PERSECU ION International Christian Concern | July 2014
Sending Light Into The Darkness: The Life of the Underground Pastor
With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, & great grace was upon them Acts 4:33
IN THIS ISSUE:
This Issue: Fishing for Men in Sri Lanka
Upcoming: Doubly Persecuted
Upcoming: A Light in the Dark
Upcoming: Your Dollars At Work
In Sri Lanka radical Buddhist monks lead the way in persecuting Christian leaders. Pastor A’s story is one of loss and struggle but also one of hope in following God’s plan.
These stories of faithful pastors who stay on fire in the face of persecution provide a greater light in the midst of darkness.
Christian women in Pakistan face abduction, forced conversion to Islam and marriage to Muslim men. Zoya’s story is just one example of the hundreds of victims who face this persecution.
Underground pastors in Pakistan, vocational training for Christian women, church building in Bangladesh, and new believers coming to faith in North Africa.
N OT E F RO M T H E P R E S I D E N T:
There’s a quote from a Chinese church leader that I think sums up so much of persecution ministry and the reason we love to get behind underground pastors: “When foreigners read the Book of Acts they see inspiring stories. When we Chinese read the Book of Acts we see it in our lives.”
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
The power of a life abandoned to God and His calling is so inspiring. I’ve met many of these brothers and sisters and the usual effect on me is as if a mirror has been held up to my face and I hear “if they are a Christian, then what are you?”
These leaders have signed up for a very rough ride in life and it doesn’t always look triumphant. They are well acquainted with beatings, attacks, and the constant roar of the prowling lion. But when you combine a heart that has thrown away the world to go “all in” with God and a true anointing from the Holy Spirit, then you have a light that blazes in the darkness and attracts many to the Kingdom. These pastors are our heroes and we count many of them among our ranks of supported underground pastors. Please join with us in serving these Christians and their flocks. As always, we will use your gifts efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I promise!
EAST ASIA
FISHING FOR MEN IN SRI LANKA THE PERILOUS JOB OF PASTORING IN SRI LANKA
By William Stark, Regional Manager
Sri Lankan pastors I met with exhibited incredible strength and ike most Westerners, my image faith that helped them endure all of a Buddhist monk has always forms of persecution, and singlebeen of a saffron robbed, detached mindedly pursue God’s calling on individual, in peaceful medita- their lives. tion. The idea that they could be violent religious extremists never would have occurred to me. My A beautiful island nation, Sri pre-conceived image was shattered Lanka has a Buddhist majority by what I witnessed on my recent (70%). When scheduling my trip, China’strip Christians Rally to Defend Churches fact-finding to Sri Lanka. I wasTheir aware that radical Buddhist monks were responsible for the On my trip, I also rediscovered attacks on churches across the issomething truly beautiful about land, but it was hard to shake that the pastors of the persecuted image of the peaceful monk. Then Church. Amidst the violence, the
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I landed in Colombo and met with persecution victims. Fueled by an ideology of Buddhist nationalism, the radicals attack Christians because they believe that to truly be Sri Lankan, one must be Buddhist. “These Buddhist radicals are like lions,” the leader of one of the largest churches in Colombo told me. “They target the weak before they target the strong. If you imagine Christianity in Sri Lanka like a tree,” the pastor said, “the radicals are attacking the twigs at the end of the branches.
These targets are the small house churches in the rural area. They have, for the most part, steered away from attacking large established churches.” When I expressed my preconceived notions about Buddhist monks to the pastor, he laughed. “That image doesn’t apply in Sri Lanka,” he said laughing grimly. “You will see.” And see, I did…
*name changed for security
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SOUTH ASIA
Pastor A’s Testimony I met with many Christian pastors whose churches have been attacked by mobs of Buddhist radicals. Pastor “A” and her husband especially stood out. The level of persecution they had been through astounded me. “I started my ministry in ‘X’ village in 2000 (a 100% Buddhist village) after God gave me a vision of what He wanted me to do with my life,” Pastor A told me in an interview. “I began my ministry by conducting prayer walks throughout the village, preparing the way for my ministry. “When people saw what I was doing, they asked me why I had come to ‘X.’ I explained that I had been given a vision. This amazed them.” Until the Buddhist monks got involved. When the monks saw Pastor A and heard about her vision, they became very angry and confronted her. “They told me that the village was 100% Buddhist and that there was no room for Christianity,” Pastor A recalled. “The monks told me I should leave and never come back.” Despite the threats, Pastor A stuck to the vision she had been given and stayed, prepared to face the consequences of following God’s calling. Shortly after making the decision to stay, the first wave of persecution began. “At first, many of the villagers were open to renting space (for a church) to me. But after the Buddhist monks confronted me, they went around
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the village and told all of the property owners to not rent to me.” It took years for her to find a space to rent for her home and church. Every time she found a place, the monks would confront the property owners and she would be asked to leave. Despite her struggles, the ministry grew and after 2 1/2 years, 30 people were attending her church. At that time, someone donated land to build a church but this incredible blessing only brought more persecution. Attacked, Beaten, Charged with Prostitution “In September 2003, I and three church ladies were staying at the home of the family who had donated the land where the church was being built when it was attacked.” One night, a mob of 60 Buddhists led by local monks attacked the house and the church that was under construction. When the women heard the attackers trying to break into the house, they were terrified and tried to escape but the house was surrounded. Trapped, they waited for the worst. “The mob finally broke the door down and began to beat us severely. They dragged us into the jungle and demanded that we renounce our faith on the spot. Then the screaming mob forced us to march across town, two by two, shouting the whole way that they had captured and beaten prostitutes who they were bringing to justice. They forced us to march for two kilometers, shouting and kicking us the whole way.” When they arrived at the police station, she was able to see how badly she and the others were injured. “In the dark, I was not able to see the injuries I had received during the attack,” Pastor A said. “But in the Even Time magazine recognizes the growing problem of Buddhist radicalism You can help today! 800-ICC-5441
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light of the police station, I saw that I was covered in blood and bruises were forming all over my legs, waist, head and face.” Surprisingly, the police were merciful to them and brought them to a local hospital but asked them why they were causing trouble in the village. As happens so often with persecution victims, the officers treated them as criminals. Pastor A, who was the focal point of the mob’s rage, spent 10 days in the hospital. On the 10th day, she was dragged out by force to the local court where she faced charges of prostitution. When Pastor A finally recovered from her injuries and left the jail (as she waited on a verdict), she discovered that the land where her new church was being constructed had been attacked. “All of the progress we had made was burned to the ground.” Any normal person at this point would have given up or gone to a new location, but Pastor A began to hold open air services since she no longer had a home or church. Every Sunday, the church would meet at a different location and time, shifting to avoid being attacked again. Pastor A was then informed that a court case had been filed against her building the church. Unwilling to fight a legal battle in a kangaroo court, she abandoned her plans to build the church and moved to a new location in the village. Regrettably, the persecution continued. Since moving to her new location, she and her flock have found themselves under near constant attack. “The level of persecution changes over time, sometimes it is very high, sometimes it is very low.” During one of these low periods, the prostitution charges against Pastor A were thankfully dropped and she was able to marry another pastor, have two children, and build a house that doubles as her church. Unfortunately, with the dramatic rise of Buddhist nationalism in recent years, the level of persecution faced by Pastor A and her community have skyrocketed. The most recent broken glass in the front door from a rock thrown at the house
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Pastor A & Family
In the last year, Pastor A’s children were barred from attending the local school and the church was denied the right to bury one of the members who had died. Then the stones started to fly. Every Sunday, a mob shows up at the church and throws stones and fireworks through the windows of the church in an attempt to disrupt the services and harm the church members attending. Rumors spread that the monks were going to harm Pastor A’s children by poisoning their food and water. Things have gotten so bad that she has been forced to send her children away. Incredible Strength and Faith As I listened to her story, I saw something truly beautiful. Under all of the rocks, fireworks, broken glass, threats and beatings, there was her story of incredible strength and faithfulness. Even as she recounted brutal details of her story, she was smiling and able to laugh and trust God’s plan for her life. I asked how she was able to endure; “I am following God’s vision for my life. It is not easy, but it is an honor to work for the Lord and suffer on his behalf.” Her answer stuck with me for the rest of my trip especially as I saw the same sentiment again and again as I interviewed other pastors who were experiencing similar persecution.
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