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Pastor Bashir Masih Photo from GCIC |
Pray for strength and endurance for Pastor Bashir, his family and his congregation. Pray that those opposing the message of Christ will come to trust the God of the Bible.
For more information on persecution in India, go to the India Country Report.
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
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
Legal system
Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Despite the intimidation and violence that have taken place in many of India's states, may Christians wisely yet unashamedly preach the Gospel. Pray that indigenous Christians and foreign missionaries will minister in ways that do not hint at fraudulent conversions, unmasking the intentions behind the anti-conversion legislation. Intercede for India's leaders, that they may reign with justice and righteousness.
A Christian evangelistic team was brutally attacked in early January near the village of Korrakudu in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Not only were several believers injured during the ambush, the minibus they had been travelling in was also destroyed.
A 60-year-old pastor and his son, along with seven other Christians, have been arrested on allegations of conducting coerced conversions. The arrests took place after members of the militant nationalist group, Bajrang Dal, staged a protest outside a church building in the Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
Anti-conversion laws in various states still present major challenges for Christians in this South Asian country. While many accusations have little to do with actual religious conversions, these laws are often used to shut down churches or punish individual believers. Additionally, such allegations frequently incite mob violence.
A ruling issued on October 17th by India's Supreme Court has brought relief to several believers in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The court reviewed multiple cases filed against Christians under the state's anti-conversion law and ultimately dismissed all charges, stating that "the criminal law cannot be allowed to be made a tool of harassment of innocent persons."
