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India
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Christians Beaten, Church Burned by Militants
At approximately 12:00 p.m. on September 12, a Christian named Xaxa (52) was beaten by Hindu militants in Annuppur district, Madhya Pradesh. The militants had reportedly targeted him in an attempt to protest against the central government. One of the assailants was a man who attacked Xaxa in June after accusing him of running a school in order to convert people. Xaxa is reportedly suffering severe pain from the injuries he sustained.
On September 15, six Gospel for Asia (GFA) Bible college students were attacked by Hindu militants while distributing Christian literature and evangelizing in Gujarat. According to a September 17 GFA report, the militants accused the believers of trying to forcibly convert people to Christianity. Their literature was confiscated and burned. One of the students managed to escape during the attack in order to get help from GFA leaders. The remaining five were taken to the local police station but when the leaders arrived, they had been released without charge. None of the believers were severely injured.
On September 16, Pastor Virendra Singh (50) his wife Bhavana (45) and his daughter Rushali (14) were on their way to their church in the village of Bhadwadi when they were beaten by approximately 150 Hindu militants. The militants accused the family of forcibly converting people to Christianity. Both the pastor and his wife received minor injuries. The militants then went to Pastor Singh's church and burnt it to the ground. The 500-600 believers present fled the building. Bibles, religious books and musical instruments were destroyed. Prior to the incident, Pastor Singh had registered a report with the local police asking for protection because the militants had threatened to kill him.
Pray for healing for Xaxa. Pray that the Bible college students will be emboldened to continue spreading the gospel (Acts 4:29-31). Ask God to give safety and strength to Pastor Singh, his family and his congregation as they recover from the attack.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Christians Beaten by Militants
Pastor T. L. Angam Haokip (31), who runs an orphanage and a Bible college, was attacked by approximately thirty-five men on the morning of September 8 in the village of Geddalahalli, Bangalore. Pastor Haokip was driving when the men walked in front of his vehicle and forced him to stop. They asked him if he was a pastor and when he said "yes" they pulled him out on to the road. The men accused him of "ruining" the nation and beat him in front of several witnesses. They tried to crush his legs with boulders and also kicked him in the neck. Pastor Haokip received severe injuries to his back and chest and his jeep was destroyed. He tried to file a complaint at the local police station but it was rejected and he was told that a complaint had been registered against him for negligent driving.
On September 9, Pastor Sudhakar and four Christians visiting from Singapore were attacked by members of Hindu militant groups while leading a worship service at the Bethel Gospel Church in the village of Amberpet, Hyderabad. According to a report from the All India Christian Council, approximately three hundred believers were gathered when the militants forcibly entered the church building and began to shout curses against Christianity. The intruders beat Pastor Sudhakar with a rod and also beat the four visitors. Prior to the attack, the militants had filed a complaint at the local police station alleging that the pastor and the Singapore team were involved in forcible conversion activities.
Pray for healing for those injured in these attacks. Ask God to bless the ministry of these pastors and other Christian workers spreading the Gospel in India. Pray that the Lord will work in the lives of the persecutors and lead them to faith in Christ.
For more information on persecution in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Pastor Kidnapped and Beaten by Militants in Karnataka
In the past week, Pastor Mark Jaikumar (43) was twice kidnapped by militants in the village of Chelekere in Karnataka.At approximately 10:00 p.m. on August 22, the pastor was gagged and abducted from an orphanage by five Hindu militants. The assailants took him to a nearby garden where he was stripped, beaten and accused of converting orphans. The assailants tried to kill him by crushing his head with a large stone. They fled when they heard the sound of a motorbike, fearing that they had been followed. Pastor Jaikumar was hospitalized with internal injuries.
Three days later, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Pastor Jaikumar was kidnapped from the compound of his church, the Divine Gospel Church, by four men armed with knives. He saw the men sitting in a car with its engine running near the church gate and assumed they needed help. When he went over to offer his help, they forced him into the car and drove off, blindfolding him and confiscating his cell phone. The men cursed his Christian faith and talked of how they were going to kill him in order to put an end to his conversion activities. After driving around for five hours, the pastor’s blindfold was removed and he was forced onto a bus, accompanied by one of the men. When the bus stalled he was able to tell the driver of his situation and contact his family who helped to rescue him.
Thank the Lord for bringing Pastor Mark home to his wife and three young daughters. Ask God to give him physical and spiritual strength as he recovers from his injuries.
For more information on persecution in India, go to theIndia Country Report. Video reports on persecution in India are also available at www.vomcanada.com.
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Attacks Against Christians Continue in India
The Voice of the Martyrs received several reports of attacks on Christians in India over the past week.On August 25, Pastor Heeralal Kushwaha (27) was beaten by Hindu militants on accusations of converting people in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. When two local Christians tried to interfere, the militants threatened to kill them and the pastor with a pistol. Pastor Kushwaha has since left the area in fear of further attacks.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on August 26, a church service was disrupted by members of the Bajrang Dal Hindu militant group and local police following a series of baptisms in Chhattisgarh. All fifty-two church members were summoned to the station for interrogation. Forty of them were allowed to leave at 4:00 p.m. but twelve were detained for further investigation. The militants then hired people to falsely testify against two of the church members, Pastor S.D. Patel (65) and Neeraj Martin (35). Both men were placed in police custody and their application for bail was rejected on
August 27.On August 26, Pastor Emmanuel Venketesh (38) and three believers were beaten and injured by approximately twenty Hindu militants who disrupted a prayer service and accused the Christians of converting people in Kolar district, Karnataka. The pastor and another believer were stabbed and a female believer received injuries on her leg and face.
Ask God to give healing to those injured in these attacks. Pray that the two detained Christians in Chhattisgarh will be released. Pray that Indian Christians will rejoice in the opportunity to grow in Christlikeness through the ongoing opposition to their faith (James 1:2-4).
For more information on the persecution facing India's Christians,click here.
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Christians Beaten and Detained
On August 21, eighteen members of the Davangere Full Gospel Church along with some Bible school students were attacked by approximately fifty Hindu militants while picnicking near Kunduwada Lake, Karnataka. Five believers sustained serious injuries. The militants dragged the Christians to the local police station and lodged a complaint against them for allegedly converting people. The police detained ten of the believers for questioning. At last report, they were still in custody.
Kunduwada LakePray that the believers will display the love of Christ to their Hindu neighbours and trust God for justice (Romans 12:17-21). Ask God to give healing to those injured. Pray that those detained will soon be released. Pray for wisdom for Indian Christians, as they continue to minister under repressive conditions.
For more information on persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Church Building Vandalized and Christians Beaten
Pastor Thomas Koshy (36) has been living in Yelahanka, Karnataka with his wife Elcy (32) and children Tincy (8) and Jason (2) for the past five years. Since 2004, he has also been pastoring a church in the community. On August 18, Hindu militants came to his house and threatened to burn him and his wife to death unless Koshy stopped holding services in the community.
The next day, as believers were gathering to worship, militants forced their way into the church building. They locked the doors and beat several of the believers who had gathered. The attackers then forced the believers outside, painted Hindu symbols on the building and held a Hindu worship ceremony in the building. At last report, Pastor Koshy has been unable to return to his home and is staying with friends for his protection.
Pray for protection for the believers in Yelahanka. Pray for healing for those injured. Pray that the Christians will be a testimony of the love and grace of Jesus Christ in the face of opposition.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Evangelists Threatened, Accused of Forcible Conversion
A team of evangelists was threatened by Hindu militants while distributing Christian literature to children in the town of Nagarkurnool, Andhra Pradesh on August 8, according to a report from the All India Christian Council. Four women, along with Pastor Joseph and a few church members of the Mennonite Brethren Assembly, had stopped at a local restaurant when they were surrounded by children from a nearby school who asked them for tracts and books. The militants approached the Christians and threatened to beat them if they did not leave. The Christians left the town but later returned in order to interact with the children and other local people. The militants then alerted the local media about the incident. The media photographed the team and published false reports that claimed the Christians were forcibly converting people.Pray that these Christians will remain steadfast in the work the Lord has given them (1 Corinthians 15:58). Ask God to thwart the militants' efforts to slander and intimidate. Pray for the provision of Bibles and other Christian literature to reach areas in India where they are in the shortest supply. (Psalm 119:42-43).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Women Beaten by Neighbours for Evangelization
At approximately 10:00 a.m. on August 14, Uma Jasmine (38) was beaten by the next-door neighbours of a local family that she had been witnessing to for the past few months in Bangalore. The neighbours saw that the wife of this family had started to pray and read the Bible and were angry at Jasmine for sharing her faith. When Jasmine and her seventeen year old daughter went to visit the wife, the neighbours severely beat them. Jasmine is currently suffering from breast cancer and her heath has worsened as a result of her injuries.
Uma Jasmine with her daughter
Photo fromGCICThank the Lord for Uma's boldness in proclaiming His Word in an environment of opposition. Pray that her faithfulness will be a light that draws her persecutors to Christ (Matthew 5:14-16). Ask God to give healing to her and her daughter.
For more information on persecution in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Pastor and Church Members Beaten by Militants
Pastor Babula Changra Paik, another church leader and an elderly man were beaten by approximately fifty Hindu militants during a Sunday morning church worship service at a house church in the city of Bhilai, Chhattisgarh on August 5. Church property was damaged and Bibles were torn during the attack. The militants were angered by Pastor Paik's alleged involvement in forcible conversion activities. Pastor Paik denied these accusations and insisted that he only conducts worship services for local Christians.Pray for healing for these three Christians. Pray that they will trust God to enable them to proclaim the Gospel even while suffering (2 Timothy 4:16-18). Pray that those who accuse Pastor Paik of forcible conversion will be silenced.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
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Christian Beaten and Stoned to Death
Pastor Paul Chinnaswamy
Photo: Global Council of Indian ChristiansA Christian named Amos was killed in the Hosu District, Tamil Nadu on July 29. Two men arrived at Amos' house and interrogated him and his family about his brother, Pastor Paul Chinnaswamy. Amos' wife and mother-in-law told the men that Amos was a Christian and confirmed that he was Pastor Chinnasamy's elder brother. The men then beat Amos with a club and threatened to kill the three small children present if the women did not throw stones at him. Fearing the men, the woman complied.
Pray for comfort for those who mourn the loss of Amos. Pray that Christ will be exalted through this tragedy and that people in India will come to know Him as Lord (Philippians 1:20).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, go to theIndia Country Report.
