BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
11/03/2008
Belarus Orders U.S. Ambassador Out
By Jeremy Reynalds
The U.S. ambassador to Belarus was expelled, and the Belarusian envoy was recalled Friday in a diplomatic move that is raising tensions between the two countries.
Mission Network News (MNN) reported that the situation could further isolate Belarus from Europe.
Belarus is in Eastern Europe, east of Poland.
Although Ambassador Karen Stewart was asked to leave Belarus, MNN reported that the U.S. State Department wanted to review the situation first and asked her to remain in the former Soviet republic for now.
The Foreign Ministry blamed U.S. sanctions imposed on Belarus's national oil products firm Belneftekhim for their response.
The Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) reported that a spokesman for President Bush called the expulsion "deeply disappointing." State Department spokesman Gordon Johndroe added that the president and "the United States will continue to stand with the people of Belarus as they seek to live in freedom."
SGA commented that western governments and media often refer to Belarus as "the last dictatorship in Europe." President Lukashenko has tolerated little dissent since coming to power in 1994, and is frequently at odds with the U.S. and other European nations.
According to SGA, although evangelical churches in Belarus enjoyed a short time of relative freedom after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government began significantly tightening restrictions on the churches after Lukashenko took office.
SGA president Dr. Robert Provost said in a news release that ongoing prayer for those in Belarus is essential.
Provost commented, "In Belarus today, evangelical churches are not allowed to engage in public ministry outside of the church walls. Pastors and church-planting missionaries can encounter significant difficulties from local authorities as they seek to fulfill their ministries. But despite these challenges, the ministry of these churches goes on and the Lord continues to draw many to Himself as the Gospel is proclaimed."
He added, "Our desire is to serve these churches in any way possible. We serve a sovereign God, and His Word tells us that . . . the heart of the king is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord ; He turns it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1). Please continue to join us in praying that Belarusian churches will become fully free to proclaim the Gospel and God's great love to their people."
Mission Network News is a mission news service that keeps Christians informed about evangelical mission work worldwide. For more information go to www.mnnonline.org
The Slavic Gospel Association is an interdenominational mission which has been working in the former Soviet Union since 1934. For more information go to www.sga.org
Source:
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?breve10174
Archive
