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India

  • Native Missionary Severely Beaten On the morning of November 19 Budhudas, a Gospel for Asia missionary, was severely beaten by a mob opposed to his ministry.  The mob beat and kicked him while others ransacked his home, burning over 200 New Testaments and other literature, including his son's schoolbooks.  They also stole money found in the home.

    According to Gospel for Asia , the son of a local police official intervened but was also beaten.  Finally the police official was able to stop the beatings but was forced to ask Budhudas to leave the village immediately.  Budhudas has fled for safety, along with his wife and children.

    Pray for healing for those injured in this attack.  Pray for the continued ministry of Budhudas and other Christian workers spreading the Gospel in India .  Pray for those who participated in this attack, that the Lord will work in their lives, leading them to faith in Christ.

    For more information on persecution in India ,click here.
  • Five Christians Face Trial for ''Wounding Religious Feelings''

    On October 21, Abhiram Dhala, a local Christian convert, and four companions from Mumbai, Pastor Karl Silva, Roshan D'Souza, Ganesh Wankhede and Ramesh Thawar Chandwa, traveled to Suliapada in the Baripada district of Orissa, to address a Christian gathering and distribute Christian literature. Baripeda district is in the tribal belt of Mayurbhanj, Orissa.

    According to a November 2 release by Compass Direct, local police arrested the five Christians later that day, after a student lodged a complaint against them claiming that they had insulted him when he asked them to stop preaching near a shrine dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. The five were charged under Sections 294, 295(a), 298, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Charges included "uttering obscene words in a public place," "uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of others," and "issuing threats or criminal intimidation to several persons." While the sub-divisional Balipada court rejected an appeal for bail on October 22 and sentenced the five to police custody, the five were released on October 28, after a Sessions Court granted bail.

    Pastor Karl Silva, one of the accused, told UCA News, "The case is fabricated. We were at least one kilometre away from the Puja Pandal [shrine] in an open square, and we were simply sharing the love of God…. When we felt a section of the people could turn violent, we went to the police station, hoping we would be protected by the police, but the police turned against us. They didn't even allow us to make a phone call. On the contrary, one of the policemen abused us."

    Their lawyer, Pratap Chhinchani, contends that this complaint is a deliberate attempt to malign Christians. He told Compass Direct that the student complained that the preachers had used abusive language and threatened to kill him when he asked to refrain from preaching near the shrine. Chhinchani pointed out that the preachers did not even know the local tribal language and could not have used the obscene and abusive language that they are being accused of.

    Father Dibakar Parichha, a Catholic priest in Bhubaneswar, told UCA News he believed the complaint was part of a hate campaign of Hindu extremist groups against Christians. The World Hindu Council (VHP) has been aggressively carrying out a "reconversion" drive in Orissa unhindered by local authorities. Local Christians reject the term "reconversion" as many of the tribal people were traditionally animist before turning to Christianity. However, Indian law categorizes all tribal peoples as Hindu, placing them at the lower level of the Hindu caste system.

    Pray for these five men as they prepare for their trial on these false charges. Pray that local Christians will remain faithful to Christ in the face of relentless pressure by the VHP.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Kidnapped Pastor Released

    The October 6 Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the kidnapping of two pastors in India, one of whom escaped (click here for details). Gospel for Asia has since reported that the remaining pastor, Tulsiram, was released on October 6, after being kept in an unknown location and beaten.

    Continue to pray for Pastor Tulsiram, that he will completely recover from his injuries. Pray for the continued outreach into the village of Chhattisgarh and throughout India.

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in India, click here.
  • Reconverted to Hinduism After Death

    "It is ridiculous that an attempt was made to convert a dead man back to Hinduism," said Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. However, that is what villagers in the Indian village of Gurandi, Orissa attempted to do last week. According to an October 12 report from Compass Direct, the incident began on October 4, after Bala Tulasiga, a 35-year-old Catholic convert from Hinduism, was buried in the only cemetery in the area, a Hindu one. Although Christians had been buried there in the past, the district leader of the militant Hindu organization, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), organized a protest. As a result, Tulasiga's family was compelled to dig up his body. The body then went through a re-conversion ceremony before being re-buried using Hindu burial rites. Tulasiga's wife, mother and brother were also reportedly reconverted to Hinduism at the time.


    Hindu Re-Conversion Ceremony 

    The local police claims to have received letters from the family stating that they reconverted of their own free will. However, Christian leaders believe the family was forced to convert through pressure from other villagers.

    Pray for strength for Christians in Gurandi and other areas of India where pressure to return to Hinduism is strong. Pray for the family members who went through the reconversion ceremony, that Christ will speak to them and draw them back to Himself.

    For more information on the challenges facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Pastors Beaten and Kidnapped As They Prepare for Baptism


    Photos fromGospel for Asia

    On October 5, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastors Tulsiram and Vijay were preparing to baptize thirty-two new believers in Chhattisgarh, India when they were severely beaten and kidnapped. According to a report from GFA, Pastor Vijay was able to escape and ran almost twenty-five miles to tell the GFA district leader what happened. At last report, there is no information on the whereabouts of Pastor Tulsiram.

    Pray for the safe release of Pastor Tulsiram and physical strength and healing for both men. Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel in India, despite the attempts to hinder and stop the ministry.

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Missionaries of Charity Attacked

    Nine missionaries working with a Catholic order known for their work with those most desperately in need in India were attacked and injured on Saturday, September 25. The attacks began as two missionaries visited a slum area on the outskirts of Kozhikode. According to news reports, they were dragged from their jeep and the crosses around their necks were broken. They managed to escape and took refuge in a police station after the people living in the slum intervened on their behalf.

    An hour later, as the Mother Superior and six others arrived in a jeep to assist those attacked, they were likewise surrounded by a group of around forty, wielding iron rods. Shouting "Long Live BJP," "Long Live the RSS" and other pro-Hindu nationalist slogans, the mob assaulted the missionaries. Both the BJP, the opposition nationalist party, and the RSS, its parent organization, are known for their pro-Hindu practices and policies.

    None of the injuries was life-threatening, but the authorities are taking this situation very seriously. The Missionaries of Charity, best known because of their founder, Mother Teresa, have refused to file a report, saying they are called to forgive. The assailants are reported to be young adults opposed to the work of Christians in the country. At last report, four of the attackers have been identified by police.

    Pray for those involved in the attack, that they will see the love and mercy of God and will repent and come to trust in Christ. Pray for a full recovery for those attacked.

    For more information on difficulties facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Suspected Killer of Priest Arrested, Cover-up Suspected

    On September 8, we reported on the murder of Father Job Chittilappilly (view the story). According to Zenit, Reghu Kamar, 25, has confessed to the murder, saying he feared that Father Chittilappilly would convert Hindus to Christianity. Kamar also apparently wanted to revive a Hindu temple close to the church, Our Lady of Grace, where the priest served. The Hindu temple had been closed for twenty years. According to local beliefs, a Hindu priest had been killed twenty-five years earlier and the temple would only be restored by offering the blood of another priest.

    Local Christians are not convinced that Kamar had acted alone and are suspecting a police cover-up. Pray for peace in the community and a resolution to this murder.

    For more information on difficulties facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Kidnapped Christians Released

    On September 9, a request was sent out asking for prayer for three men kidnapped and threatened with death. In what Gospel for Asia is calling a "miraculous turn of events," all three men have been unexpectedly released. Thank you to each one who prayed for their release. Continue to pray for these men, as they recover from this incident.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.
  • GFA Missionaries Held Hostage To Be Killed Within 48 Hours

    The Voice of the Martyrs has received the following news release from Gospel for Asia and is forwarding it to you for your prayers.

    Anti-Christian elements in Bihar have captured, severely beaten and are threatening to kill GFA native missionary Pastor Manrathan and his wife. GFA Bible woman Sarita is also being held hostage.

    An anti-Christian mob from six villages holds the Gospel workers tied to a sacred tree, demanding 25,000 rupees as a ransom for desecrating their village with the Gospel. If the exorbitant amount is not received within 48 hours, they plan to kill the missionaries as a sacrifice to their deities. There are no police in the isolated area to intervene. GFA leaders are fervently praying for wisdom on how they can best help the situation.

    The anti-Christian group spearheading the incident is the same one that burned missionary Graham Staines and his two children alive in Orissa several years ago. In recent years a number of GFA missionaries serving in their native India have been brutally murdered for sharing their faith as well.

    Pastor Manrathanss village has proven extremely dangerous for Christian workers, yet God has blessed his courage and commitment. They recently planted a church in this remote area of North India. A few weeks ago, Pastor Manrathan held a service where new believers publicly proclaimed their Christian faith. It was a significant time for the congregation. One new believer, a tribal person, renounced his old faith publicly by turning away from everything else to believe in God.

    This act was brought to the attention of the whole village by his neighbors, who objected to his conversion. In no time, the news of this event spread to six surrounding villages. Soon a large mob descended on the small congregation of new believers and began to beat them. Pastor Manrathan, his wife and Sarita were taken from the church, beaten mercilessly and tied to a tree. No one was allowed to leave the village, to prevent others from hearing of the beatings. Only yesterday, one of the believers escaped with the news.

    Your urgent prayers for the lives of these missionaries are needed. Pray the Lord will give them strength and that His presence would be real to them during this time of trial and persecution. Pray also for endurance and boldness. We will let you know as we receive further news.
  • Priest Murdered

    On August 28, while praying before Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church in Thururhiparambu in Kerela state, 71-year-old Father Job Chittilappilly was stabbed in the back and killed. The attack appears to have been pre-meditated and, since nothing was taken, including the gold chain on his body, robbery is not suspected.

     
    Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Thrissur

    According to Catholic World News, Father Chittilappilly had been facing threats from Hindu militants because a number of Hindus were beginning to attend services at the church and had removed their Hindu idols. According to Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Thrissur, this was the first murder of a priest in Kerela state.

    Pray for members of this church as they deal with this sudden and tragic loss. Pray for the salvation of Father Chittilappilly's murderer(s). Pray for Christians throughout India, as they continue to face attacks from Hindu militants.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.

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