Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World

Christian woman’s funeral in eastern Sri Lanka – 20th October 2021

Barnabas Fund, 11 October 2021

A deceased Christian woman in eastern Sri Lanka, was buried according to Hindu rites after residents refused to allow a Christian ceremony.

The village administrative officers appointed by the government along with ten members of a local Rural Development Committee argued that a Christian funeral was not permitted in the village cemetery.

Instead they pressured the woman’s two daughters into allowing the 27 September funeral to be carried out according to Hindu customs.

A Barnabas Fund contact confirms that this is a recurrent problem for Christian converts in Sri Lanka’s Hindu-majority eastern coast region, especially those in rural areas, as burial grounds are controlled by local temples.

In some cases, he reported, villagers have exhumed the bodies of Christians from temple-controlled burial grounds and discarded them.

“The converts from Hindu backgrounds to Christianity in the eastern province have been through severe persecution in the past,” he added. “Churches and Christian homes have been burnt, and converts have been assaulted in several places.”

Sri Lankan Christians, 8% of the population, suffer discrimination and harassment and sometimes violence from Buddhist extremists, Muslim extremists and Hindu extremists.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – October 20th 2021

Christianity not “a visa advantage”

Barnabas Fund, 15 October 2021 (excerpts)

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has denied that Christian faith is “a visa advantage” for believers in the Middle East fleeing persecution and violence.

The claim was made in The Times discussing the onslaught against Christians in Syria and Iraq by the Turkish military.

It suggested that “many Christians have received preference in applications for visas to the West”, … prompting “envy and anger among their non-Christian neighbours, who say that Christianity is now more a visa advantage than a faith”.  The claim that Christians are receiving any preference is flatly denied by Lord Carey.

The article, said Lord Carey, “is right that the exodus of Christians from their Middle Eastern homeland is a tragedy that is gathering pace. I doubt, however, it was ever true that Christianity could be described as a ‘visa advantage’”.

“Christian refugees from Iraq and Syria have struggled to be accepted for resettlement to any Western country, particularly the United Kingdom”, he added.

“Barnabas Fund obtained government figures in 2017 and 2018 which showed that, out of more than 8,000 Syrian refugees settled in the UK, only 25 were Christian (0.3 per cent). Before the Arab Spring, Christians represented about 10 per cent of the Syrian population.”

Noting that Afghan Christians now suffering the same situation, Lord Carey argued that the relocation scheme run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) “discriminates against minorities to this day”.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – October 20th 2021

The men in Drakenstein Maximum and Medium A are engaging with classes on emotional and spiritual maturity. Pray it will lead to a marked growth in their maturity.  The classes are having a thought-provoking effect.

There was a plan in Maximum to stab a warder in a gang initiation. A fellow inmate was stabbed instead. Pray that the cult of the prison gang will be defeated and that the light of Christ will shine brightly in that dark place.

Ebrahim, the musician in Medium A, is worried about his wife’s spiritual and physical health.

The latest issue of the NetACT journal was published last week. Pray for wisdom in choosing a replacement for the editor who retires before the next issue, preferably somebody a native English-speaker.  Pray for NetACT as they negotiate with various institutes to make their resources freely available online to benefit the students in Africa and widen their access to first class material.

South Africa is off the UK red list and its vaccination programme has been validated, making it easier for Dawn’s UK trip in November.

Zebulun church is being threatened for non-payment of rent by the owner’s younger brother. The building had been neglected for years when they took it over.  They agreed to repair it and then negotiate a minimal rent with the owner. With the building now in a much better state, the younger brother sees an opportunity. 

They have little money to pay a commercial rent, regardless of the ethics of the younger brother’s intervention.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – October 20th 2021

Daniel Centre

Work on the depot continues to progress slowly.  The Romanian Covid situation is now the worst in the world.

Balazs leaves for Kenya for a month on October 24th.  Samuel, director of the Kenyan school 8 hours’ drive west of Nairobi, is making progress with physiotherapy.  Balazs will be involved in tree-planting and irrigation while there.  A Catholic businessman in Cluj has now given a €20,000 donation towards building 3 new classrooms and teacher accommodation for the Kenya project.

The Kenya volunteer, Louisa, just resigned from her social services work, has now agreed to be an assistant to Balazs and Dani at the Daniel Centre.  Julian does not have Aids.  A big challenge for the young men is having opportunities to find a stable life partner.

Alex has found a place to rent, Cipri is looking for an office job, and Damian has left the Centre rather than give up his dog which was becoming a major problem there. 

Talita Kum

The students are back at school and into their usual routine at Talita Kum.  Adi has applied for an extension on the answer to their application for EU funding for Talita Kum 3 and Talita Kum 4.  The staffing situation is stable at the moment.

The looming crisis for both the Daniel Centre and Talita Kum is the imminent rise in energy prices which could radically impact the budget of both projects.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World

Sold into Slavery, Redeemed by Christ – October 20th 2021

Voice of the Martyrs, 14 October 2021

At age 17, Soni was sold into slavery by her own aunt. She spent three decades as a prostitute in India before a Nepali Christian helped her escape.

This woman shared the gospel with Soni, and Soni joyfully accepted the invitation of salvation through Christ who loves her.

But once she returned home, her family did not accept her because she had been a prostitute who then became an “untouchable” by becoming a Christian.

“Everybody rejected me; Jesus was the only one who loved me,” Soni said.

Her family physically pushed her out of the home, causing Soni to fracture her leg.

She is now being cared for by a church. “Please pray that God will provide all my needs and that all my family will come to know Jesus, so that one day they may also come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Soni said. “Because Jesus died not only for me, but also for them as well.”

Praise God for Soni’s faith and pray that her request is fulfilled.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World

Iran: Missing convert located – 6th October 2021

Middle East Concern, Oct 4, 2021

Iranian Christians are thankful that Ayoub Poor-Rezazade has been released on bail.

Ayoub was arrested with two other Christian converts on 5 September. There had been no news from him or about him since 8 September, causing consternation, especially since his friends were released on 21 September and had no news of Ayoub’s whereabouts.

On 3 October, after submitting bail of 400 million tomans (about $15,000), Ayoub was released from Lakan Prison in Rasht. His friends had also submitted the same bail.

Ayoub had spent 10 days in custody of the Revolutionary Guard before being transferred to solitary confinement in Lakan Prison.

He had been separated from his friends to be interrogated about church finances.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – October 6th 2021

Anti-conversion laws against Indian Christians

Barnabas Fund, 4 October 2021 (excerpts)

Extremists in India continue to use anti-conversion laws as a means of harassing church leaders and other Christians.

On 28 September a pastor in Himachal Pradesh was arrested on charges of attempting to gain converts to Christianity through force and bribery..

The following day, in Madhya Pradesh, radical Hindutva nationalists disrupted a Christian wedding, alleging that the bride had unlawfully converted from Hinduism.

Pastor Charlie John and two Christian brothers were arrested after extremists ordered them to stop distributing Bibles and leaflets in Rampur, Himachal Pradesh.

The pastor explained, “I only offered the Bible, and I gave it to those who freely accepted the Good News.”

“Someone refused the Gospel I was giving them and I didn’t insist.  “We share the Good News with people, tell them about Jesus, but without forcing anyone to convert. The accusations made against me are totally false.” 

In Madhya Pradesh the police filed no charges against the couple or the wedding party, but continue to investigate. 

“The newly wedded couple are Christians and their marriage reception was disturbed based on a false allegation of religious conversion,” said a local pastor.

An Indian legal expert has argued that “a ban on conversion motivated by any sort of gain is in effect a ban on all conversion” which therefore nullifies India’s constitutional commitment to freedom of religion.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – October 6th 2021

A younger retired minister, Hannes Theron, has taken over the responsibility for running the NetACT office and developing relationships with the colleges across Africa.  The Theology Faculty at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, one of the larger universities in South Africa, is interested in joining NetACT.

Fraser is struggling with the latest issue of the NetACT journal.  The ‘copy-edited’ files he has been sent are a mass of inconsistencies, requiring a complete re-working to make them ready for publication.

Only 10 men are allowed to attend prison Bible study. One man says he would follow Jesus up to a certain point, fearing that, if he showed weakness, he would be trampled on and humiliated by other prisoners.   Pray he would follow Jesus completely, not just up to a point. He was, however, glad for a long sentence as he met Jesus in prison whereas he’d not known him outside.

Fahiem, the Muslim background man was the first to arrive at the Bible study this time, clutching his new Bible protectively, eager to make right choices and change his life, and appreciative that he be included in these prayer notes. In 2021, 4 close family members have died so he wants to live a changed life and show them a better way – amazing that people in another continent can have a prayerful impact on those so far away.  Dawn was able to go into Maximum and Medium A at Drakenstein today to lead classes on emotional and spiritual maturity over the next 2 weeks.  She has started a discipleship group at Zebulun.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – October 6th 2021

Daniel Centre

The new storage centre foundations are now 75% complete with the industrial floor and insulation to complete.  The Covid situation in Romania has worsened into the fourth wave.

Balazs is back from a week in Kenya but goes again for a month on October 24th.  Samuel Okomo’s health issue is probably stress-related, having lost his wife to cancer last year.  One of the volunteers left there is having a remarkable impact on widows with her Biblio-drama.

Alix has resigned as assistant to Balazs and Dani but they hope to recruit one of the Kenya volunteers who has just resigned from her social services work to replace him.  André continues to be much more co-operative but  Julian, who is mentally challenged and recently baptised, is causing concern as he has been in contact with an ex-Daniel Centre resident who has HIV Aids.

Alex, Cipri and Damian are increasingly hard to handle as they should be looking for places to live independently with EU funding but are not very pro-active in searching for such places.

Talita Kum

No major updates from Adi with Balazs having been in Kenya but Adi did sponsor a very successful annual ball for the elderly in Jimboliya while Balazs was gone.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World

Saudi Christian convert flees after persecution – October 6th 2021

Church in Chains, 23 September 2021 (excerpts)

“Adam”, a Saudi Arabian Christian in his late forties, converted from Islam 3 years ago, so dangerous for a Saudi that his real name cannot be used. Since then, he has endured constant persecution, to where he has reluctantly decided to leave Saudi to join his family abroad.

Accused of helping his wife’s sister “Eve” (also a Christian convert) to leave Saudi Arabia against her husband’s wishes, he has faced pressure from his family, especially Eve’s husband, who then brought a false charge against him of theft and had him beaten up.

He has faced four court cases and has been in prison several times, for a total of around four months.

From a Yemeni background, he spent most of his life in Saudi Arabia as a Muslim. When Eve became a Christian 3 years ago, her family asked Adam to convince her to return to Islam, unaware that he too was exploring Christianity. In great danger from her family as a convert, Adam helped Eve and her 2 children to flee the country.

On 5 May 2021, Adam’s wife “Hope” was contacted by her family who believed Adam would be sent to prison and it would be better for her to stay with them. They put her under pressure to divorce him, but eventually let her to go free. In July, Adam sent Hope and their younger son “Andrew” abroad for safety.

In August, a group of men beat Adam up on the order of his brother-in-law. He fell on iron and cut his leg very badly, with heavy loss of blood.  Treated in hospital, on his release he was put in prison for a night. Consequently, Adam decided to leave the country and join Hope and Andrew. An older son, “Matthew”, fled Saudi Arabia after helping Adam get Eve out of the country.