Closed Church Reopens for Easter to Face Attack

21 April 2004

Facing repeated threats and attacks by militant Buddhists, a church in Wadduwa village in the Kalutara district of Sri Lanka was forced to sign a temporary agreement to close in December 2003. Local monks had gone to the police, claiming that the church was illegal. After being closed for three months, it was decided to reopen the church for services on Good Friday, despite concerns raised by local police about the risk of further attacks.

Such an attack came on Easter Sunday. While about one hundred Christians were gathered to celebrate Christ's resurrection, a mob of around thirty people, led by an influential Buddhist monk, Ven. Rahula of Bodhidhumaramaya, Talpitiya Wadduwa, disrupted the service. They broke the church windows with rocks and demanded that the Christians come out. According to an April 13 report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, when the worshippers came out of the building, they were slapped and beaten with sticks. About ten people were injured, including women and children.

^{The tranquil appearance of the resort town of Wadduwa masks the turmoil facing Christians}

Though a complaint was made to the police, the pastor has been warned that it would not be in his own best interests to identify those responsible for the attack. A few arrests were made, but they were released with the consent of the pastor, who feared for the safety of himself and his members.

Pray for emotional and physical healing for those injured in this attack. Pray for the church in Wadduwa, as they deal with this incident as well as decisions about future services. Pray for believers in Sri Lanka as they face continuing acts of violence. On April 12, a group of unidentified persons attempted to destroy the home of a pastor in Mahaoya with homemade kerosene bombs. Thankfully no serious damage was done.

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

Sri Lanka

Current Ministry Projects
VOMC supports persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka as they witness for Christ in hostile environments through Biblical training, legal aid, and advocacy, as well as rehabilitation and emergency assistance.

Project Funds: Equipping the Saints, Legal Defence, Relief & Development, Families of Martyrs
Country Information
Population
23,326,272 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Sinhalese (74.9), Sri Lankan Tamil (11.2), Sri Lankan Moors (9.2), Indian Tamil (4.2), other (0.5)

Religion (%)
Buddhism (70.2), Hinduism (12.6), Islam (9.7), Roman Catholic (6.1), Evangelical Christianity (2.0)

Leader
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Sept 2024)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law

Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Sri Lanka
Let's unite our hearts in prayer for those in Sri Lanka who are being persecuted for their faith, thanking God for what He is accomplishing despite the opposition. Ask that His people will be encouraged, strengthened and equipped by the promises of the Bible – the Sword of the Spirit – knowing that He is watching over His Word to perform it (Ephesians 6:17; Jeremiah 1:12). May they not only overcome the strategies of the enemy, but also serve as effective witnesses to those in need of eternal salvation and deliverance from spiritual captivity.

Sri Lanka News

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A congregation in Sri Lanka.
Photo: VOMC

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Photo: VOMC

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A group of Christians praying together.
Photo: VOMC

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