A pastor and his wife were attacked in Deniyaya, Sri Lanka, while returning home after visiting a church member. A large mob of around 40 men, accompanied by five Buddhist monks and the assistant secretary of the local government authority, approached the pastor and his wife shouting, "attack them," "kill them." The pastor was then assaulted and accused of spreading Christianity in the area.
The pastor and his wife were then forcibly dragged to the home they had visited and the mob shouted at the lady of the house asking how much she was paid to convert to Christianity. She replied that she had become a Christian based on conviction and was not paid to do so. The pastor was once again assaulted but managed to escape with his wife. The pastor suffered injuries to his legs and body in the incident.
Pray the Lord will completely heal and restore the pastor and his wife. Pray for their protection and pray their faith will be strengthened so they can continue with their ministry. Pray for the perpetrators.
To learn more about the trials our brothers and sisters face in Sri Lanka, visit 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.
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 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (2019)
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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Andreas Schwarzkopf (cc)
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Ask God to make His comforting presence known to Sri Lankan believers. Photo: VOMC
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A pastor and his wife were attacked in Deniyaya, Sri Lanka, while returning home after visiting a church member. A large mob of around 40 men, accompanied by five Buddhist monks and the assistant secretary of the local government authority, approached the pastor and his wife shouting, "attack them," "kill them." The pastor was then assaulted and accused of spreading Christianity in the area.
