Pastor Beaten; Police Look the Other Way

Gospel for Asia missionary Govind Ram and members of his congregation ask for prayer as they are appealing to their superintendant of police for protection. This request comes after local policemen did nothing to protect them from a group of 50 fanatics who, on June 15, savagely attacked the Christians.

Govind was in his church conducting a service when the fanatics came inside, dragged him and his wife outside and began beating them in front of their congregation. Several of the believers tried to help their pastor, but the extremists just beat them, too. The police were summoned, but the officers stood by watching, apparently powerless to control the mob of angry anti-Christians.

“The believers, who ran to help the pastor, were also beaten up in the presence of the policemen,” GFA’s correspondent wrote. “Meanwhile, the police disappeared in the crowd without taking any action or protecting the pastor and the believers.”

After the incident, the extremists warned Govind not to continue ministering in the village, or face “dire consequences.”

Govind and some believers from his church went to police authorities to request future protection, but they were turned away. Their next step is to lodge a formal request with the superintendent of police.
Extremists dragged Govind Ram outside a church building like this one and beat him badly.

Govind and the Christians in his village urgently request prayer that the authorities and local police will act justly and agree to help the persecuted believers. They also ask for prayer that God will give them wisdom and courage to stand firm in these turbulent times.

Christian Meeting Conducted by South Korean Missionary attacked by Hindu Radicals

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — A Christian training meeting attended by about 70 pastors from all over Karnataka was attacked by Hindu radicals.

The incident occurred on June 17 in the early afternoon.

The series of meetings between June 16-18 were organized in Varna village near Mysore, by Rev. Paul, a South Korean missionary. On June 16, a Hindu radical group named Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) learned about the meeting, and about 100 members went to where the pastors were having lunch together.

The pastors asked the Hindus why they had come, and were told that there were illegal conversions occurring at the meetings. They then verbally abused meeting attendees, and demanded that the event and the alleged forced conversions be stopped.

A story on the website www.persecution.in reported that the radical Hindus then became violent, resulting in two pastors being injured. The meetings then stopped. Fearing for their lives, some pastors ran to get a bus to take them back to their homes.

Superintendent of Police Mr. Ramsubbu told ANS, “There was no report of any attack on the pastors’ meeting … There was a meeting conducted, but the organizers failed to (ask … police, so our (officers) went to the venue, and asked (them) to stop the meeting.”

Following the attack, a few pastors remained to pray. Police arrived, and the ministers were reportedly ordered not to pray or have any sort of Christian gathering. The police seized a Bible, a song book and an English Devotional book from the meeting hall, and wrote down the names of the pastors who were at the meeting.

The police inspector told his staff to seize all the vehicles and other items from the meeting place. However, a report given to a senior police official later on said there was no evidence of any conversion activity occurring, and it was just a casual Christian meeting.

A pastor speaking on condition of anonymity told ANS, “The Korean missionary bribed the Police with ($ 250) to close the case, as (he) did not have proper travel documents of his visit to India.”

When asked about his visa to India, Rev. Paul told ANS, “I am on a business visa, and I will be here for a few weeks.”

Some of the pastors were taken to the police station. Others asked the asked the district superintendent of police to intervene in the situation.

The superintendent of police said he had no comment, other than that the meeting organizers did not ask permission to hold the event.

Christians Beaten Up by Hindu Radicals: One Family Has Money Stolen

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

CHHATTISGARH, INDIA ANS — Two Christian families were attacked recently in a Rewadahi village.

According to a story reported on www.persecution.in, the incident occurred on June 16 at midnight.

According to the story, Christian converts Ramesh and Karthik were asleep, when they heard someone knocking at the door. When they went to see who was there, they saw a group of between 50 to 60 people from the Hindu radical group Bajarang Dal Monkey Brigade standing outside.

The story reported that the Hindu fundamentalists started attacking the two believers. The attack occurred two days before Karthik was going to get married to a girl from his community who had also accepted the Lord.

The story reported that the two should get married in a temple according to the customs of their local community, not in a Christian church.

The story on www.persecution.in also reported that following assault, the radicals continued on to another house, where a woman called Sagni, and her husband Prabhudas, live. Sagni and Prabhudas came to the Lord five years ago and now Sagni conducts prayer meeting in Rewadahi village. The Hindu radicals forced them out of their house, and began beating them.

The Hindu radicals then entered the couple’s house and took their earnings from the previous day. The money had been made selling rice. The alleged perpetrators then called the police, and said that the couple were converting people by force and destroying our community.

The police took them to a local police station, where they were held until late morning the next day.

The report on www.persecution.in said that when Sagni tried to tell the police that his money had been stolen by the complainants, the police pressured him and his wife instead and asked them how they obtained the funds.

Officers reportedly did not listen to his explanation.

Genuine revival in China

In contrast to the so called “revivals” we sometimes hear about in the West, the Church in China has and is experiencing genuine revival on a Biblical, Apostolic scale. Today alone approximately 30,000 people will get saved in China to add to their 100million plus church. Why? The house church believers display a passion unequaled in the church worldwide mainly due to their circumstances of intense persecution from the Communist government.

Many believers spend years in prison for their faith. Brokenness, repentance, humility and a willingness to trust, obey and lay it all down for the Lord has turned China into one of the most remarkable stories in Church history.

This video will challenge your faith and who you are in Jesus, to the core. In China there are miracles and even people are raised from the dead, but that is never the emphasis of the house church Christians, the Cross always remains at the center of their faith. In our comfortable Western Christianity, we would do well to learn from China.

Muslims Threaten to Kill Pastor to Keep Church Out of Village

Compass Direct News reports from Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Muslim fundamentalists in a village 192 kilometers (119) miles north of the capital have threatened to kill a pastor as part of an effort to keep his church from constructing a church building, according to the head of the Isha-e-Jamat Bangladesh Jesus’ Church denomination.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, chairman of the Dhaka-based denomination, said the Muslims are trying to wrest land from the congregation in Lokmanpur village, Gaibandha district. The church planned to erect a worship building on the land, which the denomination purchased in January.

“We enclosed the land with a brick wall after buying it from a believer,” Chowdhury said. “The local Muslims came to know that there would be a church inside the enclosure, so they demolished the boundary wall in February 11.”

Upon learning of the damage, that same day 30-year-old pastor Rezaul Karim went to the site, where local Muslims and supporters of the country’s largest Islamic political party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, beat him and threatened to kill him if he pursued plans to build a church in the village, Chowdhury said.

“They drew a dagger at my chest and threatened to kill me if they see me in this place again,” said Pastor Karim.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.