Amid hurt and hostility, India’s Christians remember God’s purposes – Mission Network News

This article has been corrected from its broadcast to say that the rally was held near India’s parliament, not directly outside the parliament building. 
 
India (MNN) — On Friday, November 28, an estimated 3,500 Christians gathered near India’s parliament. Their goal? To peacefully protest the rise of anti-Christian violence and to call for government action. 
Organizers of the rally included the United Christian Forum. According to UCF reports, India saw a 500% increase in anti-Christian violence between 2014 and 2024. 
Duane Friesen serves as Vice President of International Ministry at Voice of the Martyrs Canada. He says Christians in India face “false accusations, mob violence, social boycott, community pressures. Disruption of worship and prayer meetings, raidings under allegations of forced conversion. Hate campaigns, both online and then in person to spread misinformation.”
(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada)
Friesen says stories of hope remain in the midst of suffering in India. Persecuted Christians are relying on the very same gospel they preach. God’s goodness, His purposes, and His mission to reach the world spur them on. (Read one pastor’s story here.)
When these believers are asked for prayer requests, “their answer usually revolves around a prayer for courage, that they would continue to be steadfast even in the midst of hurt, that they would be able to be messengers of hope,” says Friesen. “I get greatly encouraged when I hear that kind of conversation.”
There is also good news in the legal realm, despite intense opposition. Not only is the Supreme Court reviewing anti-conversion laws, but in some incidents of violence, perpetrators and accomplices aren’t getting away with it. 
One example of this happened in October, when a Hindu mob stopped a van of missionaries in Jammu and Kashmir state. The mob smashed the windows and beat the Christians. Police just watched. That police inaction is, unfortunately, all too common.
But in this case, Friesen says, authorities have held the police accountable. 
“So we are seeing where at least some aspects of the legal system does move,” he says. “It’s just unfortunate that the action happens after the event. They choose to leave it for the courts later on. Then the Christian community has to wait a long time to see vindication or validation of their concerns.”
Pray for courage and endurance for India’s Christians in these challenging times. Pray for justice to be upheld by India’s government. 
 
 
 
Header photo: A church in Hyderabad, India. (Stock photo courtesy of Paul Silvan via Unsplash)
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