Pray for Kyrgystan

New Religion Law IS Enacted In Kyrgyzstan

President Kurmanbek Bakiev DID sign the new restrictive religion law Jan.12. The new law mandates that 200 members are necessary to register a religious organization, bans children from being involved in religious organizations, prohibits proselytization and forbids the distribution of religious materials. See the www.forum18.org and www.rferl.org websites for more info. One pastor has already begun to have his church meet in house groups and says that some pastors have been visited by the state and had their documents inspected. Others say they are not doing anything differently. Some are looking to combine; others preferring to stand alone. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Kyrgyzstan as they formulate their responses and figure out how to practice their faith under these newer repressive conditions. Also pray for expatriate workers. Several organizations are sensing tightening scrutiny and developing means of looking away from NGO platforms and developing business platforms to ensure remaining in the country.