Persecution Hindu style with the CLCIndia- From the Field – Nov. 23, 2017
This is a report from Pastor Jyothi Benjamin of the CLCI. It is cause for prayer as we remember that the gates of hell cannot stand against the advance of His gracious rule.
How has persecution been in the congregations of the CLCI?
CLCI Evangelist Murdered: In the year 2011, one of our
CLCI evangelists was murdered brutally at Yeddumailaram. We
went to police about this but we were put down. We couldn’t
do anything about it.
Attacks on our CLCI members of Medak district: Our CLCI
members in the Medak district have been attacked by the
religious extremists in the year 2012.
Attack on our Kakinada area Pastors: Christians continue to
suffer discrimination and threats in Kakinada and its
surrounding villages. Last year, anti Social activists have
attacked two of our CLCI pastors at Sarpavaram on 25th
January, 2014. On that day while two of our CLCI pastors
were passing through along with couple of our CLCI
women members, a group of the anti social activists
suddenly attacked our CLCI pastors with knifes. They
stabbed one of our pastors twice with knives with abusive
words, accusing him of converting and destroying the Hindu
culture. The attackers snatched their hand bags and mobile
phones and left the place. They also misbehaved with our
CLCI women and also talked ill of Christianity and the
Holy Bible. Immediately the other pastor had taken the wounded pastor to the hospital. With God’s grace he
survived from those severe wounds. After that we went to nearby police station and gave a complaint
against them for their attacks and nasty behavior. Police promised to act on the complaint given. But later
they didn’t do anything about it.
Warning Sign Boards and SMS warning messages: Recently
we have started a church in Pothukatla village in Guntur
district. Rev. David visited that church in the month of July
2015. When next Sunday when we went to that village, we
see a sign board that Christians should not enter into the
village without permission from the Village elders. Also we
have received a series of SMS messages with severe warnings
that we should not enter into the village.
CLCI Pastor and his wife were beaten in Khammam district:
Also in Khammam district one of our CLCI Pastors and his
wife have been beaten up by a mob while they were going to
one of their villages to conduct their weekly prayers. The
extremists threatened and beat them that they should stop
the preaching and leave the village within a week’s time.
Damaged Camera: On March 11, during 2014 the extremists threatened
and physically assaulted us while we are conducting Gospel prayer
meetings in Alapadu village at Guntur district. On the first day while I
was preaching in that village, at about 10 p.m, the anti Christian
extremists shouting anti Christian slogans came to the prayer meeting
spot. Two young men came up with knives, scolded us with loud
voices, aggressively opposed, verbally abused and tried very hard to
stop the prayer meeting. One young man damaged our camera and
threatened us and gave a warning that they will surely harm us if we try to do any kind of Christian activities
in that area.
CLCI church was attacked in Kondapoor village at Gatkesar mandalam: In this village we started our CLCI
church one and half years back. Pastor Rathna Shekar (2013 Graduate CLCI Seminary) is serving our
church here in this village. While we are conducting public gospel meeting in that village, Hindu extremists
barged into the prayer meeting accused Pastor Rathna Shekar and our CLCI believers and beat them up with
hands. Police arrived at the spot and took Pastor Rathna Shekhar and 14 of our church believers to the police
station for questioning. However, after the enquiry, all of them were released without a case registered
against them.
CLCI Pastor Jacob and three of our members Beaten Up and Chased Out from Avakooru village:
Pastor Jacob our CLCI pastor in Krishna District reported that on 22 September 2014 in Avakooru village,
Hindu extremists beat him and three of our church members while they were trying to start a preaching station
in that village. The extremists’ mob accused them of forceful conversion, started to beat them up, and chased
them out from the Avakooru village. Our Pastor tried to submit a police complaint against those extremists
but the police did not register a case against the attackers.
CLCI Pastor Naidu and his son Dilip arrested in Pallegudem at Khammam Dt: Our CLCI Pastor Naidu and
his son Dilip were arrested on Sunday 24th May 2015 after the
Hindu extremists stopped the Sunday worship meeting and
accused the believers of forceful conversion in Pallegudem
village. Our CLCI Pastor reported that the extremists
accompanied by the police and media personnel barged into
the Sunday worship meeting at Pallegudem village at about 10
a.m. and disrupted the Sunday worship service. The extremists
accused Pastor Naidu and the believers of forceful conversion.
Thereafter, the police asked our CLCI believers how much
money they received to convert into Christianity. All our church
members responded that they come to the church by their own
accord to pray, that they did not receive any money and that there
was no case of forceful conversion. Then the police thereafter
told the extremists to leave our CLCI members alone. However,
by giving some bribe the extremists maintained the police to
arrest Pastor Naidu and his son Dilip. Under that process, the
police took Pastor Naidu and his son Dilip to the police station, beat them up and registered a case against
them and asked them to submit Rs 50,000/- to procure their bail. On that very next day we went there and
consulted to local MLA who is our friend. Our pastor and son were released on bail on the next evening of
25th May after the intervention of the local MLA. Local daily news papers published this incident.
CLCI campus at Nidubrolu is under severe police observation since 2014: We are under serious observation
of police people at Nidubrolu. Last year, we were severely harassed by the Police and our CLCI campus was
under police observation from September to November 2014.
Like this many examples are there in the CLCI. In many villages, Hindu landlords forcibly put down our
CLCI churches. They have organized their own armies. If any Christian group rises up to assert their rights,
these armies attack away from government scrutiny or police intervention. The government does nothing to
protect Christians. because they are controlled by these same Hindu landlords. In some areas, we have been
shifting the places of worship into other places.
AND HIS GOSPEL GOES FORWARD.