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India

• Two Pastors Stripped, Beaten and Arrested

  According to a November 29 report from Compass Direct, two pastors, C.J. Joemon and C.J. Jojo, and another believer, G. Anil, were stripped, tied to a pole and beaten after a worship service at the Christ Vision Church was raided in the Hassan district of Karnataka on November 25. When police arrived several hours later, they took the Christians to the police station and charged the pastors with forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. The Christians have reportedly refused to press charges, saying that they have forgiven their attackers.

  Pray for a full recovery for those injured in this attack. Pray for endurance to stand firm, despite the opposition. Pray for the continued ministry of Christ's Church in India. Pray for Christian converts throughout India who are facing pressure to renounce their faith in Christ.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Church Building Demolished, Young Man Killed

  Hindu militants beat a pastor and others and demolished a house church in Mandwa village, Chhattisgarh on November 19. According to a November 27 report by Compass Direct, members of the Bajrang Dal, together with local villagers, surrounded the church, tied up Pastor Suduru Kashyap and his associates and severely beat them. The church building was also destroyed. Reports indicate that they tried to kill Pastor Suduru by throwing a large stone at his head.

  The pastor and his associates went to the local police station where they were detained for twenty-four hours without food and water. They were finally released without an official complaint being registered.

  The following day, the body of 21-year-old Aayatu Kashyap, a distant relative of the church's pastor, was found fifteen kilometres from the village. The police superintendent claims that the killing was a separate incident but told Compass Direct that villagers were angry with the pastor because he used to criticize other gods.

  Pray for the family of Aayatu Kashyap as they mourn his death. Pray for a full recovery of those injured in this attack. Pray for the continued ministry of this church despite the on-going opposition they face.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Police Officer Part of Attack on a Church

  

  Pastor Siddarama Gokhavi (60) and six other Christians were beaten by Bajrang Dal activists who attacked them as they were worshiping in Ananda Nagara, Karnataka on November 18. The attackers vandalized the building, burned Bibles and chanted slogans against Christians. The militants included a senior police officer. Pastor Gokhavi and his wife, Rekha, were injured in the attack, along with five others. The attackers accused the Christians of coercing Hindus into becoming Christians.

  Praise God that there were no serious injuries in the attack. Pray that those responsible for the attack will come to recognize the love and grace of God and turn to Him in faith. Pray for the continued ministry of this house church.

  For more information on the persecution of Chrsitians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Church Building Destroyed and Pastor Beaten in Chhattisgarh State

  On the evening of November 19, Hindu militants attacked a church at Manduwa in Chhattisgarh State, India, tied up and beat the pastor into unconsciousness and burned down a recently constructed church building. There are no reports on the present condition of Pastor Sudharu. The Hindus accused the church of being involved in the conversion of tribals in the region. According to reports, missionaries in this remote area face regular threats from Hindu militants.

  Pray for the continued witness of this church. Pray for healing for Pastor Sudharu as he recuperates from the assault.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Christians Beaten by Militants

  On the morning of November 4, six Christians, including Pastor Vishnu Barad and his wife, were beaten by Hindu militants in the Thane district of Maharastra. The believers were reportedly targeted for attending prayer meetings in the area. Pastor Barad was detained when he went to the local police station to register a complaint against the militants.

  On November 10, a group of approximately fifty Hindu militants attacked Pastor P.C. Nayak of the Believers Church in the city of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, local villagers called Pastor Nayak to a meeting regarding the construction of a church building. When he arrived at the construction site the militants beat him. He was hospitalized with internal injuries.

  Pray that Pastor Barad will be released. Pray for healing for those injured in these attacks. Pray that Christians in India will maintain the attitude of Christ and respond to their persecutors with love and grace (Matthew 5:43-44).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Violence against Christians Continues in India

  The Voice of Martyrs has received several reports of violence against Christians in India in the last week, including the following:

  On the afternoon of October 27, evangelist Phiroj Lima (28) was beaten by a group of approximately thirty Hindu militants while distributing tracts and visiting with patients at the Bhadrak Government Hospital in Bhubanseswar, Orissa. The militants beat Lima for two hours, confiscated his gospel tracts and threatened to kill him. They then gathered the relatives of the patients together and told them that Lima was forcibly converting patients to Christianity. The militants called the police who took Lima into custody. He was detained at the local police station for nearly three hours before being released.

  On October 28, Hindu militants attacked a Christian farmer, Bharat Bhai, and his family in Ambapani village, Gujarat, according the Evangelical Fellowship of India. The militants beat Bhai and told his family that they would be killed if they continued to go to church and serve Christ. Later that day, the militants went a local church and threatened the pastor and his congregation that they would be killed if they kept holding services in the building.

  On November 2, Hindu militants disrupted a prayer service and beat and injured thirteen believers present in the village of Timnar, Chhattisgarh. The militants also stole jewelry, food and other possessions from the believers. Two days later, Hindu militants attacked several of the same believers again.

  Ask God to enable these Christians to respond to their persecutors with love and grace. Pray for healing for those injured. Pray that the gospel will continue to go forth in India, despite threats and acts of violence against God's messengers (Acts 4:29-21).

  For more information on persecution ofChristians in India, go to theIndia Country Report. To view videos on the situation of Indian Christians, go to www.vomcanada.com. The January edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will feature the testimony of a Hindu militant whose life was changed by the power of Christ. Make sure to receive your copy by subscribing to our free newsletter today.

• Five Nuns Beaten by Militants in Madhya Pradesh

  Sisters of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation Photo fromGCIC

  Five sisters of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC)--Jincy (40), Sayujia (27), Pavitra (26), Sweta (26) and Anna Maria (27)--were beaten by twenty Hindu militants in the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh on October 25. At approximately 8.30 p.m. the militants surrounded the house of a local believer, where the nuns were attending a prayer meeting, and accused the nuns of forcibly converting local Hindus to Christianity. When the meeting was over, the militants attacked the nuns and were stopped only when police arrived and took the women to safety. All five were injured and Sister Jincy is in serious condition due to the head injuries she sustained in the attack.

  Pray for healing for these five faithful believers. Pray that they will take comfort in the fact that God commends those who suffer for doing His work (1 Peter 2:20-21). Pray that Christians in India will not give in to fear but rest in the fact that the Good Shepherd walks with them through their trials.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Militants Disrupt Prayer Service, Beat Believers

  Pastor Victor Periera was beaten by Hindu militants and a group of local villagers who were angered by his organizing of prayer meetings that were attended by Hindu tribals in the Thane district of Maharashtra state on October 23. Pastor Periera was conducting a prayer service at a local church when the attackers barged into the building. The militants shouted curses against the Christian faith and beat the pastor along with several other believers present. Pastor Periera's rib was broken in the attack.

  Ask God to give healing to Pastor Periera. Pray that he and his congregation will abandon all glory for themselves and embrace the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (Phil. 3:7-10). Pray that nonbelievers in India will come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Pastors Beaten and Detained The Voice of the Martyrs has received several reports of attacks on Christian pastors in India in recent weeks.

  On the morning of October 11, Pastor Ganesh Murthy (42) was attacked by two Hindu militants along with fifteen men while he was distributing literature and praying for local people in the village of Rampura, Karnataka. The militants verbally abused him, beat him and dragged him to the local police station where he was detained on charges of forcible conversion. The militants also tried to forcibly convert Pastor Murthy to Hinduism by promising to meet the financial needs of his wife and three children if he complied. However, the pastor refused the offer and stood firm in his faith.

  Pastor Joseph Thadikal Photo fromGCIC

  At approximately 2:30 a.m. on October 14, Pastor Joseph Thadikal (58) and his wife, Ammini, were attacked in their home by two Hindu militants in the Vayandu district of Kerala. Both sustained serious head injuries. Pastor Thadikal, who pastors the local New Indian Bible Church, has been living and working in the area for ten years. He has twice received threats from militants who oppose his Christian work.

  Thank the Lord for the boldness of faith of these believers amidst intense persecution and pressure. Pray that their passion for Christ will be a light that draws others to Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16). Pray for healing for Pastor Joseph and his wife. Pray that Pastor Ganesh will be released.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.

• Christian Worker Martyred

  Ajay Topno and his family Photo fromCompass Direct

  Ajay Topno, a missionary with a Christian media organization, was shot and killed in the Ranchi district of Jharkland state on September 19 for converting three tribal families to Christianity, according to a September 28 report from Compass Direct. Local Christians reported that villagers had been angered by the recent conversion of these families to Christianity. On September 11, the villagers drove the families from their homes. Then, after a meeting on September 14, the villagers forcibly "reconverted" the families to Hinduism and then arranged for a local criminal to murder Topno. Topno went missing from his home on September 16. His body was found in a jungle near the village of Sahoda three days later.

  Thank the Lord for Ajay's life as a cross-bearing disciple of Christ. Ask God to comfort those who mourn for him. Pray that Indian Christians will be emboldened to follow in their Saviour's footsteps and remain faithful to Him at all cost (1 Corinthians 4:9-14, 16).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.