Christians across Azerbaijan live under the threat of government harassment.The country's religion laws can be harsh, imposing severe penalties on violators.
Many church leaders encounter legal problems and jail time.
Take, for example, the recent case of Pastor Hamid Shabanov, charged with allegedly holding an illegal weapon -- an accusation strongly refuted by his congregation.
Authorities transferred Shabanov from prison to house arrest shortly after a November 5th hearing at the Zakatala District Court in northwestern Azerbaijan.
After multiple delays, Forum 18 indicates the trial is scheduled to resume November 17.
Shabanov's difficulties are not unusual. The government forbids expatriate Christians to engage in what they call "religious propaganda," and there are severe restrictions on distribution of literature for "nontraditional" religious groups.
Only Islam, Russian Orthodoxy and Judaism are considered "traditional" religions, and there has been a push by the government and state-controlled media for the Azeri people to return to Islam.
Despite the obstacles these restrictions impose on ministry teams, president of Global Advance David Shibley says they held a Frontline Shepherd's Conference for 197 weary church leaders this past spring. The pastoral conference was the largest the country has hosted, he notes. Their timing could not have been better.
"They (pastors and church leaders) sensed that this would be a long struggle against erratic enforcement, sometimes, of even non-existent, purported laws that are against the church."
According to Shibley, each leader was eager for training, evidenced by the furious note-taking during the seminars.
Team members say the evangelical church in Azerbaijan is still small. It is believed there are only about 60 congregations (with an active membership of roughly 10,000) in the country, outside of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The aim of the conference was to provide national pastors and church leaders with a vision for the advance of the Gospel. Shibley says they're making plans to return in the Fall of 2009.
In the meantime, with the government cracking down on pastors, prayer is critical.
"I know that our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan would have us pray that the Lord would grant them grace, strength, energy, continued focus and continued boldness to share the Lord Jesus."
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(Source: CT)