Lukashenko appreciates social work of Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in Belarus

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko highly appreciated the social work of the United Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in Belarus. He said this at a meeting with representatives of confessions, BELTA reports.

"Thank you very much. I know what efforts you are making to combat this evil - drug addiction. Thank you for paying great attention to large families. And you talk a lot about the family, and your clergy and your believers set an example in this. I know about this, and these are good, specific actions aimed at improving the atmosphere in our society," the head of state said in response to the speech of Bishop Leonid Biryuk of the Republican Religious Association "United Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in the Republic of Belarus".

The bishop recalled the thesis once said by the President that any citizen of Belarus has the right to find his way to his church: "And we are very grateful to you that you are fully implementing your words."

Leonid Biryuk said that the United Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith pays special attention to social work, and first of all among people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs. "At the moment, we have 15 rehabilitation centers. This is a year and a half of inpatient rehabilitation, where addicted people stay. And we have good results. About 75% of people do not return to addiction. We do this not as an alternative to government services, but on the contrary - in close cooperation. We understand that this is a common cause so that these people become worthy citizens of their country," he said.

The Church also teaches believers patriotism and hard work. "Our doctrine contains the following words: a Christian is called to love his country, everything that makes it up - the people, the culture, the history and everything that is interconnected with this. We also know your demands regarding the need for discipline and responsibility of each person in their workplace. We understand that this is truly the key to the prosperity of our country. We also rely on the Gospel teaching. The Apostle Paul himself said: "Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord."

The bishop especially noted the great efforts of the state aimed at maintaining peace, including interfaith peace. "Respect should be the basis for us. We always pray for peace," he said.

Leonid Biryuk also drew attention to the fact that among the parishioners there are many representatives of large families, and in this regard, the state policy aimed at supporting and promoting family values is very dear to them.