Constitutional Amendment Proposed

06 October 2004

^{Sri Lankan Church Destroyed in 2003}

Media reports from Sri Lanka suggest that a constitutional amendment is to be proposed which would make Buddhism the official religion of Sri Lanka. While the amendment would allow for freedom of worship, other religions would be required to be practised "in peace and harmony with Buddha Sasana."

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) also reports an increase in violence against Christians since the Supreme Court ruled against parts of a proposed anti-conversion bill on August 17 (click here). In the latest incidents, two churches in Dematagoda were disrupted by mobs led by Buddhist monks on September 26. In both instances, church members were verbally abused and threatened, and documents were taken from the church. On September 17, a pastor in Kiribathgoda was surrounded by a mob and beaten with oars.

Pray that violence against Christians in Sri Lanka will subside and that legislative proposals to ban religious conversions and seal Buddhism as the official religion will fail. Pray for Christian leadership in Sri Lanka, as they endeavour to lead the Church through this challenging time.

The October edition of VOM's monthly newsletter features an article on the difficulties facing Christians in Sri Lanka. A 35-minute video documentary filmed on location is in the final stages of production and will be available shortly from The Voice of the Martyrs. To subscribe to our free monthly newsletter, click here.

For more information on persecution of the Church 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

Church Pressured to Halt Christian Activities

A congregation in Sri Lanka.
Photo: VOMC

Members of the Way to the Comfort Ministry Church in Seethwaka, Sri Lanka, are receiving ongoing demands to cease all Christian activities in their village. On January 26th, Buddhist monks approached the church leadership and insisted that the pastor stop holding worship services, claiming that only Buddhist practices are permitted within the village. They further accused the pastor of forcibly converting people to Christianity and receiving foreign aid.

Read more...
Church Services Restricted to Pastor's Family

Photo: VOMC

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.

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Church Building Pelted with Stones; Worshippers Restricted Access

A group of Christians praying together.
Photo: VOMC

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.

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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.

Read more...