Mission Network News

Sri Lanka (MNN) ― There's mounting concern about the increasing number of Christians disappearing in Sri Lanka.  Pastor Victor Emmanuel Yogarajan, who runs the Gospel Missionary Church in Vavuniya  300km from Colombo, was in the capital March 1 with his two sons and a friend when it's believed they were abducted.

Godfrey Yogarajah is with the World Evangelical Alliance in Sri Lanka. "We have had abductions, assassinations, (and) people being kidnapped. There have been a lot of human rights violations in the last one year in Sri Lanka."

Yogarajah says this isn't the first time something like this has happened. "In the last two years almost 250 churches have been attacked, Christian workers beaten up, churches being closed. It's very difficult to get building permits to build any new churches."

The disappearance of the four believers has all but been ignored. Yogarajah says, "In none of the abductions have the government authorities been helpful at all. There is a civil monitoring commission which has, today, met with the German ambassador, trying to bring pressure on the government."  But, that hasn't happened.

According to Yogarajah, this is pushing many believers out of the country. "Already there are about 25,000 refugees who have gone by boat to India to Tamil Nadu. There are many other who have gone to the West."

Yogarajah is appealing to you to contact you government representatives to put pressure on the Sri Lankan government to find out where these people are being held and secure their release.

Unfortunately, the government is hiding the truth. "The Sri Lankan government's only defense is, we're doing this for national security to curb terrorism. And, when that is said many of the western governments take a back seat."

Despite the problems facing Christians and other minorities, Yogarajah says the people are ready for the Gospel. "People are actually very open and actually thirsting for the truth in a country where the truth is being compromised. There is so much despair and so much hopeless and, that's where our faith offers hope."

Pray that Sri Lankan believers will be bold in sharing their faith and that many will turn to Christ. Pray also that God will protect believers as they travel.