“Belarus, put your hope in God, for He is your help!”
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.(Psalm 146:5,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Europe
Population | 9.13 million
Area | 207,600㎢, Vast forests and fertile farmland stretch across the inland plains of Eastern Europe.
Capital City | Minsk (2.04 million)
People Groups | Total 26 groups, Belarusians 86.3%, Russians 7.5%, Poles 3%, Ukrainians 1.7%
Unreached People Groups | 6 (0.4% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Belarusian, Russian (mostly Russian-speaking)
Total Languages | 26
Bible Translations | Completed 21, New Testament 3, Partial 1
Religion | Christianity 69.4% ( Protestant 1.6% , Orthodox 83.3%), Non-religious 7.8%, Muslim 0.6% Evangelical 1.7% 160,000 people
》 About Belarus
Belarus began when East Slavic people settled around Minsk in the 14th century. The name Belarus, which is translated ‘White Ruthenia’, comes from the idea of a “clean people” who liked wearing white clothes. It started as the Polotsk Principality and became part of the Kievan Rus’ nation. From the 13th to 16th century, it was under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, then came under Polish rule. In the late 18th century, during the separation of Poland and Lithuania, Belarus was taken over by Russia. It was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922 and became independent in 1991 after the USSR collapsed. It joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and was called White Russia. In 1994, Alexander Lukashenko became the first elected president and took full control. He has ruled strictly controlling the government, media, and religion, and won his sixth term in 2020. He has been in power for 31 years and continues to arrest and suppress opposition figures who protest against electoral fraud.
Belarus once had a solid industrial base but now faces outdated and inefficient systems. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine caused major damage to the Belarusian border region. Today, state-owned enterprises make up 70–75% of GDP, and state banks control 75% of the banking sector. Over half of exports go to Russia, making Belarus highly dependent on the Russian economy. Industries like petrochemicals and automobile manufacturing rely on cheap oil and gas from Russia. However, Belarus is struggling with global oil price instability, weak petrochemical exports, tax-related oil disputes with Russia, currency issues, and liquidity problems.
Belarus’s GDP per capita is approximately $8,007.
》 Scripture Focus
| Psalm 146:3–6, 9–10 (NIV) 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. 9 The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. |
》 Prayer Points
1. The government is tightening control and persecution against Protestant churches. The Russian Orthodox Church, approved by the state, mostly has nominal believers who follow traditions as rituals. All other religious activities are monitored and restricted under national security laws. If people gather or worship without permission, they face arrest, detention, or fines. Large protests against religious oppression took place, but leaders and many participants were arrested, tortured, and punished. Still, the number of believers with true faith is growing. One pastor said, “This oppression is the best time for the evangelical church to grow.” Let us pray that the Belarusian church will not rely on people but only on God, who judges justly and gives true freedom.
2. Foreign missionaries are not allowed to receive religious visas and cannot work officially. Even guests from nearby countries are not permitted to teach in churches. Let us pray that God will send missionaries to Belarus and open the doors for them to enter and make disciples with local churches. The Bible Society has been translating and distributing the Belarusian Bible since 2009. CLC operates bookstores nationwide and shares gospel materials in Belarusian. TWR, FEBC, and HCJB broadcast nationwide, and Alpha Radio and BTMR air local programs. Let us pray that these many mission channels will help people hear the Word of God, believe, and be saved.
3. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster polluted 20% of Belarus’s land. Two million people had to relocate, and thousands died from radiation-related cancers. Many charities care for those affected, including children and orphans. Let us pray that the Lord, who defends the stranger and cares for the orphan and widow, will heal their pain and restore them as His beloved children. There are about 14,000 Jews in Minsk, including some Messianic Jews, but they are still unreached. Among the Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Bashkirs—who mostly follow Islam—there are almost no Christians or churches. Let us pray for new channels of blessing to be raised to serve and preach the gospel to these unreached peoples. Let us pray even more for Belarus to experience a revival under the eternal reign of God.
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