Closed Church Reopens for Easter to Face Attack

Facing repeated threats and attacks by militant Buddhists, a church in Wadduwa village in the Kalutara district of Sri Lanka was forced to sign a temporary agreement to close in December 2003. Local monks had gone to the police, claiming that the church was illegal. After being closed for three months, it was decided to reopen the church for services on Good Friday, despite concerns raised by local police about the risk of further attacks.

Such an attack came on Easter Sunday. While about one hundred Christians were gathered to celebrate Christ's resurrection, a mob of around thirty people, led by an influential Buddhist monk, Ven. Rahula of Bodhidhumaramaya, Talpitiya Wadduwa, disrupted the service. They broke the church windows with rocks and demanded that the Christians come out. According to an April 13 report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, when the worshippers came out of the building, they were slapped and beaten with sticks. About ten people were injured, including women and children.

The tranquil appearance of the resort town of Wadduwa masks the turmoil facing Christians

Though a complaint was made to the police, the pastor has been warned that it would not be in his own best interests to identify those responsible for the attack. A few arrests were made, but they were released with the consent of the pastor, who feared for the safety of himself and his members.

Pray for emotional and physical healing for those injured in this attack. Pray for the church in Wadduwa, as they deal with this incident as well as decisions about future services. Pray for believers in Sri Lanka as they face continuing acts of violence. On April 12, a group of unidentified persons attempted to destroy the home of a pastor in Mahaoya with homemade kerosene bombs. Thankfully no serious damage was done.

For more information on persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka, click here.