We are glad to report that a warrant for the arrest of M.A. Thomas, founder of Hopegivers International, has been dropped but he has been ordered to appear at a court hearing on April 21. Thomas has been in hiding for the past two months since protests against the organization broke out in Rajasthan State. Thomas' son and president of Hopegivers International, Dr. Samuel Thomas, remains in custody after repeatedly being denied bail.
Warrant for M.A. Thomas' Arrest Dropped
India Information
- Current Ministry Projects
VOMC assists persecuted Christians with legal support and rehabilitation assistance, and cares for children of martyrs by providing them with a safe place to be nurtured physical and spiritually. VOMC also partners to equip Christians in India with Biblical training and works to strengthen and support marginalized and persecuted Christian women. Additionally, VOMC helps to provide medical assistance to believers who have faced injuries after being attacked.”
Project Funds: Families of Martyrs, Equipping the Saints, Legal Defense, Relief and Development, Women’s Ministry, Medical Fund
- Country Information
Population
1,399,179,585 (2023 est.)Ethnicity (%)
Indo-Aryan (72), Dravidian (25), other (3)Religion (%)
Hinduism (79.8), Muslim (14.2), Christianity (2.3), Sikh (1.7), other (2)Leader
President Droupadi Murmu (2022)Government type
Federal parliamentary republicLegal system
Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.Source: CIA World Factbook
- Pray for India
Despite the intimidation and violence that have taken place in many of India's states, may Christians wisely yet unashamedly preach the Gospel. Pray that indigenous Christians and foreign missionaries will minister in ways that do not hint at fraudulent conversions, unmasking the intentions behind the anti-conversion legislation. Intercede for India's leaders, that they may reign with justice and righteousness.
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India News
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Supreme Court Decisions Bring Hope of Change
The Supreme Court of India.
Photo: Wikimedia / Subhashish Panigrahi (CC)A ruling issued on October 17th by India's Supreme Court has brought relief to several believers in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The court reviewed multiple cases filed against Christians under the state's anti-conversion law and ultimately dismissed all charges, stating that "the criminal law cannot be allowed to be made a tool of harassment of innocent persons."
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Oppression Against Christian Missionaries
A bus in India.
Photo: Wikimedia / Parambikulam
Tiger Conservation Foundation (CC)Two recent incidents in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (located within India's larger Kashmir region) demonstrate the growing challenges faced by those sharing the Gospel in northern India.
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Christian Couple Forced from Their Home
A village in India.
Photo: Wikimedia / Nikhil More (CC)Three years ago, "Sameer" (whose name has been changed for security reasons) came to faith in Jesus after witnessing his wife's miraculous healing from a life-threatening health condition. "That day, we knew the love and power of God," he recounts, "and we gave our lives to Christ." Following their decisions, however, the new believers began to experience opposition from unapproving members of their community.
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Pastor Acquitted of Anti-Conversion Charges
Believers in India.
Photo: VOMCIn October 2021, Pastor Nandan Singh was gathered with 25 other Christians for an all-night prayer meeting when militant Hindus, primarily from nearby villages, stormed into his home. Accused of converting people to Christianity, Pastor Nandan became the first individual to be charged under Uttarakhand's anti-conversion legislation.
