Believers in two Indian states banished

Pray for believers in South Asia.

Christian believers in two Indian states were expelled from their villages because they chose to follow Jesus, reported Gospel for Asia (GFA).

“Once again, we are seeing how our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering persecution for His sake all across Asia,” noted GFA President K.P. Yohannan. “These two incidents clearly show the cost of discipleship in India and other South Asian countries.”

One incident took place in a high-caste Orissa village known to be a center of religious extremism.
GFA-supported national missionary Galoknath Jena established a regular prayer meeting in a family’s home in a high-caste Orissa village. The family was the first in the village to follow Christ, and they were among just a handful of believers that formed the first Christian fellowship there.

The rest of the village was angered by the small group of believers. When the husband died suddenly, village leaders began to verbally abuse and harass the wife, daughter and grandchildren. The believers responded in silence and prayer, infuriating the leaders.

The leaders forced the family to leave the village. Taking their few worldly possessions with them, the family took shelter in the home of a GFA leader in a village about 25 kilometres away.

Yohannan said a young man in Uttar Pradesh received Jesus as his Saviour about six months ago, and the local leaders banned him from his village. His entire family has been excommunicated from their society, said Yohannan.

Please take a moment to pray for these families that are suffering greatly simply because they have placed their faith in Christ. Pray the Lord will continue to hold them up. And pray also for those who persecute them, that their eyes will be opened to the true love of the living God.