A Christian woman, Naseem, and her five children, aged between 8 to 22, have been forced into hiding after receiving death threats demanding that she renounce her Christian faith.

To entice the family to renounce their Christian faith, a group of villagers ,who are opposed to the gospel, offered to give Naseem’s husband a house and also promised to pay for the wedding expenses for 4 of their children. Naseem’s husband, who is prepared to accept the villagers’ offer, also started pressurizing her to leave her Christian faith.

Despite these threats, Naseem refused to abandon her faith. She said, “I was born a Christian and will remain a Christian until my last breath,” “And I will make my children stronger Christians and ensure that they marry Christian partners.”

A local church provided Naseem and her children temporary shelter. As a result, the pastor of this church was questioned by those searching for the threatened Christian woman.

Pray for divine protection over Nasssem, her five children, and those who are providing them a place of shelter. Pray that this family will receive the financial, emotional and spiritual support they need during this time of need.

Pray that Naseem’s children will receive the spiritual nurturing they need and raised in the ways of the Lord.

Pray that those who are seeking to harm Naseem will come to see the truth of the Gospel and be willing to turn to faith in Christ.

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

Pastor Krishna’s mother, who was a believer, passed away in their home village in July this year. As there was no designated burial site for Christians in the village, Pastor Krishna decided to bury his mother on his own land. However, his neighbours opposed this and insisted that the body be cremated according to the religious customs of the village.

Pastor Krishna was able to persuade the local government chairman to accommodate them and assign land for Christian burials near the village. But villagers resisted and pressured Pastor Krishna’s brother, who is not a Christian, to dig up the body and submit to the village’s rituals. This was a great discouragement to Pastor Krishna.

Pray that Pastor Krishna will find peace and comfort in the Lord during this time and he will not be discouraged. Pray that God will bless him and his ministry such that many who hear the gospel will believe in the Lord and receive salvation.

(Source – VOM  & Photo – Internet)

#Persecuted Church

An independent Christian evangelist, K. Madhavan, was burned to death in the state of West Bengal by a mob that included some of his family members. Madhavan was the sole Christian in his extended family and he diligently worked to spread the gospel message.

In early August, when Madhavan visited his family to attend a wedding, his children destroyed his Bible, verbally harassed him because of his faith in Christ. Other family members pressured him to renounce his faith but he refused to do so.

On 14th August, Madhavan was attending a church service when his wife and son entered the building where they beat him and forced him to go home. He was then dragged into a nearby forest where family members and other locals poured gasoline over his body before burning him alive.

Pray that those who opposed the gospel will reflect on the crime they committed and God will convict their hearts to repent and seek forgiveness. Pray that they will come to know the Lord and receive salvation. Pray that God will comfort church members and friends of Madhavan who are grieving over this senseless loss.

(Source : VOMC, Photo : Internet)

#Persecuted Church

In February 2021, Salamat and his friend Haroon were charged for behaving irreverently because they read the Bible aloud at a public park located in Lahore and offered a Christian book to a non-believer. Read more about this case here : https://gosheninternational.org/remember-salamat-mansha-and-haroon-ayub-in-your-prayers/ and https://gosheninternational.org/pakistan-christian-man-tortured-into-false-confession/.

Haroon and his family managed to escape arrest and went into hiding but Salamat was detained. Despite the efforts of his lawyer, the chances of Salamat being granted bail in such a case were previously considered very slim. However, after having spent more than 18 months in prison, it is now reported that Salamat was granted bail on 23 August. The Court ordered that Salamat be protected until the charges against him are resolved.

In February 2018, Patras was detained for allegedly sharing a picture on social media that was deemed insulting. He was eventually granted bail and released until the case is resolved. The judge who granted bail ruled that the image was not insulting and there was no evidence that it was uploaded by Patras.

In another unrelated case, Raja, a lay minister with the Anglican Church, was arrested in December 2021 after sharing a Facebook post. Despite Pastor Raja’s apology, hundreds of opposing members of the community held demonstrations calling for his death. The judge in this case released Pastor Raja on bail based on his lawyer’s argument that Pastor Raja was not facing any charges punishable by death.

We praise and thank God that the judges appointed in these cases have endeavored to rule equitably and the Christians have been released. We pray for divine protection over each believer and their respective families. Pray that justice will be upheld and all the accused will be acquitted.

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

There has been a recent spate of civil suits launched against religious groups in Kazakhstan.

On 11th July 2022, a volunteer at the drug and rehabilitation treatment centre, run by the New Life Church in Pavlodar, filed a civil lawsuit against the church. The man claimed that he was not paid proper wages during the years of 2009 to 2022 and also demanded a settlement for “moral damages”. Witnesses testified that the Plaintiff never worked for the church and he signed an agreement every year stating that he participated as a volunteer.

Similar civil suits have also been filed against various Jehovah’s Witnesses communities where alleged victims demand for “moral compensation” for psychological damage suffered as a result of reading Jehovah Witnesses’ literature.

Pray that God will grant wisdom and guidance to the leaders of New Life Church as they manage the legal process against the church. Pray that all unjust actions and motives will be exposed and justice will prevail in this case. Pray that the Lord will convict the hearts of those opposing the gospel and they will truly come to respect religious freedoms in this nation.

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church