On January 22, the Assembly of God Church in the village of Bolatha (Bolaththa), Gampaha District, Sri Lanka was threatened by a Buddhist mob and told to stop holding services (click here for more information). Under duress, the pastor agreed on February 6 to hold services only for local Christians and not for those from surrounding villages. The following Sunday, February 12, fifteen people gathered outside the church gates and questioned each person as to where they were from. Anyone from a village other than Bolatha was chased away. The pastor was summoned to the police station where he clarified that the previous agreement had been obtained under pressure. He stated that, in Sri Lanka, any person has a right to worship at a church or temple of his choice. He could not, therefore, ask congregation members to stay away.
Though they faced threats of violence, the church was determined to hold services on February 19. The attendance was small, as about 20 members stayed away for fear of reprisals but some Christians from other villages attended the service. There were no reports of trouble.
Thank God for these believers' boldness in not being intimidated by the threats they received. Pray that they will continue to be bold in their witness for Christ and gentle in their approach toward those who made the threats. Pray for those who stayed away in fear. Pray that they will allow Christ to rule in their lives and not fear (1 Peter 3:13-17).
For more information on the persecution facing Sri Lankan Christians, click here. Video reports from Sri Lanka are available on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.
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