Source: World Watch Monitor, December 5, 2014
In a country where Christians often must meet secretly to avoid arrest, a group of women have taken the opposite approach: hiding in plain sight. They meet to pray and encourage each other in a coffee shop, in one of the largest cities in Central Asia.
“It is better for us to gather in a public place such as a coffee shop than to secretly meet in an apartment,” the wife of a secret church pastor said to Open Doors International, a charity that supports Christians whose faith puts them at risk.
“Neighbors of the place where we gather for a Sunday service may know who we are and they could call the police any minute, so we have decided to gather for a Bible study in public places. A coffee shop is ideal. We just need to follow a couple of small rules for our safety,” said the pastor’s wife. While praying together they keep their eyes open and Bibles in their bags at all times. After the women pray for each others’ needs, their meeting comes to an end.
» Read full story, which also describes government restrictions on Christians in three Central Asian countries. See also Two Azerbaijani Churches Ordered to Liquidate Themselves (Barnabas Aid).