Missionaries Under Intense Scrutiny After Many Choose to Follow Christ
November 3, 2009
Christians in Orissa risk everything to follow Jesus. |
In one district of Orissa, India, villagers have held tight to their traditional religions and kept Christianity away for centuries. But now, several Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries are working in the region and dozens of low-caste Dalits are coming to Christ—and this is making anti-Christians angry.
A local newspaper ran a story about 25 Dalit families in one village being "converted to Christianity by missionaries," spurring an investigation into whether the conversions were made by force or allurement. The Dalits who received Christ told the investigators that no one had pressured them, but that Jesus alone had changed their lives.
In response, anti-Christians are having their own meeting to figure out how they can force the new believers back to their old religion.
The believers have stood firm, however, and are trusting the Lord to take care of them ...With the sudden attention focused on that area—located in the state where hundreds of Christians were murdered in the last year—the Church there asks for prayer. There is no telling which way the situation could turn, depending how things are portrayed in upcoming media reports and which side the local government chooses to take.
Gospel for Asia leaders nearby are keeping a close watch on the situation to do all they can for the safety of the pastors, believers and missionaries there.
Growing Fruit
Despite knowing it was a dangerous place to share the Gospel, GFA-supported missionaries had moved there willingly. They eagerly began to fast and pray for the Lord to open doors and soon, He began to work greatly. In just the last two years, 15 new fellowships have sprung up in that area.
This growth spurt of faith among the Dalit community made many of their non-Christian fundamentalist neighbors suspicious. Orissa has a tough anti-conversion law through which the government can enforce harsh fines and jail time on missionaries accused of "forcibly converting" or using "fraud or allurement."
In situations like this, anti-Christians often twist a situation to accuse pastors or missionaries and try to get them convicted. In this case, they called in the media to report on the incident and attract attention, which could intimidate the Christian workers—especially in light of Orissa's recent wave of persecution.
The believers have stood firm, however, and are trusting the Lord to take care of them in this situation and to work for His good.
