Priest Fined BYN 640 For Performing Sacrament Of Baptism In Homel

Lukashists persecute Christians.

Dzmitry Padlobka, a priest of the Living Faith Full Gospel Christian Church in Homel, who was detained on Wednesday, stood trial on the following day, on July 28. He reported this himself on his Telegram channel.

The pastor was tried under Article 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses: the police regarded the conducting of water baptism without permission as an unauthorized mass event.

The court fined Padlobka for 20 base fees, or 640 rubles. The priest says that he took it with relief, as he feared a harsher punishment.

“I am glad that, firstly, I was honored to be persecuted for the name of Christ, and secondly, that I had a chance to introduce this young boy (who was baptized — edit.) to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If for the sake of this kid I had to go through all this, then it was worth it!” the pastor wrote.

The Living Faith Church in Homel was founded in 1997 by Dzmitry Padlobka and his wife Oksana, natives of Mahiliou, together with a missionary from Denmark, Erling Laursen. The church is part of the Republican Association of Full Gospel Christian Communities in Belarus.