Belarus Christians Under Fire Hear Graham

More than 30,000 people in Belarus recently heard a clear gospel message from Franklin Graham during one of the largest evangelical gatherings in the country in years.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said attendance surpassed 15,000 people on both nights of the Festival of Hope in Minsk. Local Christians described the event as historic, coming at a time when religious groups in Belarus have faced tighter government controls and evangelical churches across the region have watched Russia and its allies target Protestant believers with growing suspicion.

“Tonight you can experience a new birth, a spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ,” Graham told the crowd. “Jesus didn’t come to condemn you; He came to save you. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.’ There’s no other way to God. He made you and he loves you, but the only way to be forgiven of your sins and have a personal relationship with him is through his son, Jesus Christ.”

Graham preached on both evenings and shared highlights from the weekend in a series of social media posts.

“It was an amazing night here in Minsk, Belarus,” he wrote. “Many of the Christians here say that God did a miracle. They came on buses, trains and cars from every part of the country and filled the arena, as well as the overflow space, and then even stood outside the arena to hear the gospel message.”

The event featured a 1,300-member choir from 43 cities and villages, as well as a symphony orchestra and several local artists. Graham thanked Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko for “allowing the evangelical churches to gather on a national scale like this.”

Pressure on Belarus church

The public gathering was notable because Belarus has moved in recent years to bring religious organizations under stricter state oversight. A law signed by Lukashenko requires all religious groups to reapply for state registration and gives authorities broad power to deny registration or close groups that do not comply. The Associated Press reported that Protestant leaders warned the law could force some churches to stop meeting publicly or return to the kind of underground worship many believers remember from Soviet times.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also has warned that Belarus’ religion law keeps unregistered religious activity illegal and could lead to fines or imprisonment. USCIRF said authorities have detained and fined Christian leaders, blacklisted religious freedom organizations and bulldozed the Pentecostal New Life Church near Minsk.

The concerns are part of a wider pattern in the region. Religious freedom advocates say Russia has targeted evangelical and other “non-traditional” Christian groups inside Russia and in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. USCIRF reported that Russia prosecuted members of several religious organizations in 2024 and the first half of 2025, while pastors and churches in occupied Ukraine have faced raids, property seizures and arrests.

Against that backdrop, Belarusian believers said the Minsk festival offered encouragement to churches that often operate carefully in a restrictive environment.

Graham shared the story of a man who had planned to end his life the previous week but attended the event instead.

“He came tonight, heard the gospel and found true hope by putting his faith and trust in Christ,” he said. “We give God the glory for his life and for the hundreds of others who turned from their sins and surrendered their hearts to the only one who can save for eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Nearly 700 evangelical churches participated in the Festival of Hope, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association distributed more than 2,000 Bibles. Graham is scheduled to make additional overseas trips later this year. Madrid, Spain, will hold the Festival de la Esperanza in late May, and Graham’s “God Loves You Tour” will make a stop in Manchester, England, in October.

–Dwight Widaman

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