On August 16, 2025, Seventh-day Adventists in Belarus commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Adventist message first reaching the Polesie region.

Celebrations took place in the town of Fedory and the nearby village of Ovsemirovo, where more than 500 church members, leaders, and guests gathered to honor a century of faith and ministry.

Adventism was introduced to Polesie in the 1920s through the work of missionaries and literature evangelists. Villages such as Knubovo, Ostrov, Fedory, Morozovichi, Ovsemirovo, Zholkino, Kolodnoye, Gorodnaya, Radchitsk, and Glinka became centers of early activity.

In the summer of 1925, four people were baptized in Fedory, and later that year, on October 13, 1925, a congregation was formally organized after 26 new members joined.

Celebrations in Fedory

The anniversary events began with a morning worship service in the Fedory congregation. The local choir, joined by members from Pinsk, performed traditional hymns, while children, youth, and the Belarus Union Conference orchestra also participated.

Mikhail Fomich Kaminsky, president of the Euro-Asia Division (ESD) of the Adventist Church, delivered a sermon. Local authorities, including the chairman of the Fedory village council, the school principal, and the deputy chairman of the Stolin district executive committee, attended and expressed appreciation for the church’s contributions to community life.

Former pastors of the congregation shared memories of their ministry, and prayers were offered for veteran members who passed on their faith through generations. Following the service, participants enjoyed a fellowship meal and a musical concert.

Celebrations in Ovsemirovo

The commemoration continued in Ovsemirovo with an evening service held in a large tent on the church grounds. The program featured Adventist hymns performed by local members and their families, as well as by ministers who were born in the village.

Ivan Ilyich Velgosha, secretary of the ESD, preached the main sermon. Local officials, including Radchitsky village council chair Natalia Yakovlevna Pashkevich, also attended and praised the event as uplifting and memorable.

Residents of Ovsemirovo were invited to participate and received gift packages prepared by Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) volunteers. Konstantin Valdemarovich Yuferov, president of the Adventist Church in Belarus, offered a prayer of blessing for the community. The day concluded with a film highlighting the 100-year history of the Adventist message in Fedory and Ovsemirovo.

Today, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Euro-Asia, which includes Belarus along with several other countries across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, has more than 100,000 members worshiping in over 2,000 congregations. In Belarus, Adventists remain an active faith community, continuing the legacy that began in Polesie a century ago by combining spiritual life with community service and outreach.

The original article was published on the Euro-Asia Division Russian news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.