Church in India, threatened

India (MNN) — A few months ago, Christians were celebrating the unexpected victory of the Congress Party over the radical Hindu party, known as the BJP. But, that celebration is being tempered by threats by radical Hindus.

Imagine worshipping at your church, only to be disrupted by angry men issuing threats. Many of us can’t picture this, but for Gospel for Asia Pastor Ramzan in largely unreached Karnataka (India) it became a reality last Sunday when 300 members of a radical anti-Christian group barged into his church. They accused the pastor of forcibly converting people and threatened him. They staged a protest where they yelled accusations against Christians and distributed propaganda against missionaries. Even local authorities did nothing to stop the mistreatment.

Previously many Christian workers fled the area because of warnings from opposers of the Gospel. But Pastor Ramzan stayed and continued to reach lost people for Christ. Karnataka is South India’s most spiritually destitute state, with nearly all its people groups still unreached. Out of a population of 53 million, 2.1 percent are Christian.

Pray for this congregation and their pastor, that God may comfort them. Pray for peace in the area and that authorities will intervene in the situation. Most of all, pray these believers in Christ will be able to say, like the apostle Paul, “the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel”

To sponsor a native missionary like Pastor Ramzan, you can go to http://www.gfa.org.