Pastor Killed in Ampara

Sri Lanka mapPastor Neil Edirisinghe (37) of the House Church Foundation was gunned down by two assailants outside his house in Ampara, Sri Lanka on February 17, according to a report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL). Pastor Edirisinghe was engaged in the Lord's ministry in Ampara for many years. The attackers also shot his wife Shiromi (31) in the stomach. At last report, she was in the hospital in critical condition. Their two-year-old son who received a minor injury in the attack is also suffering from trauma. Information received by NCEASL indicated that the murder of the pastor was a contract killing done by people angry with his gospel ministry, which had led to the conversion of a prominent local person. The police have arrested four people, including two members of an auxiliary force and a businessman, in connection with the murder.

Pray for the Lord's peace and comfort for Pastor Edirisinghe's family (2 Cor. 1:4-7). Pray for the recovery of his wife and child. Pray that they will know the Lord as their Father.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka, go to the Sri Lanka Country Report. 

  • Current Ministry Projects

    VOMC supports persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka as they witness for Christ in hostile environments through Biblical training, legal aid, and advocacy, as well as rehabilitation and emergency assistance.

    Project Funds: Equipping the Saints, Legal Defence, Relief & Development, Families of Martyrs

  • Country Information

    Population
    23,326,272 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Sinhalese (74.9), Sri Lankan Tamil (11.2), Sri Lankan Moors (9.2), Indian Tamil (4.2), other (0.5)

    Religion (%)
    Buddhism (70.2), Hinduism (12.6), Islam (9.7), Roman Catholic (6.1), Evangelical Christianity (2.0)

    Leader
    Ranil Wickremesinghe (July 2022)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Sri Lanka

    Let's unite our hearts in prayer for those in Sri Lanka who are being persecuted for their faith, thanking God for what He is accomplishing despite the opposition. Ask that His people will be encouraged, strengthened and equipped by the promises of the Bible – the Sword of the Spirit – knowing that He is watching over His Word to perform it (Ephesians 6:17; Jeremiah 1:12). May they not only overcome the strategies of the enemy, but also serve as effective witnesses to those in need of eternal salvation and deliverance from spiritual captivity.

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Sri Lanka News

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    Photo: VOMC

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  • Pastor Arrested for Controversial Remarks
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    Pastor Jerome Fernando is the leader of the Glorious Church in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. Along with his regular church ministry role, he also holds evangelistic meetings in various areas of the world. As a prominent religious leader, his messages are heard by many online, as well as by those attending his speaking engagements in person.

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    Photo: VOMC

    As the pastor of the Good Shepherd Church in the Polonnaruwa district of Sri Lanka seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ to the members of his community, part of his ministry includes overseeing a drug rehabilitation centre in the local village. According to a recent report, a Christian man working at the centre was attacked on June 16th by two opposing villagers, resulting in abrasions on his neck. The perpetrators also threatened to "break the church."

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