Persecution and Prayer Alert Print
November 19, 2008

Chinese house church leader sentenced to "re-education through labour"

On October 30, house church leader Pastor Zhu Baoguo was sentenced to one year "re-education through labour" on charges of being an "evil cult" leader, according to a November 18 report from China Aid Association. Pastor Zhu and four other leaders were detained by authorities during a church gathering in Dushu village, Henan province on October 12. While the other four leaders were sentenced to five days of administrative detention, Pastor Zhu was sentenced to 15 days. Two days after Pastor Zhu's release from detention, he was sentenced and taken to a labour camp in an unknown location. There is considerable concern for his health as he suffers from heart disease.

Ask God to protect Pastor Zhu in the labour camp. Pray that he will be a bold witness for Christ there. Pray that the persecutors of Christians in China will open their hearts to the love of Christ (Acts 9:1-19).

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in China, click here.

Believers beaten in Mumbai, India


Watch the video from NDTV

A mob of approximately 30 Hindu militants attacked the Church of God building in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India on November 15. According to a November 17 report from Union of Catholic Asian News, the militants, angered by the conversion and baptism of five Hindus, barged into the church building at approximately 12:30 p.m. shouting anti-Christian slogans. They damaged furniture and other church property and assaulted several believers present. Pastor Fernandes (50) was stripped and beaten so severely he lost consciousness. The mob dispersed when the police arrived. Several people have since been arrested for their involvement in the attack.

Pray for healing for Pastor Fernandes and the other injured believers. Pray that Christians in India will put their hope in the Lord as the One who upholds their cause (Psalm 146).

Find out more about India's suffering church by visiting the India Country Report. To watch a video report about the attack, click here.

Chapel attacked in Hanoi, Vietnam


Catholics gather in prayer around the Thai Ha parish
Photo from AsiaNews

A group of communist party activists attacked the St. Gerardo chapel on the property of the Thai Ha parish in Hanoi on the evening of November 15. At approximately 10:00 p.m., hundreds of activists arrived at the monastery and asked for an urgent meeting with some of the believers. They began shouting, throwing stones at the building and trying to provoke the believers. Local Christians were quickly alerted to the attack by fellow believers and within an hour, a large group of Christians were on the scene. The attackers were eventually intimidated by the growing number of believers present and fled before they could cause serious damage to the premises. Local Christians suspect the attack is related to their ongoing battle for restitution of parish land seized by authorities.

Pray that these Christians will be encouraged to continue meeting together for worship despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray that the passion of God's people in Vietnam will be a light that draws others to Christ.

To learn more about how Christians are persecuted in Vietnam, click here.

Further restrictions imposed in Kazakhstan's draft religion law

Kazakhstan's draft religion law was amended with further restrictions on November 7, according to a November 18 report from Forum 18. The amendments to the law include mandating a fixed fine of 50 times the minimum monthly salary for those found guilty of worshipping, building or opening places of worship, or publishing or distributing religious literature without government permission. The proposed amendment would also require both parents to give permission before a child can attend a religious event and would ban believers from expressing their faith beyond their "own circle."

Pray that this law will not be approved. Ask God to work in the hearts of Kazakhstan's leaders so that they too will know the Good News.

For more information on the persecution facing Kazakhstan's Christians, click here.

Update: Imprisoned Christians released in Laos


Pastor Sompong
Photo from
Compass Direct

Pastor Sompong (32), Boot (18) and Khamvan (18), three men who were arrested in Boukham village, Savannakhet province in early August (click here for more), have been released, according to a November 17 report from Compass Direct. The believers were released on October 16 -- against the wishes of the village chief, who had threatened to hand Pastor Sompong a life sentence at a maximum-security prison. 




 

In this week's VOMC weblog (www.persecution.net/weblog.htm)

Check out these and other recent weblogs by the staff of VOMC:

a) Read "Palestinian columnist condemns the persecution of Palestinian Christians" for a critique by a Palestinian journalist on the persecution of Christians in Palestine.

b) Read Bishop Purely Lyngdoh's views on what the ongoing trials in Orissa state mean for the Church in India in "The more the challenges, the stronger the Church's faith will deepen."

c) Learn about two Christians who have been falsely accused of desecrating the Quran in "Pray for imprisoned father and daughter in Pakistan."

d) Can you imagine the apostles asking for an end to persecution? Glenn Penner poses this question in "A tough question to answer."

e) "Common words, different meanings" explores the profound difference in how the concept of tolerance is understood by Western and Muslim leaders.

To make comments on these and previous VOMC weblogs, go to persecutedchurch.blogspot.com.