Tags

Sri Lanka

• Church Services Restricted to Pastor's Family

  

  In July, a complaint against the Jesus Jeewamanai Revival Church in Polgahawela was issued by some villagers and Buddhist leaders who opposed the worship services that were taking place at the pastor's home. In response, police requested that the church restrict the number of people attending the gatherings, particularly by limiting participants who were visiting from outside of the community, until guidance was received from the authorities on how to handle the situation. For more information about this incident, go to this report.

• Church Building Pelted with Stones; Worshippers Restricted Access

  

  The Jesus Jeewamanai Revival Church in the town of Polgahawela has been the target of attacks perpetrated by disgruntled members of the community who oppose their place of worship. On July 7th and 11th, stones were thrown at the church building. Then, on July 14th, before the Christians' Sunday services were scheduled to begin, villagers blocked the road leading to the building in order to prevent the congregants and their pastor from accessing the facility.

• Arrests During House Church Construction

  

  On June 13th, the pastor of God's Kingdom Gospel Church in Kandapola, Sri Lanka, was constructing a house church building, together with the support of other pastors and church leaders, when he was approached by a junior manager. The pastor was questioned by the manager as to whether or not the Christians had permission to build a church.

• Acts of Vandalism Disrupt Pastors' Convention

  

  Pastors from the Foursquare Church recently gathered at their denominational campground in the Puttalam District of Sri Lanka for an annual convention. At around 1 a.m. on January 25th, a group of unidentified individuals entered the camp and began vandalizing the property.

• Church Ordered to Find New Location

  

  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.

• Pastor Arrested for Controversial Remarks

  

  Pastor Jerome Fernando is the leader of the Glorious Church in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. Along with his regular church ministry role, he also holds evangelistic meetings in various areas of the world. As a prominent religious leader, his messages are heard by many online, as well as by those attending his speaking engagements in person.

• Christians Assaulted and Threatened

  

  As the pastor of the Good Shepherd Church in the Polonnaruwa district of Sri Lanka seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ to the members of his community, part of his ministry includes overseeing a drug rehabilitation centre in the local village. According to a recent report, a Christian man working at the centre was attacked on June 16th by two opposing villagers, resulting in abrasions on his neck. The perpetrators also threatened to "break the church."

• Request for Headstone on Christian Grave Denied

  

  In March 2023, following the passing of a pastor's son, arrangements were made for the burial to take place in a public cemetery. However, when the pastor of the "Jesus Lives Glorious Church" in Karuwalagaswewa asked for permission to erect a headstone on his son's grave, his request was denied by the Funeral Aid Society. When visited by officials on April 25th, the pastor was told that erecting a headstone on the grave of a Christian would thereby make the cemetery a Christian burial ground.

• Church Under Investigation for Worship Services

  

  The Pentecostal Assembly congregation in Dodangoda, Sri Lanka, is made up of about seven families who regularly meet in the home of their pastor. On February 12th, while the Sunday worship service was in progress, approximately seven police officers arrived at the home. They informed the pastor that local monks, who had issued a complaint about the Sunday services, claimed that the meetings were being conducted illegally.

• Municipal Authorities Order Demolition of Church

  

  The "Jesus Calls You" church in Abepradesa, Anuradhapura District, has been facing repeated harassment from local municipal council members, who claim that the church is unauthorized and therefore operating illegally. On September 23rd, the pastor received a letter ordering that all worship services be discontinued within 14 days or legal action will take place. (For more information, see this page.)When the church failed to comply, a different approach was taken by the officials. On October 11th, the pastor received a letter demanding that their church building be demolished within seven days. The statement warned that failure to comply will result in the demolition taking place anyway without further notice.