Open Doors Equips Courageous Christian Workers in India
Persecution of Christians by Hindu extremists continues to increase  | “I know of so many believers who have abandoned their faith because of persecution. But I now have the words to encourage and help them to stand strong in times of trouble.” |
The year 2007 was the most violent year ever for Christians in India, with more than 1,000 recorded attacks on Christians. At least 730 believers’ homes were burned along with 95 churches, and at least four Christians were brutally murdered. And there is no let-up of these ongoing attacks by Hindu extremists in sight. Yet in the midst of widespread persecution against Christians, the Lord is at work in India through courageous Christian workers like John. John left his home in Tamil Nadu State to serve the Hindi-speaking people in Bihar State—one of the least evangelized states in India. This spiritually dry area is plagued by crime, violence and widespread poverty. During his first year of ministry, John experienced strong opposition. “As people began to accept the Lord and a few house churches were established, some Hindutva fundamentalists began to threaten me and demand that I go back to Tamil Nadu,” John explained. “When I continued ministering, four men threatened to skin me alive and hang me on a tree outside a Hindu temple. But the Lord gave me boldness to stand up to them… and since then I have not been confronted again! “God has been my strength and I am not afraid. I know that I was called to serve Him in Bihar… and if God has brought me here, He will take care of me.” John was one of the participants at an Open Doors’ Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS) seminar recently. He says of this training, “It has been a wonderful experience for me to come to this seminar and hear so many encouraging testimonies.” “I know of so many believers who have abandoned their faith because of persecution. But I now have the words to encourage and help them to stand strong in times of trouble. “Thank you also for the mini-library set you have given me,” John concluded. “It is a valuable asset and will help me in the ministry God has entrusted to me.” |
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