Students at GFA-supported Bible colleges throughout South Asia participate in Christmas programs and events.

In spite of the anti-Christians’ malicious intent, the Bible college students who went caroling remained unharmed. But many students, like the young man above, do suffer beatings and injuries.

When students of a Gospel for Asia-supported Bible college began a Christmas carol concert on December 20, three members of anti-Christian extremist organizations disrupted their celebration. The drunken extremists approached the young men and started arguing with them.

“You people came here to disturb us with songs and dance on the streets, and you are converting people to Christianity,” they said.

The students held the informal concert to bless Christians from their congregation, but the angry activists did not approve of the students singing carols in their neighborhood. Tension grew, and the extremists almost started beating the Bible college staff.

The extremists went to find more people to oppose the students, and they also told the police the students were coercing people to convert to Christianity.

The men returned around 7:30 p.m. with the police. The police spoke with the Bible college staff and with the extremists. According to the GFA correspondent in the area, “The police tried to convince the two local leaders that the students were not doing anything wrong by celebrating Christmas.”

But instead of listening to the police, the anti-Christian leaders insisted the students stop singing carols. Infuriated, they were seeking ways to inflict violence upon the students and end the program.

Finally, they decided they would allow the concert to continue if the Bible college staff and students stopped using the PA system they had brought. So the students stopped using microphones and speakers, and they resumed singing. Two policeman stayed back to make sure the rest of the concert went smoothly.

This was not the first time anti-Christian extremists in the same area attempted to disrupt the students’ Christmas celebrations. Similar confrontations took place when students gave carol concerts in other neighborhoods near the Bible college.

The Bible college staff requests prayer for the following:

  • An end to opposition against the Bible college students and staff. Please ask God to move in this specific district, as a lot of opposition has occurred there recently.
  • God’s protection on the Bible college staff and their family members.
  • God will change the hearts of the extremist groups, and they will choose to follow Jesus.