The rally protested against persecution such as the destruction of this church building in Orissa. |
Gospel for Asia missionaries and Bible college students joined 10,000 people in Manipur, India, on September 17 to protest the ongoing violence against Christians. In spite of a long history of struggle in their own state, they came together in support of their brothers and sisters in Orissa and other states facing escalating persecution.
The rally drew Christian government employees and politicians, church leaders and members of Christian organizations from throughout Manipur. They gathered at a church to pray and commit the event to the Lord before marching to a school. There, they gave speeches and called for an end to the violence against innocent Christians in India that has left several dead and thousands injured since August 23.
Rally organizers asked GFA missionaries and students to take part by acting as administrative volunteers and leading worship. They reported that the program was successful and the Lord enabled them to conduct the rally with no problems.
These Christians are among thousands in India who have faced persecution recently. |
While drawing attention to the need for relief in other states, the rally also helped draw communities of Christians together in Manipur. The unity they experienced encouraged many who attended to draw closer together amidst their own crises.
An anti-Christian extremist group recently made GFA workers in the state their proclaimed target, and ethnic tensions threaten the daily lives of Manipuris. Last year, a Bridge of Hope worker was kidnapped and later released. Gunfire exploded around a GFA missionary’s Good Friday service. The list of incidents goes on and on, and the situation remains unstable. But the Christians are looking beyond their uncertainties to stand with their fellow believers against the anti-Christians’ recent rampage.