Persecuted Watch

The number of reported cases of persecution in Tamil Nadu rose dramatically in the year 2022.

Pastors and evangelists have been beaten, robbed and chased away from villages. Many churches who are conducting worship services in rented properties have been forced to close because certain thugs pressurized property owners to not rent the premises to churches.

Because of this, Christian congregations have been scattered, and many pastors who have dedicated themselves to full-time ministry are struggling to support their families.

Pray that these churches will be able to purchase land where church buildings can be constructed so that they will no longer be dependent on renting space for worship service.

Pray that the pastors of these churches and their respective families, will receive an abundant supply of divine financial provision because all who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing (Ps 34:10).

 

(Source & Photo : VOM)

#Persecuted Church

Lerm and his wife, Dow, came to faith in Christ in April 2022 and started to attend church.

A few months later, Dow’s father, who was the head of a nearby village, found out about the couple’s Christian faith. He pressured them to renounce Christ but the couple refused. Dow’s father then used his influence to evict the couple from their village and took away the income and food supplies they earned from their farm work.

Lerm asked his own father to take them in but was rejected because his father feared losing his government job. The couple and their children lost everything when they were evicted. They now live in a temporary hut on the land of another Christian brother. They remain strong in their faith.

Pray that God will provide Lerm and Dow with a permanent home to stay. Pray that this couple and their children will receive the necessary financial, emotional and spiritual support from the church and fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ. Pray that their parents will eventually come to faith in Christ.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

Since the Early Rain Covenant Church was raided in 2018, and the church’s lead pastor, Wang Yi, sentenced to 9 years imprisonment, the church continued to meet online or in small groups. However, in January this year, the church decided to resume meetings as a larger group. But each time they met up, they were evicted by the authorities and forced to move to a different venue.

On the morning of 12th March, before the worship service was scheduled to start,  one church leader, Jia, was violently removed from the meeting and beaten. Then after the service began at 9am, the supply of electricity to the room was abruptly shut off. But the service continued. About an hour later, officials stormed the pulpit and shut off the computer that was used for the live broadcast, seized cell phones and pushed some members to the ground.

Despite the mayhem, the choir continued singing quietly the hymn “Near the Cross”. Some of the church’s leaders and members were taken to the police station but later released in the evening.

Pray for Early Rain Covenant Church leaders and members. Pray that they will receive strength, wisdom, guidance and direction as to how they can continue their ministry as a church. Pray that the words, attitudes and actions of church leaders and members will be a powerful testimony that will lead many people to believe in the Lord and receive salvation.

Pray for Pastor Wang Yi’s health and well-being during his imprisonment.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

Nga, a 42-year-old Vietnamese woman, turned to faith in Christ after hearing the gospel message from missionaries who visited her village. She was the first in her village to respond to the message of salvation. But her husband, Vu, did not believe.

Local villagers and Vu tried to convince Nga to renounce her faith. Even when authorities threatened to cut the family off from any future government aid, Nga stood firm in her faith. Angered by her refusal to renounce Christ, Vu beat his wife so severely that she had to be admitted to the hospital. Nga subsequently died of her injuries but Vu was not charged with his wife’s death.

After the incident, Vu fled the area, leaving behind the couple’s 4 children who are between the ages of 8 to 14 years old. He later sent word that his children may be taken to a government-run orphanage.

Fortunately, a Christian worker affiliated with The Voice of the Martyrs offered to adopt the two youngest children and is helping to look for a suitable home for the other 2 children.

Pray that the Lord will send people to minister comfort and emotional healing to these hurting children as they grieve for the loss of their mother and at the same time grapple with the abandonment from their father. Pray that God will provide for all their needs and settle them in good homes. Pray that they too will come to faith in Christ.

Pray that the gospel message will continue to spread and touch many lives in Nga’s village. Pray that individuals and families will be made whole and transformed by the power of God’s Word.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

Gomar Kunwar was very sick but medical doctors and witch doctors alike were baffled by the illness and could not heal her. However, Christians in her village prayed for her and God healed her. So, Gomar started going to church out of gratitude for her healing.  Her husband tried to dissuade her from attending church.

In the spring of 2022, Gomar accepted Christ and was baptized. Then Gomar’s husband began to treat her cruelly. He abused her physically and verbally, and even destroyed the Bibles she received from the church.

One time, he beat her with a stick and then poured gasoline over her body with the intention of burning her alive. Fortunately for Gomar, she was able to escape before he lit the fire. On another occasion, when Gomar refused to put on a religious symbol for a festival her husband was celebrating, he tried to attack her with a sickle. Again, she had to run for safety.

Now, her husband is barring her attendance at church, keeping her from meeting Christians and monitoring all her communications.

Please pray for protection, strength and perseverance for Gomar as she endures the persecution from a family member. Pray that she will not be tempted to renounce her faith but will remain strong. Pray that God will soften the heart of her husband and he will receive salvation.

 

(Source & Photo : VOM)

#Persecuted Church