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India

  • Suspected Killer of Priest Arrested, Cover-up Suspected

    On September 8, we reported on the murder of Father Job Chittilappilly (view the story). According to Zenit, Reghu Kamar, 25, has confessed to the murder, saying he feared that Father Chittilappilly would convert Hindus to Christianity. Kamar also apparently wanted to revive a Hindu temple close to the church, Our Lady of Grace, where the priest served. The Hindu temple had been closed for twenty years. According to local beliefs, a Hindu priest had been killed twenty-five years earlier and the temple would only be restored by offering the blood of another priest.

    Local Christians are not convinced that Kamar had acted alone and are suspecting a police cover-up. Pray for peace in the community and a resolution to this murder.

    For more information on difficulties facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Kidnapped Christians Released

    On September 9, a request was sent out asking for prayer for three men kidnapped and threatened with death. In what Gospel for Asia is calling a "miraculous turn of events," all three men have been unexpectedly released. Thank you to each one who prayed for their release. Continue to pray for these men, as they recover from this incident.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.
  • GFA Missionaries Held Hostage To Be Killed Within 48 Hours

    The Voice of the Martyrs has received the following news release from Gospel for Asia and is forwarding it to you for your prayers.

    Anti-Christian elements in Bihar have captured, severely beaten and are threatening to kill GFA native missionary Pastor Manrathan and his wife. GFA Bible woman Sarita is also being held hostage.

    An anti-Christian mob from six villages holds the Gospel workers tied to a sacred tree, demanding 25,000 rupees as a ransom for desecrating their village with the Gospel. If the exorbitant amount is not received within 48 hours, they plan to kill the missionaries as a sacrifice to their deities. There are no police in the isolated area to intervene. GFA leaders are fervently praying for wisdom on how they can best help the situation.

    The anti-Christian group spearheading the incident is the same one that burned missionary Graham Staines and his two children alive in Orissa several years ago. In recent years a number of GFA missionaries serving in their native India have been brutally murdered for sharing their faith as well.

    Pastor Manrathanss village has proven extremely dangerous for Christian workers, yet God has blessed his courage and commitment. They recently planted a church in this remote area of North India. A few weeks ago, Pastor Manrathan held a service where new believers publicly proclaimed their Christian faith. It was a significant time for the congregation. One new believer, a tribal person, renounced his old faith publicly by turning away from everything else to believe in God.

    This act was brought to the attention of the whole village by his neighbors, who objected to his conversion. In no time, the news of this event spread to six surrounding villages. Soon a large mob descended on the small congregation of new believers and began to beat them. Pastor Manrathan, his wife and Sarita were taken from the church, beaten mercilessly and tied to a tree. No one was allowed to leave the village, to prevent others from hearing of the beatings. Only yesterday, one of the believers escaped with the news.

    Your urgent prayers for the lives of these missionaries are needed. Pray the Lord will give them strength and that His presence would be real to them during this time of trial and persecution. Pray also for endurance and boldness. We will let you know as we receive further news.
  • Priest Murdered

    On August 28, while praying before Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church in Thururhiparambu in Kerela state, 71-year-old Father Job Chittilappilly was stabbed in the back and killed. The attack appears to have been pre-meditated and, since nothing was taken, including the gold chain on his body, robbery is not suspected.

     
    Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Thrissur

    According to Catholic World News, Father Chittilappilly had been facing threats from Hindu militants because a number of Hindus were beginning to attend services at the church and had removed their Hindu idols. According to Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Thrissur, this was the first murder of a priest in Kerela state.

    Pray for members of this church as they deal with this sudden and tragic loss. Pray for the salvation of Father Chittilappilly's murderer(s). Pray for Christians throughout India, as they continue to face attacks from Hindu militants.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.
  • Catholic Church Attacked by Mob

    Twelve people have been arrested in Raikia, Orissa after an attack on Our Lady of Charity Catholic Church. On August 26, militant Hindus attacked the church building, as well as homes of some of the members. The door of the church was knocked down to allow the vandals to enter. They destroyed musical instruments, furniture, fixtures and literature. Windows were smashed on several homes. The incident began after church members protested the removal of a fence around the church property by local residents. According to news reports, at least six people were injured in the attack. As many as three hundred people were involved in the mob action.

    Several platoons of armed police have been called in to protect the church property in an attempt to ease the tense situation. According to "The Hindu" news service, those arrested included Christians as well as Hindus.

    Pray for peace between Christians and Hindus in Raikia and throughout India. Pray that Christians will be free from attack and be allowed to serve Christ without threats of violence.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.
  • Abducted Evangelists Rescued Last week, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the abduction of five evangelical evangelists (click here). One had managed to escape and told police where the others were being held. They were all rescued by the police but have been asked to minister in a different location.
  • Five Evangelists Abducted

     
    Photos from Gospel for Asia

    On July 24, a group of militant Hindus opposed to the work of evangelists in the area of Karnataka, India, abducted five workers with Gospel for Asia, accusing them of robbery. The five men, Lokesh, Yesuraj, Kumar, Anil and Ramesh, had previously received threats because of their evangelistic work in the area. When a robbery took place in the area, the five were falsely accused of the crime and abducted by a group opposed to their message. According to Gospel for Asia, one of the men, Ramesh, managed to escape. The other four have been beaten and their Gospel literature destroyed.

    Pray that these servants of God will be released and will not be seriously harmed. Pray for the continued ministry of the Gospel in the area.

    For more information on India and the dangers experienced by Christians there, click here.
  • Church Construction Destroyed

    Tensions are high in the village of Rohiyal Talal in India's Gujarat state after a July 18 attack on a church building under construction. A group of 15-20 people arrived in a jeep with spades and axes and began to destroy the walls, iron grates, and windows. According to witnesses, some of the attackers were local leaders of the militant Hindu organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). According to Compass Direct, problems arose when two Hindu brothers turned against another brother, Suresh Ada Varli, who had become a Christian. Varli was helping to finance the construction, which his brothers claimed was illegal. Even though police identified several of the accused the next day, no arrests have been reported.

    Pray that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable. Pray that Christians in the community will demonstrate the love of Christ to their Hindu neighbours and that people will come to Christ through this situation.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here.
  • Christians Charged Under Anti-Conversion Laws Released on Bail Pastor Subas Samal and his associate, Dhaneshwar Kandi, from Kilipal village in Orissa, India were released on bail on July 14 after spending more than six weeks in jail on charges under the state's anti-conversion legislation(for more information on the arrests, click here). The five women charged along with them are still in prison until bail can be posted for them.

    In a July 16 report from Compass Direct, Pastor Samal denies ever using money or other means to induce people to convert. The two men intend to return to Kilipal and attempt to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict going on in the village. Their arrest stems originally from an incident in February when Hindu villagers shaved the heads of Samal and six women as a sign of their "re-conversion" to Hinduism. After six villagers were arrested in connection with the incident, charges were brought against Samal, Kandi and the women in retaliation.

    Pray for Samal and Kandi, as they attempt to bring peace to their village. Pray that the women still in prison will be released on bail. Pray that all charges will be dropped and that the anti-conversion legislation will be repealed in Orissa.

    In another positive development, a Dutch missionary who has served in Kashmir since 1963 and had been ordered to leave the country (click here for details) will be allowed to remain. Father Jim Borst's visa was not renewed in April, following accusations that the Catholic schools he was running were being used to as methods of converting the area's Muslims. After further investigation, the charges were not substantiated and Borst will be allowed to continue his ministry in India.

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Body of Christian Removed by Hindu Villagers

    Though there are only twenty-five Christians in the village of Patsoi in Manipur, India, they agreed as a church to purchase land for the express purpose of establishing a Christian cemetery. When the mother of Pastor Amuba died, the church planned to bury her in their newly-established cemetery, but Hindu villagers protested against a Christian cemetery in their small village. According to a July 18 report by Assist News Service, the church members attempted to peacefully resolve the issue, but it quickly escalated to the point where they were accused of fraud. Nevertheless, the funeral continued and the woman was buried. After the funeral, however, village leaders led a group who dug up the body and took it to the pastor's house as a warning.

    The woman has since been buried in a cemetery in a nearby village and with the support of Rev. N. Debenedra Singh, the Executive Secretary of Meitei Baptist Association in Manipur, a case was registered at the police station against those responsible for digging up the body. To this point, however, police have taken no action to deal with the culprits.

    Pray for the Pastor Amuba and his family, as they face the loss of a loved one together with this added challenge. Pray for a peaceful resolution and that the church will continue to demonstrate the love of Christ to their neighbours in the midst of this situation.

    For more information on persecution in India, click here.

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