New Life church members could be forced out of church building

• 29.05.2009, 12:40

Next Monday the administration of Maskouski district of Minsk may start first attempts to “evict” believers from the charismatic New Life Church.

Recently representatives of a housing department visited the church and reminded about that, saying that in case the church won’t follow the decree, they would have to seek assistance of law-enforcing agencies since June 1, Radio Racyja informs.

“As stated by the decree, in line with the ruling of the Supreme Economic Court we are to vacate the building before June 1, and to bring all the documents and the Delivery and receipt act to the administration of Maskouski district,” said the lawyer of the New Life Church Syarhei Lukanin. “In case that won’t be done, they have a right to pass the case to marshals of the court, who would enforce the court decision with the help of police. We certainly won’t fight with riot policemen, but under no circumstances we shall vacate our building we have reconstructed from shambles. So since Monday we start daily prayer services in Kavalyou 72, and we hope God will defend us”.

As we have informed, in autumn 2006 there was almost the same situation, when building machines approached the building of the church, visited by more than a thousand believers since 2002. Howere the congregation managed to stop confrontation by announcing 23-day hunger strike, when believers where in the building all day round, and most Belarusian Evangelic unions supported the protest.