parliament in July, the proposed text will now reach Parliament in Autumn 2013.

If passed, this will be the first time faith-based actions are considered a criminal offense since Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991.

"On a surface level, [Kazakhstan's leaders] would probably tell you that they're worried about religious extremism. But again, evangelical churches are just simply not known for that," says Griffith.

"Typically, they're just focused on sharing the Gospel and worshipping, so it does sort of beg understanding about why [officials] would view the churches as such a threat."

As Kazakh officials employ more Soviet-era control over religious freedom, Griffith says, the response of Christians will follow suit.

"They didn't stop proclaiming the Gospel then, and no matter what gets thrown at them, they're not going to stop proclaiming the Gospel now," states Griffith.

Find ways to come alongside SGA in Kazakhstan here.

"In the past, we would help support summer camps, Bible training, Bibles, and Christians literature. But obviously, with this new day–this new period of stepped-up persecution, we're having to be a whole lot more discreet," Griffith explains.

"I think the most important thing we can do right now for them is pray."

Pray for missionary pastors, church leaders, and individual believers "that the Lord would give them abundant wisdom on what to do in their particular situation.

"We need to pray for a hedge of protection to be placed around these churches and their pastors in leadership," says Griffith.

Pray also for SGA. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom on how to best serve believers in Kazakhstan, while at the same time protecting their security.

The Gospel is gaining ground in the former Soviet Union. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) explains.

“We are seeing a growing evangelical presence in Russia,” states Griffith. “Protestants of every variety are showing growth, even though they might not necessarily be officially registered.

Protestantism, along with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, compose the three main branches of Christianity. The Protestant movement formed during the 16th century, when Martin Luther and other Reformists broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.

Today, the Collins English Dictionary defines Protestantism as “the religion or religious system of any of the Churches of Western Christendom that…adhere substantially to principles established by Luther, Calvin, etc., in the Reformation.”

Griffith says that of the four religions defined by Russia in 1997 as “historic” — Christian Orthodoxy, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam — Orthodox Christians may take offense to the growth of Protestantism.

“There’s a long-standing Protestant tradition within Russia, but of course, the Russian Orthodox Church has been historically dominant,” says Griffith.

Anything that’s not Orthodox is looked on with great suspicion, he adds.

“Rumors get spread about them; especially Baptist churches,” says Griffith. “I don’t even want to repeat some of the false rumors that get spread about them, but it does happen.”

Evangelical Christians face more than just rumors, though. The growth of Protestantism comes amid renewed efforts to control religious activity.

According to recent reports from Forum 18 News, there’s been an increase of legislative action affecting religious freedom. The Duma, “a rubber-stamp parliament endorsing any idea coming from Putin’s Presidential Administration,” Forum 18 reports, signed a vaguely-worded religion amendment into law on July 1.

The new amendment is widely seen as a way to protect the Russian Orthodox Church, says Forum 18, and targets actions “committed with the aim of offending the religious feelings of believers.”

Critics fear the law’s wording is so vague that it could actually be used to punish groups disliked by authorities.

“The ‘religious feelings’ category is more philosophical than legal,” lawyer Inna Zagrebina told Forum 18, “so it isn’t clear how courts will define what is meant by offending religious feelings.

“But we can definitely say that it will be the subjective understanding of each judge.”

Though the future of religious freedom in Russia is uncertain, Griffith says a glimpse into the past can help.

“What does God’s Word have to say about Christ building His Church? And, what have we seen throughout church history?” he asks.

“Whenever it seems like authorities try to stamp out the biblical Gospel, and the true biblical Church, the Church thrives; the Church survives.”

SGA supports churches and believers who are living out the Great Commission in Russia and her neighboring countries. See how you can get involved here.

Most importantly, pray.

“We need to intercede in prayer, not only for the religious freedom in Russia to continue but that it might increase,” Griffith says.

“Pray for the protection of the missionary pastors who are serving in some of these more difficult regions. Pray for their protection and that the Lord would use them as they proclaim God’s Word and preach the Gospel.”

Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) explains, "We are seeing a growing evangelical presence in Russia. Protestants of every variety are showing growth, even though they might not necessarily be officially registered."

Protestantism, along with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, compose the three main branches of Christianity. The Protestant movement was formed during the 16th century, when Martin Luther and other Reformists broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.

Today, the Collins English Dictionary defines Protestantism as "the religion or religious system of any of the Churches of Western Christendom that…adhere substantially to principles established by Luther, Calvin, etc., in the Reformation."

Griffith says that of the four religions defined by Russia in 1997 as "historic" — Christian Orthodoxy, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam — Orthodox Christians may take offense to the growth of Protestantism.

"There's a long-standing Protestant tradition within Russia, but of course the Russian Orthodox Church has been historically dominant," says Griffith.

Anything that's not Orthodox is looked on with great suspicion, he adds.

"Rumors get spread about them: especially Baptist churches," says Griffith. "I don’t even want to repeat some of the false rumors that get spread about them, but it does happen."

Evangelical Christians face more than just rumors, though. The growth of Protestantism comes amid renewed efforts to control religious activity.

According to recent reports from Forum 18 News, there's been an increase of legislative action affecting religious freedom. The Duma, "a rubber-stamp parliament endorsing any idea coming from Putin's Presidential Administration," Forum 18 reports, signed a vaguely-worded religion amendment into law on July 1.

The new amendment is widely seen as a way to protect the Russian Orthodox Church, says Forum 18, and targets actions "committed with the aim of offending the religious feelings of believers."

Critics fear the law's wording is so vague that it could actually be used to punish groups disliked by authorities.

"The 'religious feelings' category is more philosophical than legal," lawyer Inna Zagrebina told Forum 18, "so it isn't clear how courts will define what is meant by offending religious feelings.

"But we can definitely say that it will be the subjective understanding of each judge."

Though the future of religious freedom in Russia is uncertain, Griffith says a glimpse into the past can help.

"What does God's Word have to say about Christ building His Church? And what have we seen throughout church history?" he asks.

"Whenever it seems like authorities try to stamp out the biblical Gospel, and the true biblical Church, the Church thrives; the Church survives."

SGA supports churches and believers who are living out the Great Commission in Russia and her neighboring countries. See how you can get involved here.

Most importantly, pray.

"We need to intercede in prayer, not only for the religious freedom in Russia to continue but that it might increase," Griffith says.

"Pray for the protection of the missionary pastors who are serving in some of these more difficult regions. Pray for their protection and that the Lord would use them as they proclaim God's Word and preach the Gospel."

Each summer, hundreds of children have the opportunity to attend church-run Christian camps across Central Asia. (Image, caption courtesy SGA)

Local Protestants were holding an unregistered children’s camp recently when four buses carrying 80 officials arrived carrying 30 police and 20 riot police. Brandishing rubber batons, a source told Forum 18, they began questioning everyone — including small children.

After collecting statements for six hours, the officials took everyone at the camp — 9 adults and 22 children — back to the police station for further questioning.

And in another region, a children’s camp is at risk of seizure. “Camp Joy” sits on property purchased in 2000 by the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptist (UECB), a registered group of congregations supported by Slavic Gospel Association.

“The state does not want to buy the land back from the UECB. Instead, they want to confiscate it. The intention then is to turn around and sell the land to somebody else,” says SGA’s Joel Griffith.

Although the property’s intended purpose is hosting children’s summer camps and activities, it hasn’t been for this since 2009. That’s when UECB had to change their leadership as a result of a police raid on Camp Joy.

“They actually have not used that for children’s camps since then because it does carry a risk of arrest with it,” Griffith states. “Whatever children’s activities [UECB has] are held at different locations around the country.”

SGA partners help provide each child with his or her very own Russian-language New Testament, as well as other materials and needed supplies for camp ministries. (Image, caption courtesy SGA)

Baptists told Forum 18 that officials have no legal ground to stand on. Under Uzbek law, actions like this have to be done within three years of the land purchase. The UECB bought the Camp Joy property in 2000.

Believers told Forum 18 that they don’t understand why authorities waited 13 years to raise an issue like this. However, the case will go before a judge tomorrow.

“Once this court hearing gets held on August 15, we’ll have a clearer idea of where things stand,” says Griffith.

Pray for justice in tomorrow’s court hearing.

While Uzbekistan’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, Griffith says it’s basically non-existent in everyday life.

“Whatever the churches do they try to do it as quietly as possible, but it’s always at great risk,” he says. “[Uzbekistan is] supposed to have a very secular government; but again, you have the government cracking down on people of all faiths.”

The battle over Camp Joy is only one challenge the UECB faces. Griffith says they also have a hard time registering new churches with the government, another state requirement.

“All religious faiths encounter difficulty,” he explains. “Freedom of religion and freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of practice — they all encounter difficulties.”

It’s a problem noted in Forum 18’s religious freedom survey, published last week, as well as the U.S. International Religious Freedom Report for 2012. Open Doors USA puts Uzbekistan at #16 on their World Watch List, a compilation of the world’s 50 worst persecutors of the Christian faith.

“We need to pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the authorities to change the situation on-the-ground in Uzbekistan,” Griffith states.

Ask the Lord to protect Gospel workers in Uzbekistan. Pray that the Gospel goes forth unhindered.

“The Church is determined and committed to carrying out the Great Commission, no matter what man may do, and they’ve certainly proven that through the years,” says Griffith.

“Despite the opposition, they’re going to go on proclaiming the Gospel.”

See how SGA supports them in this mission.

(Image courtesy SGA)

Local Protestants were holding an unregistered children's camp recently when four buses carrying 80 officials arrived carrying 30 police and 20 riot police. Brandishing rubber batons, a source told Forum 18, they began questioning everyone– including small children.

After collecting statements for six hours, the officials took everyone at the camp–9 adults and 22 children–back to the police station for further questioning.

And in another region, a children's camp is at risk of seizure. "Camp Joy" sits on property purchased in 2000 by the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptist (UECB), a registered group of congregations supported by Slavic Gospel Association.

"The state does not want to buy the land back from the UECB. Instead, they want to confiscate it. The intention then is to turn around and sell the land to somebody else," says SGA's Joel Griffith.

Although the property's intended purpose is for hosting children's summer camps and activities, it hasn't been able to since 2009. That's when UECB had to change their leadership as a result of a police raid on Camp Joy.

"They actually have not used that for children's camps since then because it does carry a risk of arrest with it," Griffith states. "Whatever children's activities [UECB has] are held at different locations around the country."

Baptists told Forum 18 that officials have no legal ground to stand on. Under Uzbek law, actions like this have to be done within three years of the land purchase. The UECB bought the Camp Joy property in 2000.

Believers told Forum 18 that they don't understand why authorities waited 13 years to raise an issue like this. However, the case will go before a judge tomorrow.

"Once this court hearing gets held on August 15, we'll have a clearer idea of where things stand," says Griffith.

Pray for justice in tomorrow's court hearing.

While Uzbekistan's constitution guarantees religious freedom, Griffith says it's basically non-existent in everyday life.

"Whatever the churches do, they try to do it as quietly as possible; but it's always at great risk," he says. "[Uzbekistan is] supposed to have a very secular government; but again, you have the government cracking down on people of all faiths."

The battle over Camp Joy is only one challenge the UECB faces. Griffith says they also have a hard time registering new churches with the government: another state requirement.

"All religious faiths encounter difficulty," he explains. "Freedom of religion and freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of practice: they all encounter difficulties."

It's a problem noted in Forum 18's religious freedom survey, published last week, as well as the U.S. International Religious Freedom Report for 2012. Open Doors USA puts Uzbekistan at #16 on their World Watch List, a compilation of the world's 50 worst persecutors of the Christian faith.

"Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the authorities to change the situation on the ground in Uzbekistan," Griffith states.

Will you also ask the Lord to protect Gospel workers in Uzbekistan? Pray, too, for the Gospel to go forth unhindered.

"The Church is determined and committed to carrying out the Great Commission, no matter what man may do, and they've certainly proven that through the years," says Griffith.

"Despite the opposition, they're going to go on proclaiming the Gospel."

See how SGA supports the church in this mission.

Police arrest a group of young people for an unsanctioned religious meeting. (Image, caption courtesy Christian Aid)

While the constitution of this Central Asian country provides for freedom to worship, in truth it is adherents of traditionally recognized faiths and denominations who enjoy that privilege.

Ironically, says Christian Aid Mission, more restrictive laws were enacted to stem the tide of growing Islamic radicalism in Kazakhstan. In the process, intense government scrutiny of all minority religious groups has led to persecution of Christians, particularly evangelicals.

A law passed in 2011 requires churches and religious organizations to apply for state registration. The process is not that simple, however, as official registration is restricted to groups of 50 or more people. Most Christian congregations in Kazakhstan are small and meet in private homes.

To comply with the new regulations, a group of believers can only gather for worship or prayer in a state-approved location, such as a church building. Since the purchase or construction of building costs anywhere from $12,000 to $18,000 on average, congregations find themselves facing a great dilemma.

Even believers who are members of government-sanctioned churches sometimes encounter harassment from local authorities and have to prove their case in court.

The crackdown has resulted in arrests, steep fines, and imprisonment. According to the Forum 18 News Service website, fines were imposed on at least 62 Council of Churches Baptists since the start of 2013. The denomination refuses to pay the fines on principle, considering them in violation of human rights.

In response, the government has reportedly imposed a new set of restrictions on the Baptist churches, banning the members from traveling outside of the country until the fines are satisfied.

The following report was taken verbatim from a Christian Aid-assisted ministry in Kazakhstan. It reveals the extreme measures taken by local authorities to try to stamp out unregistered churches.

On March 31 in a town in eastern Kazakhstan, nine Christians (mainly elderly people) gathered to celebrate Easter, to pray, communicate, and have some tea. After a while, seven police officers came into the apartment. They brought two drunken men with them as witnesses.

Without presenting any documents, the police began to take a video and do a search of the apartment. The senior captain offered to take the Christians to the police station for questioning, but the Christians refused, demanding a good reason for why they should. The answer was that they were engaged in unregistered religious activities.

On April 3 this group of Christians was called to the police station. After police kept them in the office from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., they were given the interrogation report to sign. The report stated they were engaged in illegal religious activities and storage and sale of drugs. Some of the elderly people signed the report without reading it. But after one woman pointed out the information about drugs, all of them refused to sign it. The authorities threatened to place the group in jail overnight. The Christians sent a statement to the regional prosecutor’s office, including a copy of the document that accused them of storage and sale of drugs.

An administrative court proceeding took place April 18, where four of the Kazakhs were each fined $577 to be paid within one month. The next day a trial was held for three more of the Christians. Two were fined a penalty of $577 each, and the other individual was fined $1154. Two more people are in the hospital at the present time and haven’t been given a summons to the court. The total sum of fines was $4616.

Before the “law of religious activity,” this small group of Christians was without any need of registration. With the introduction of new rules, the legal features were established. They applied for registration a couple of times since September of last year and were rejected because there were less than 50 people.

Despite opposition, the Kazakh Churches continue to grow. About 25 percent of the country’s population is Christian, most of which are from the accepted Russian Orthodox denomination. Protestants, making up 0.8 percent, are viewed with suspicion as dangerous sects that may pose a threat to the government.

Christian Aid assists ministries in Kazakhstan that have planted more than 120 churches and comprise some 12,000 believers. Donors have also provided funding for a Bible school that graduates over 100 students each year and an orphanage that provides compassionate care in the name of Christ to some 300 youngsters.

Learn more about their ministry here.

While the constitution of this Central Asian country provides for freedom to worship, in truth it is adherents of traditionally recognized faiths and denominations who enjoy that privilege.

Ironically, says Christian Aid Mission, more restrictive laws were enacted to stem the tide of growing Islamic radicalism in Kazakhstan. In the process, intense government scrutiny of all minority religious groups has led to persecution of Christians, particularly evangelicals.

A law passed in 2011 requires churches and religious organizations to apply for state registration. The process is not that simple, however, as official registration is restricted to groups of 50 people or more. Most Christian congregations in Kazakhstan are small and meet in private homes.

To comply with the new regulations, a group of believers can only gather for worship or prayer in a state-approved location, such as a church building. Since the purchase or construction of building costs anywhere from $12,000 to $18,000 on average, congregations find themselves facing a great dilemma.

Even believers who are members of government-sanctioned churches sometimes encounter harassment from local authorities and have to prove their case in court.

The crackdown has resulted in arrests, steep fines, and imprisonment. According to the Forum 18 News Service Web site, fines were imposed on at least 62 Council of Churches Baptists since the start of 2013. The denomination refuses to pay the fines on principle, considering them in violation of human rights.

In response, the government has reportedly imposed a new set of restrictions on the Baptist churches, banning the members from traveling outside of the country until the fines are satisfied.

The following report was taken verbatim from a Christian Aid-assisted ministry in Kazakhstan. It reveals the extreme measures taken by local authorities to try to stamp out unregistered churches.

On March 31 in a town in eastern Kazakhstan, nine Christians (mainly elderly people) gathered to celebrate Easter, to pray, communicate, and have some tea. After a while, seven police officers came into the apartment. They brought two drunken men with them as witnesses.

Without presenting any documents, the police began to take a video and do a search of the apartment. The senior captain offered to take the Christians to the police station for questioning, but the Christians refused, demanding a good reason for why they should. The answer was that they were engaged in unregistered religious activities.

On April 3, this group of Christians was called to the police station. After police kept them in the office from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., they were given the interrogation report to sign. The report stated they were engaged in illegal religious activities and storage and sale of drugs. Some of the elderly people signed the report without reading it. But after one woman pointed out the information about drugs, all of them refused to sign it. The authorities threatened to place the group in jail overnight. The Christians sent a statement to the regional prosecutor’s office, including a copy of the document that accused them of storage and sale of drugs.

An administrative court proceeding took place April 18, where four of the Kazakhs were each fined $577 to be paid within one month. The next day, a trial was held for three more of the Christians. Two were fined a penalty of $577 each, and the other individual was fined $1154. Two more people are in the hospital at the present time and haven’t been given a summons to the court. The total sum of fines was $4616.

Before the “law of religious activity,” this small group of Christians was without any need of registration. With the introduction of new rules, the legal features were established. They applied for registration a couple of times since September of last year and were rejected because there were less than 50 people.

Despite opposition, the Kazakh churches continue to grow. About 25% of the country’s population is Christian, most of whom are from the accepted Russian Orthodox denomination. Protestants, making up 0.8%, are viewed with suspicion as dangerous sects that may pose a threat to the government.

Christian Aid assists ministries in Kazakhstan that have planted more than 120 churches and comprise some 12,000 believers. Donors have also provided funding for a Bible school that graduates over 100 students each year and an orphanage that provides compassionate care in the name of Christ to some 300 youngsters.

Click here to learn more about the ministry of Christian Aid in Kazakhstan.

Forum 18 News says early last week, the country's president claimed Kazakhstan respects religious freedom. But within 48 hours, there were heavy fines against Protestant Christians who celebrated Easter Sunday.

According to Forum 18, the raid brought one elderly member under enough stress to trigger a heart attack. This person told Forum 18 that police "have decided to use fear to separate us from God, something they can never achieve. They cannot ban me from my Christian faith."

By the end of the week, says Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association, a new law was in the works.

"Reportedly, it introduces a new maximum penalty for those who share their faith, or witness," Griffith explains.

"If that actually comes into law, that really is of great concern."

Under the proposed law–alluded to in a separate Forum 18 article–those who share the Gospel openly could be imprisoned for up to four months.

"It does certainly seem that some storm clouds are on the horizon," says Griffith. "Even if there isn't an official code that's been voted on by Parliament right now…, the [Agency of Religious Affairs] seems to be taking quite a bit of authority on itself and trying to put pressure on religious groups."

In the scope of Central Asian history, Kazakhstan's current state of affairs is nothing out of the ordinary. Griffith says it reminds him of their days under Soviet rule.

"Officially, they had freedom of worship and freedom of religion in their constitution," he says. "But in practice, they didn't have it. People were arrested; people were sent to the gulag."

At this time of great persecution, SGA began a prayer movement for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

"We prayed and prayed and prayed about that, and miraculously in the late 1980s the Berlin Wall came down," Griffith recalls. "And then in 1991, the entire Soviet Union broke apart, and each of those 15 nations became independent."

Griffith says the Gospel enjoyed great freedom as Kazakhstan took its first steps of independence.

"But we've seen backtracking on that in recent years," says Griffith. "This is just certainly more evidence of that."

As was the case in Kazakhstan's Soviet days, Griffith says the most important thing to do is pray.

"The Lord answered prayers during that time, and the door was opened for the Gospel there like never before," he states. "Well, now we're beginning to see the doors close again. The most important ministry we can do for them is intercessory prayer."

You can also support Kazakh ministries financially through SGA by clicking here.