On the morning of December 3rd, police entered the Assembly of God church in the town of Makola, which is located near the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. The officer in charge questioned whether the service was being conducted legally. Since the believers were in the middle of a worship service, the pastor agreed to report to the police station the next morning.
The next day, police questioned the pastor and his landlord. Although the church leader was told to stop holding church services in his rental home, he refused to comply. One of the officers then stated that the place of worship needed to be registered with the government in order to continue operating. The police also ordered the landlord to no longer allow the pastor to use the house for hosting Christian gatherings.
The pastor has been given six months to vacate the premises. He also signed a police statement asserting that he will continue hosting worship services during that time. The church is having difficulties finding another location for a couple reasons: 1) since there are more than 100 people regularly attending the services, they will need a sizeable space, and 2) some landlords in the area are not willing to let the believers use their facilities as a meeting place for the church. More reports on the challenges facing our Christian brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka are available at our country report.
Pray that the members of this church will be able to find a suitable meeting facility where they can worship together peacefully without any further opposition. In the meantime, may their Godly lives and daily interactions with those around them serve as testimonies of God's love, grace and peace. As the Holy Spirit works in and through the situation – and within the hearts of the opposing authorities – may all the barriers that have been raised in this South Asian nation be removed, so these Christians and many others can faithfully and freely spread the hope of the Gospel.
Population
