Pastor Zanzhar has led a Kazakh church for more than 20 years, but the government “de-registered’ it nine years ago. When a church is de-registered, Front-Line Workers report that it is impossible for that church to re-register, which forces congregations to either disband or operate in secret. Pastor Zanzhar’s church kept meeting even after being de-registered, but police raided one of their services last year and fined him. He appealed but lost the appeal and had to pay a large fee. “What has happened will not prevent me from continuing my ministry as a pastor,” he said. While he remains bold in faith, he is concerned that government pressure might impact his adult children.
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