Alliance News October-December 2017

A TALE OF STANDING STRONG ALLIANCE AGAINST ALL ODDS THE NEWSLETTER OF

FEATURE STORY

NEWS O c t

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The NCEASL Equips Lawyers to Champion Religious Liberty

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I am now confidant to boldly continue with my ministry

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Freedom in Christ Training of Trainers

Kids Camp 2017

Nutrition Programme for Children in Kilinochchi

Team Building for Staff of Reach Beyond Autism

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Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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Freedom in Christ Training of Trainers The Freedom in Christ Ministries in partnership with the NCEASL held a workshop on the theological principles behind the Freedom in Christ approach. The workshop was held in October for 12 selected church leaders, youth leaders and others involved in ministry. This programme helps the participants to identify certain strongholds in their lives that need to be set free and to find freedom with a deeper understanding of God and who we are in Christ.

The Alliance Development Trust reconstructed the school hall of the Meegahagoda School in Galle.

The renovated hall which was declared open on 1 July 2016, was in a dilapidated state and would leak in the rainy season.

“We are happy that we have received your assistance” says Chamath, a student of the school, who with his friends, helped in the construction work. “We were in much discomfort and you have done us a great service.”

Kids Camp 2017 The annual Kids Camp was held at the Sanctuary House, Pamunugama from 1 to 3 December, 2017. A total of 98 children of pastors and ministry workers serving through religious persecution and poverty attended this camp. The theme for this camp was “Armour of God” and the sessions which were woven around the theme aimed at encouraging the campers who face various difficulties in their lives because of their faith and their parents’ ministry.

Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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FEATURE

STORY A TALE OF STANDING STRONG AGAINST ALL ODDS Pastor Ranasinghe and his wife have been serving the Lord since 2004 in Medirigiriya which is a Buddhist stronghold.

Since then, Pastor Ranasinghe has faced immense hardships and persecution from the village Buddhist clergy.

They forced landlords to refuse him accommodation on 13 occasions from 2005 to 2017. “The clergy would incite the villagers who would break the house we had rented and on several occasions would stone our house as well” said the pastor, describing the intensity of the persecution.

“The clergy said that only Buddhists were permitted to live in his village and that he would not permit a single Christian. Once a mob provoked by a monk assaulted me with poles. They meant to kill me that day. But one by one the poles broke. It was indeed a miracle that I survived.

Then they took me aside and trampled me. They hit my ears till they bled” said the pastor, recounting the traumatic incident. Subsequently, the pastor was hospitalised for several months and received treatment for injuries to his ears. However, his hearing is impaired in one ear.

The villagers tried in many ways to expel him from the village; they asked the villagers, various organisations and societies to petition against him and even resorted to witchcraft.

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I am now confidant to boldly continue with my ministry. I thank God for the strength and support the NCEASL gave me and for being there for me through this ordeal.

Due to the immense difficulty he faced living in rented houses, the pastor commenced building a house with the support of the NCEASL. The Divisional Secretary made it very difficult for Pastor Ranasinghe to construct this house as he accused the pastor of attempting to build a church and not a house. He also influenced the local water and electricity boards into denying these amenities to the new house which was now categorised as an illegal construction.

“The Graama Sevaka permitted us to construct only two rooms. We are a family of five so it is very congested and the house is like a furnace!” added his wife, Sarah, explaining the difficulty they face without water or electricity. The family does not receive any support from the neighbours in this time of difficulty. They do not permit the pastor’s family to draw water from their wells. Therefore the pastor’s family is forced to go to a Christian home for bathing and washing purposes and purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking.

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Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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Pastor Ranasinghe and family were provided safety at a safe house until the persecution and threats to his life subsided

“When the NCEASL helped me to take legal action against the violation of my basic rights, the perpetrators realised that I have a solid legal support. Now they have asked me to apply for my electricity and water connections” said the relieved pastor.

As repeated attacks followed, the pastor’s congregants left his church as they too faced threats. “My greatest strength during this time was the NCEASL; at every stage of my persecutions they helped, encouraged and strengthened me to stand on my feet again” said Pastor Ranasinghe, gratefully. The NCEASL also arranged a camp which enabled his dispersed congregation to worship and fellowship with each other once again. “This gave us an opportunity to bind together as a church and become strengthened in the Lord.”

Pastor Ranasinghe’s house is now under construction

Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

“I am now confidant to boldly continue with my ministry.

I thank God for the strength and support the NCEASL gave me and for being there for me through this ordeal.”

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THE NCEASL EQUIPS LAWYERS TO CHAMPION RELIGIOUS LIBERTY In 2017, the NCEASL recorded 96 incidents of violence and discrimination against Christians, mostly perpetrated by local level authorities. In a bid to redress this situation, the Freedom of Religion or Belief and Social Justice arm of the NCEASL conducted a consultation for 15 lawyers at the Anantaya Resort in Chilaw on 18 November, 2017.

The first two sessions were conducted by a renowned human rights advocate who spoke on religious liberty trends in Sri Lanka and practical challenges faced in dealing with local government officials, drawing examples from current events and personal experiences. He stated that legal professionals practice their profession on unequal ground as police inaction and differential treatment often favour the majority faith. He called on the participants to put aside biases and prejudices to represent the interest of all faiths and races. “We ought to celebrate our diversity” expressed the resource person, “but we have made it our enemy”.

This consultation was conducted with the aim of creating awareness among legal professionals on the violations of religious liberty and create solidarity among lawyers as they make a commitment towards religious freedom for all faiths of Sri Lanka. Sandya De Silva from Galle is a lawyer who often finds the 2008 Circular a barrier as she fights against discrimination faced by pastors serving in rural areas who are falsely accused of constructing churches illegally. “The practical advice on how to respond when the 2008 circular is quoted will be very useful for me” said De Silva, explaining how she will be able to use the advice received from the consultation to overcome the restrictions imposed by the outdated 2008 circular. “This consultation was very helpful. I gathered a lot of knowledge on the uses of the RTI Act and I also found encouragement in meeting other lawyers who are faced with similar situations as I am.”

A session on using the Right To Information (RTI) Act for religious freedom was conducted by Jagath Liyanarachchi of Transparency International Sri Lanka. Liyanarachchi expounded on how the RTI act could be used and on its limitations. “The Right To Information is not a solution” explained Liyanarachchi, “but a way towards it”. This session was followed by a question and answer session during which the participants were given the opportunity to voice their opinions and clarify their doubts.

Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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Nutrition Programme for Children in Kilinochchi A total of 100 students under 5 years were supported by the Alliance Development Trust through a nutrition programme which provided them with a nutritious breakfast on weekdays. The programme which was conducted among three war-affected preschools in Kilinochchi was conducted throughout a period of 8 months in 2017.

As a result, an increase in weight and attendance of students benefiting from this programme was noted at its culmination in December 2017.

Team Building for Staff of Reach Beyond Autism Apart from hosting and being a preferred venue for a number of churches, schools and various organisations, Sanctuary House – the retreat and training centre for the NCEASL – conducted a total of 10 Experiential Learning Programmes in 2017. Among these programmes was a team building programme conducted for 11 staff of Reach Beyond Autism and Child Development Centre. Through this programme the staff were encouraged and motivated to face the challenges of 2018.

Alliance News October - December 2017. For private circulation only.

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PROJECTS AT A GLANCE October - December 2017

MISSIONS AND EVANGLISM • Standing Strong Through the Storm seminars for 80 participants from Rakwana and Nuwara Eliya • MBB camp for 58 participants • Freedom in Christ Training of Trainers for 12 participants • Discipleship meeting for 40 participants in Galewela • Task Force meeting for 27 pastors • Prayer Day in Kandy for 40 participants • Publications – Mandate of Mission in Inland Sri Lanka (Sinhala) by Jayananda Rajapakse, The Charismatic Leader (Sinhala) by Ranjith De Silva, Gospel of Mark Commentary (Sinhala) by Alroy Mascrenghe, Theological Guidelines for Responding to Persecution (Sinhala) by the NCEASL and Namaskara and Pezhaipura magazines

FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF AND SOCIAL JUSTICE • Support for 45 teachers from Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Kandy, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hambantota and Kegalle through the volunteer teachers sponsorship scheme

• A consultation in Ampara with 15 interreligious lawyers on the freedom of religion or belief • Support for 230 children through the Evangel Care Scholarship programme • Support for 5 students from Gampaha, Kandy and Batticaloa through the Kids Ed programme • Distribution of 480 Sinhala and Tamil bibles in the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Western Provinces • Legal aid for 10 pastors from Weeraketiya, Radawana, Galle, Mannar, Batticaloa, Theldeniya, Chilaw, Ruwanpura and Colombo

• Emergency assistance for 8 pastors from Batticaloa, Minuwangoda, Medirigiriya, Devinuwara, Chilaw and Ingiriya • Dissemination of 6 legal letters on behalf of pastors and Christians • Legal advice for 2 Pakistani families seeking asylum in Sri Lanka • Kids Camp for 98 children of persecuted pastors • Shalom Camp for 180 persecuted Christians from North Central, Western and North Western Provinces

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT • 2 programmes to celebrate World Children’s Day benefiting 200 children from Vavuniya and Trincomalee • ADT staff participated in a capacity building programme with its partners • Reformation of 2 Village Child Development Committees in Vavuniya with the participation of 54 persons • A visit to identify child protection issues in a village in Horana • Nutrition programmes benefiting 100 preschool students in Kilinochchi • 14 programmes creating awareness on leprosy among 766 prisoners, students, rural communities, a youth task force, clergy and laity of all faiths were conducted in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Trincomalee, Kandy, Badulla and Monaragala