Photo via mnnonline.org

Anti-Christian groups oppose missionaries with threats

As more and more individuals and families turn to Christ throughout India, Gospel for Asia missionaries face strong opposition in Maharashtra, reports MNN.

Missionaries Hardik and Prakash have served in the area since graduating from Bible college, sharing Christ's love with anyone and everyone in the village.

However, according to GFA, "It didn't take long for a group of staunch anti-Christians to discover what they were doing--and the extremists were furious."

While the two missionaries were sharing the Gospel and were away from their home, extremists approached their landlord and demanded to know why he was renting a house to the missionaries.

"They ordered him to beat both his tenants and turn them out of the house," GFA said.

However, when the missionaries returned, their landlord told them about the threats. When they turned to the police for protection, authorities told them the same group had also stopped by the station two days previous, telling the police to not allow any Christians into the village "because they forcibly converted people to their religion."

The anti-Christians informed police that if Christian ministry continued, they would disturb it.

The police, instead of preventing the group and helping the missionaries, told the two to leave the village for safety as soon as possible.

"In spite of the opposition, our brothers have decided to stay in the village, trusting the Lord and continuing ministry," according to a GFA correspondent.

In the same village to the north, an anti-Christian mob barged into a worship service lead by another GFA missionary, Jaival. They stopped the service, then "threatened Jaival, telling him he would not be allowed to lead any more prayer meetings or services in the village," GFA reported.

This invasion came just after 15 families turned to Christ in the congregation.

"Now, it seems it's going to be hard to continue the prayer meetings because of the threats," the GFA correspondent also said.

Pray for protection of Hardik and Prakash as they continue their ministry and for Jaival and his congregation to be able to continue meeting. Also, pray for a change of heart in those so opposed to Christ's work.

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TAGS: India anti-Christian groups missionaries Bible college persecution Gospel for Asia

[11/05/2009]

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