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Vietnam

• Pastor sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment

  Pray for Christians who are imprisoned for the witness.

  A pastor of a banned Mennonite church was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for undermining national unity. State media reported that, on March 27, Nguyen Cong Chinh was found guilty of writing and spreading material that slandered government authorities and "distorted Vietnam's domestic situation." It also accused him of having affiliations with anti-government groups. Chinh is reported to have repeatedly complained to outside organizations about Vietnam's mistreatment of religious minorities and lack of religious freedom.

  Pray for Nguyen's release, in the Lord's good timing. Ask the Lord to minister to Chinh, his family and his church and give them the strength to remain faithful. Pray that God will provide opportunities for Chinh to clearly share the gospel for which he suffers (Colossians 4:2-3).

  Go to the Vietnam Country Report for more on Vietnam's suffering Church.

• Pastor released from prison

  Pastor Y Wo Nie was released in December 2011!

  Y Wo Nie, a Vietnamese pastor who was arrested in August 2004, has been released from prison. Y Wo Nie was given a nine-year prison sentence for leading a demonstration demanding more religious freedom and the release of property confiscated by the Vietnamese government. He was released in December 2011. At last report, he had been spending time with his family and was planning to have a medical check-up to assess his health after more than seven years in prison.

  While Y Wo Nie was imprisoned, his wife told VOM partners, "I'm worried for my husband but God gives me His comfort that He is always with us though we have to face sickness or hard situations; He will help me to overcome my hard times."

  Praise the Lord that this pastor has been released! Pray that God will give Him complete and lasting healing. Pray that, like Paul, Y Wo Nie's time in prison will result in the advancement of God's kingdom (Philippians 1:12-14). Pray that God will strengthen the faith of this pastor's family and friends.

  For more information on the persecuted Church in Vietnam, visit the Vietnam Country Report.

• Believers beaten and belongings destroyed

  Nguyen Thi Lan’s pelvis was broken in two places in the attack on her house church, Agape Baptist Church. Photo: Compass Direct News

  More than a dozen Christian men, women and teenagers were brutally beaten and their property destroyed near Hanoi, Vietnam, in what sources say was a religiously-motivated attack.

  The Christian house church leaders, as well as other assembled believers, were severely injured during a gathering in the home of Pastor Nguyen Danh Chau in Lai Tao village. A gang burst into the home at 9:30 a.m. on November 13 and warned Nguyen that they would kill him if he continued gathering Christians, according to sources in Vietnam. The attackers then beat him until he lost consciousness.

  The offenders smashed chairs, overturned a pulpit and tore a cross from the wall and threw it into a nearby pond. They also destroyed motorcycles owned by four of the pastors present, which was an enormous loss for them.

  The believers are members with the Agape Baptist Church, an unregistered house church organization of about 2,200 believers who worship regularly in 38 congregations. The head of the Agape Baptist Church, Nguyen Cong Thanh, met with the injured and said all he could do was weep at the violence. "Why do they gratuitously beat servants of the Lord like this -- what crime have they committed, what enemies have they made?" he said. "All we want to do is gather people to worship and serve God and our fellowman."

  Please pray that those beaten will make a full recovery and that the Agape Baptist Church will grow stronger despite the violence and oppression. Pray that the perpetrators of this attack will repent and look to Christ for salvation.

  Go to the Vietnam Country Report for more information on the suffering Church in Vietnam.

• Update: Church leader re-arrested, suffering ill health

  Father Nguyen Van Ly

  Father Nguyen Van Ly, a church leader who has spent over 15 years in prison for his work in advocating religious freedom, democracy and human rights in Vietnam, was re-arrested by authorities on July 25.

  Father Ly, 65, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2007 for distributing material "harmful to the state." He was released temporarily in March 2010 to undergo a year's medical treatment for serious health concerns after he suffered two strokes that left him partially paralyzed (for more information, click here). Despite his ill health, Father Ly continues to be detained.

  Pray that Father Ly will know the Lord's care and provision in his life. Pray that the charges against Father Ly will be dropped. Pray that he will experience the Lord's healing. Pray that religious freedom and human rights will be respected in Vietnam.

  Go to the Vietnam Country Report for more information on the suffering Church in Vietnam.
  

• Christian worshippers brutally beaten by police

  A violent attack against minority Degar Montagnard Christians in the central highlands of Vietnam took place in July, leaving 16 Christians severely injured. One Christian man remains under arrest, his condition unknown.

  On July 7, at approximately 8 p.m., Vietnamese security forces and police descended upon a worship service in the village of Buon Kret Krot, Gai Lai Province, and began kicking and beating the attendees. Security forces threatened the villagers, stating: "If anyone worships like this way, we will return to arrest you all and put you in prison for five years." Of the Christians attacked, 10 men and two women were beaten to the point of unconsciousness.

  Pray the Lord will bring swift and complete healing to those who were injured. Pray for the release of the believer who was arrested. Ask the Lord to strengthen these believers. Pray Christians in Vietnam will continue to meet together in spite of the opposition. Pray for the perpetrators of this attack.

  For more on persecution in Vietnam, go to the Vietnam Country Report.

• Pastor kidnapped by authorities

  Pastor T, a Mennonite from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, was arrested on June 26. He was beaten in custody and taken to an unknown location. Nu, Pastor T's wife, shared that her husband left home around 10 p.m., but phoned 15 minutes later from Ward 26 of Binh Thanh District Police Station to say he was being held. Nu and other church members went to the heavily guarded police station but the authorities denied having anyone in custody. She called out to her husband from a back door. He heard her and responded, "I'm here. They have brutally beaten me, my jaw and hand are broken, and they have shackled my legs and hands. I'm very tired and am in pain."

  Nu implored the police to let her see her husband, but they refused. Later, she witnessed him being taken by car to another location. At the time of writing, Pastor T's condition and location were unknown. His house has been raided. Two weeks earlier, Pastor T was involved in a religious demonstration.

  Please pray for Pastor T's health and that he and his wife will know the Lord's comforting and strengthening presence. Pray for his release. Commit Pastor T's congregation to the Lord, praying that they will continue to meet together and provide encouragement to one another during this difficult time.

  Learn more about Christian persecution in Vietnam at theVietnam Country Report.

• Government steps up repression of Christian group

  Montagnard village

  Recently, the Vietnamese government has been increasingly harassing a peaceful group of Montagnard Christians living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Although Christian Montagnards have always been a target of persecution, the Vietnamese government has stepped up its repression of this indigenous minority -- forcing hundreds to renounce their religion. According to a report from Human Rights Watch, "the Vietnamese government has increased its harassment of peaceful ethnic minority Christians in the Central Highlands, targeting members of unregistered house churches."

  Pray the Lord will protect these believers and give them the strength they need to stay faithful and remain effective witnesses for Christ. May they rely on the Lord to give them the words to say when they stand before accusing authorities (Matthew 10:19). Pray for the perpetrators and all those in authority.

  Read more about persecuted Christians in Vietnam at theVietnam Country Report.

• Update: Christian lawyer released

  Nguyen Van Dai

  Nguyen Van Dai, a Vietnamese human rights lawyer and religious freedom advocate was recently released after serving his four-year sentence. Van Dai, arrested in March 2007 on accusations relating to his defense of religious freedom (click here for more information), must still fulfill a four-year administrative, or "house arrest," sentence.

  Praise the Lord for Van Dai's release! Ask God to fill him with enduring hope and faith as he serves his house arrest sentence. Pray that the Church in Vietnam will continue to grow and be a light to others. Pray for comfort for the many other Vietnamese Christians in prison.

  You can encourage an imprisoned Vietnamese Christian by writing to him or her online at www.PrisonerAlert.com. You can also download VOM's free letter-writing guide, "Doing Time for God," which equips you to write to prisoners of faith around the world at.

  For more on the persecution of Vietnamese Christians, go to the Vietnam Country Report.

• Update: Priest facing imprisonment again

  Father Nguyen Van Ly

  Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Vietnamese priest who has spent more than 15 years in prison, including time in solitary confinement, could soon be imprisoned again. The 64-year-old's last arrest was in February 2007, when he was detained for distributing material "harmful to the state." In March 2010, he was released to undergo a year's medical treatment after suffering two serious strokes that left him partially paralyzed (click here for more). During his medical leave, authorities prevented him from giving interviews or meeting with activists. Police reportedly roughed up a U.S. diplomat who attempted to visit with him. Father Nguyen is scheduled to be re-admitted to prison on March 15. He has said that if he is indeed forced to return to prison, he will go on a hunger strike and refuse medical treatment as a means of protesting the injustice.

  Pray authorities will not send Father Nguyen back to prison. Pray for continued healing for him. Ask God to equip him to stand firm in his faith in the face of oppression and to demonstrate unfailing trust in his Saviour. Pray he and Vietnamese believers facing similar trials will rest in the knowledge that the Good Shepherd walks with them at all times (Psalm 23).

  To learn more about persecution in Vietnam, go to the Vietnam Country Report.

• Christians facing severe opposition

  Pastor Quang speaks with VOM’s Greg Musselman

  In Vietnam, one of the most tightly controlled nations in the world, Christians face severe opposition for their faith and witness. Staff from The Voice of the Martyrs and 100 Huntley Street, a Christian television program, recently travelled to Vietnam to meet with suffering believers. Some have family members who are imprisoned for serving Christ. Others are underground church members who live with the constant threat of arrest and imprisonment.

  Among the believers visited was Pastor Quang, a prominent church leader and lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City. Pastor Quang has been imprisoned, slandered in newspapers and followed by police in recent years. In December 2010, authorities demolished a building that was both his home and the headquarters of the Vietnam Mennonite Church (for more information, click here).

  Pastor Quang continues to face intense pressure from authorities, and members of his congregation are routinely interrogated. He is confident in Christ, however, and he and his church are determined to continue proclaiming their faith in the Lord. "Once we serve God surely we must go the way of the cross, so I will not quarrel against the Lord for what has happened," Pastor Quang said. "[And] once the government tries to use violence it means they are defeated already."

  Pray imprisoned Vietnamese believers will be released. Ask God to enable them to share his grace and truth with others, even in prison. Pray God's comfort and provision for their families. Pray all those facing trials for their faith in Vietnam will draw near to God, trusting that He will guard the feet of his faithful servants (1 Samuel 2:2).

  You can learn more about the trials facing Christians in Vietnam at theVietnam Country Report.