Hundreds of people made public commitments to Christian faith last weekend at what organizers described as the largest evangelical gathering in Belarus history, an event that followed an unusual two-hour meeting between American evangelist Franklin Graham and the country's longtime authoritarian president.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reported that more than 15,000 people filled the Chizhovka Arena in Minsk on Saturday night for the Festival of Hope, with additional crowds spilling into overflow areas and gathering outside the venue to hear Graham preach. A second service was held Sunday. Nearly 700 churches across Belarus helped organize the event.
Belarus is governed by Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has held power since July 1994 — more than 31 years — making him the longest-serving leader in Europe. Critics and Western governments have long referred to him as "Europe's last dictator," citing his suppression of independent media, imprisonment of political opponents and a series of elections widely condemned as fraudulent. Belarus borders both Russia and Ukraine.
Graham met with Lukashenko at the president's residence for more than two hours on Friday, ahead of the festival's opening night, according to the BGEA. Graham said he thanked Lukashenko for permitting evangelical churches to hold a national-scale evangelistic event in the capital.
"Nothing has been done like this in Belarus in modern history," Graham said.
Lukashenko, who grew up under Soviet-era atheism, told Graham he had personal familiarity with Protestant Christians from his time as a collective farm administrator. "The Soviet Union was officially an atheist country, but unofficially, everyone prayed," he said, adding that roughly half the workers on the farm where he served were Protestants. "They are exceptionally kind and incredibly hardworking people."
The Belarusian president also acknowledged receiving humanitarian aid through U.S.-based organizations. According to BGEA, two-thirds of humanitarian aid Belarus received last year came from the United States, including from Samaritan's Purse, which Graham leads as president and CEO.
Before the meeting ended, Lukashenko made a lighthearted remark as Graham offered to pray for him. "Franklin, when you're talking with the Lord about sins, don't forget about mine either," he said.
At the arena, organizers assembled a 1,300-member choir drawn from 43 cities and villages, along with a symphony orchestra and local musicians. A dedication service the night before drew 7,500 participants, Graham said.
Evangelical Christians make up less than 2% of Belarus's population, according to BGEA. One volunteer at the event, identified only as Vlada, said believers in the country can feel isolated. The sight of thousands gathered from across denominational and geographic lines, she said, was itself a kind of confirmation. "I see how God will do something in Belarus," she said.
The BGEA account of Sunday's service described several individuals who responded to Graham's call to come forward for prayer, including a young Minsk woman named Alexandra who said she had struggled with anxiety, and another woman named Irina who said she had grown up in a Christian family but had never personally committed to faith. Both made their way to the front of the arena as Graham gave an altar call.
Graham noted the time as the crowd gathered near the stage. "It's 7:04," he told them. "Write that time down. God heard your prayer today."
On social media after the first night, Graham called on Christians worldwide to pray for Belarusians and credited Lukashenko for making the gatherings possible. "I'm so grateful to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for allowing the evangelical churches to gather on a national scale like this," he wrote.
