As Baku basks in the excitement of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on May 26, members of at least one church in the Azerbaijan capital will find it hard to join in the celebrations. On April 25, a court in Baku ordered Greater Grace Church to be liquidated – the first known closure of a religious community under the controversial Law on Freedom of Religion passed in 2009. This law requires the compulsory re-registration of all religious communities in Azerbaijan. Greater Grace contends that it had no formal notice of the need to re-register – and no warning of impending legal action against it. Christians in this mainly Muslim, South Caucasian nation fear that the judge’s decision could set a worrying precedent for other churches. To date, officials have acted in secret to close down churches, raiding premises, banning worship, confiscating literature and imposing fines. Now, it’s feared they could act openly, with the backing of the law.

Pray: for the Church within Azerbaijan that this so called new Law of Freedom would be reversed. (Jas.2:12)

More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/take-action/saving-grace.php