Update: Religious communities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan face registration deadline

Many religious communities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have not yet re-registered with authorities, as required by restrictive religion laws that were passed in both countries earlier this year (for more information, click here and here). If religious communities fail to register by January 1, 2010, they will be considered illegal.

As of December 16, only about 100 of the 534 religious communities in Azerbaijan that previously had registration statuses have re-registered. Amendments to the Religion Law will require communities to provide an increased range of information when applying for registration and to obtain approval to build or rebuild worship places. Additional amendments include a ban on the sale of religious literature in unapproved locations and on religious activity outside registered addresses.

In Tajikistan, fewer than half of the religious communities in the country have been re-registered. The highly restrictive Religion Law imposes state censorship on all religious literature, bans state officials from being among the founders of a religious community, requires state approval to invite foreigners for religious visits or to travel abroad for religious events, and restricts children's religious activity and education. (Source: Forum18)

Pray that authorities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan will respect freedom of religion. Pray that Christians in former Soviet republics will echo Peter's sentiment and be determined to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29).

To find out more about the hardships Christians face in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, go to the Azerbaijan Country Report and the Tajikistan Country Report.

Church Registration in Vietnam Inches Along

Compass Direct News reports that the Assemblies of God (AoG) in Vietnam have received an "operating license," which the government described as "the first step . . .before becoming officially legal." This operating license, officially given on Oct. 19, gives permission for all of the congregations of the Vietnam AoG to "carry on religious activity" anywhere in the country for the next year. During this time the church body must prepare adoctrinal statement, a constitution and bylaws and a four-year working plan to be approved by the government before being allowed to hold an organizing assembly. The operating license is the first one granted since five were granted two years ago. The last of those five churches, the Christian Fellowship Church, was finally allowed to hold its organizing assembly in late September. Only about 10 percent of the many hundreds of applications have received a favorable reply, they said, leaving most house churches vulnerable to arbitrary harassment or worse.