Church Building Converted to Hindu Temple

Pastor Bhatti

Pastor's home converted into a Hindu temple
Pictures courtesy of Gospel for Asia
The November 16 Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on sixty Christians in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh who were under death threats if they did not reconvert to Hinduism (click here for more information).  According to a December 12 report from Gospel for Asia, the home of Pastor Ramesh Masih Bhatti, where the church was meeting, has been taken over by area Hindus and converted into a Hindu temple.  A Hindu god has been placed at the doorway and Bhatti has been forced to take his family from the home where they had lived for twenty-five years and move in with relatives.  Local officials appear to have sided with the militants who drove the family from their home.  A militant leader in the area has reportedly announced a campaign to move throughout the area villages forcing Christians to reconvert to Hinduism.

(Source: ASSIST News Service)

India Information

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    VOMC assists persecuted Christians with legal support and rehabilitation assistance, and cares for children of martyrs by providing them with a safe place to be nurtured physical and spiritually. VOMC also partners to equip Christians in India with Biblical training and works to strengthen and support marginalized and persecuted Christian women. Additionally, VOMC helps to provide medical assistance to believers who have faced injuries after being attacked.”

    Project Funds: Families of Martyrs, Equipping the Saints, Legal Defense, Relief and Development, Women’s Ministry, Medical Fund

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,399,179,585 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Indo-Aryan (72), Dravidian (25), other (3)

    Religion (%)
    Hinduism (79.8), Muslim (14.2), Christianity (2.3), Sikh (1.7), other (2)

    Leader
    President Droupadi Murmu (2022)

    Government type
    Federal parliamentary republic

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    Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.

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India News

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    A pastor and several members of his church were physically attacked on September 8th when Hindu nationalists raided a worship service in Bhubaneswar, Odisha State. The Christians were accused of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity.

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  • Family of Deceased Pastor Forcibly Converted to Hinduism
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    Pastor Manju, an outspoken leader and prominent advocate for Christian rights in India, pastored churches in two different villages within Chhattisgarh State. Sadly, Pastor Manju suffered a heart attack on August 28th and suddenly passed away, leaving his surviving wife, daughter and two sons grief-stricken and in a state of shock.

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  • Concerns of Imminent Violence in Odisha
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    Photo: All India Christian Council (cc)

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