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Persecution Watch: Praying for Believers in Nepal
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Thursday September 9, 2021 in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Nepal: Population: 30.2 million, Christian 1.3 million (4.2%)
In Nepal, converts from Hinduism are put under the most pressure; they are viewed as deviating from the faith of the ancestors, and therefore breaking with their culture and their national identity. Converts—and members of Protestant churches—experience pressure from family, friends, community and local authorities. Roman Catholic churches, as well as churches where more foreigners attend, often have fewer issues.
Nepal has a great deal of political instability, driven by governmental infighting as well as a constant push-and-pull between powerful neighbors China and India. Hindu extremists occasionally take advantage of this fact by attacking Christians. The increase in persecution started when the Nepalese government introduced and enacted a sweeping anti-conversion law. This anti-conversion law has been used to expel foreign citizens. This law can be broadly applied, and since it says that anyone who causes an individual to convert to a different religion can be imprisoned, fined or deported, it has been used to target Christians. In some areas, Christians were also left out of COVID-19 relief that the government provided, re-emphasizing their status as second-class citizens.
Radical Hindu nationalists within Nepal, who want to see the country reestablished as a Hindu kingdom, have taken advantage of the country’s anti-conversion law. Using the new law, radicals accuse Christians of attempting religious conversions for merely sharing their faith. These developments have led Open Doors to rank Nepal number 32 on their World Watch List.
In Nepal, converts from Hinduism are put under the most pressure; they are viewed as deviating from the faith of the ancestors, and therefore breaking with their culture and their national identity. Converts—and members of Protestant churches—experience pressure from family, friends, community and local authorities. Roman Catholic churches, as well as churches where more foreigners attend, often have fewer issues.
Nepal has a great deal of political instability, driven by governmental infighting as well as a constant push-and-pull between powerful neighbors China and India. Hindu extremists occasionally take advantage of this fact by attacking Christians.
There is also an anti-conversion law in place in Nepal, which recently has been used to expel foreign citizens. This law can be broadly applied, and since it says that anyone who causes an individual to convert to a different religion can be imprisoned, fined or deported, it has been used to target Christians.
Nepal fell two spots from 2020 to the 2021 World Watch List—and yet, persecution actually rose. But persecution rose worldwide, so it means Nepal is lower on the list. Pressure is high for Christians in every sphere of life, particularly in their private and national lives. This shows how restrictive life is for Christian converts from Hinduism, and how much the governing authorities make life difficult for followers of Christ.
In some areas, Christians were also left out of COVID-19 relief that the government provided, re-emphasizing their status as second-class citizens.
- Pray to the Lord that His Spirit will convict Prime Minister K.P.S. Oli and his ministers and put it on their hearts to protect their Christian minorities.
- Pray that Christians in Nepal will have wisdom to know how to share their faith safely, and boldness to continue sharing the gospel. Pray God will soften the hearts of those enforcing the restrictions on evangelism, and that He might draw them to Himself through the courageous witness of our brothers and sisters.
- Pray for Christian women in Nepal who face persecution from their family members. Many are beaten, threatened, not allowed to go to church, rejected and left alone. Please pray that, with God’s strength, these women will continue to stand strong in their faith, and through them God would bring their entire families to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for believers who live in very remote villages. It is difficult for our local partners to contact them, and when they go through persecution, it can be difficult for our partners to reach them quickly. Pray for the Christians in these villages, that God would strengthen them and provide for their needs.
- Pray for Christians who are discriminated against in government aid distributions during COVID-19 and cyclone relief. Often, poor day laborers faced a loss of income and starvation. Pray they would be able to recover, both physically and emotionally.
- Pray for that the Lord will appear to Hindu extremists in their dreams and convert them to honor the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Pray that God would be near to our brokenhearted brothers and sisters in Nepal. Ask God to make His presence felt to them.
- Ask God to pour out His Spirit of love, order and calm over Christian communities. Pray for safety and protection in the days ahead.
- Ask God to intervene against violence and bring the persecutors to justice.
- Pray for NGOs to work through church partners and volunteers in Nepal. The ministries are focused on areas, such as Bible and Christian material distribution, training for church leaders and Christians, including persecution preparedness training, socio-economic aid – including emergency aid for COVID-19 -legal help and advocacy, and special projects as requested by the local church to provides support, pastor training and relocation for persecuted Christians.
- Pray that the Lord will guide and protect His believers when they reach out to give the Good News
- Pray that Believers can love and forgive their persecutors.
- Pray that the Lord will protect, strengthen, and encourage His believers and give them supernatural ability to continue to spread the Good News and that many Hindus will become believers.
Again, we want to lift up persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison.
- Pray for Anita, a Christian convert facing a long prison term who escaped from Iran and praying to go to a country where she can express her faith openly.
- For the release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, and his family as their Persecution continues. Pastor Nadarkhani is serving the second year of his six-year sentence.
Andy, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: 712 775-7035
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Tonight n the Persecution Watch Call – Nepal
Nepal – Population: 29.9 million, Christian 1.3 million
Most of the persecution of Christians in Nepal comes from Hindu radical groups whose goal is to return Nepal to a Hindu state. Seen as betraying their ancestors’ faith, Christian converts from Hinduism continue to live under intense pressure, including Nepal’s anti-conversion laws.
On April 23, five Christians, including an American citizen, were arrested in Nepal’s Dang District after they were accused of attempted proselytization. These arrests, and other instances of Christian persecution, present a worrying sign for religious freedom in Nepal. According to local reports, the five Christians were arrested on April 23 in Nepal’s Dang District. Among those arrested were Pastor Dilli Ram Paudel, General Secretary of the Nepal Christian Society, Gaurav Srivastava, an Indian citizen, and Leanna Ciquanda, an American citizen.
Prior to these arrests, Nepal’s Christians have reported escalating levels of persecution. On March 24, a Christian pastor was beaten by an angry mob after being accused of proselytization in Sarlahi. These incidents are a worrying sign that religious freedom, a right guaranteed by Nepal’s constitution, is on the decline. In 2015, Nepal adopted a new constitution that declared the country a secular state and guaranteed religious freedom. However, the constitution also included language that has provided the foundation for the country’s controversial anti-conversion law.
Under Article 26 (3) of the new constitution, “No person shall behave, act or make others act to disturb public law and order situation or convert a person of one religion to another or disturb the religion of other people…such an act shall be punished by law.”
On August 17, 2018, the Nepalese government enacted this controversial portion of the new constitution when it was added to the country’s criminal codes. Under these new laws, an individual found guilty of even encouraging religious conversions can be fined up to 50,000 Rupees (US$ 416) and placed in prison for up to five years.
- Pray to the Lord that He will soften the Governments attitude towards Christians and that the anti conversion law will be abolished.
- Pray to the Lord that moderates in Government will counteract the Hindu extremists from gaining more influence in the country.
- Pray for the protection of believers who are arrested just for sharing the gospel. Pray that lawyers will come forward to defend them and, if their cases reach the courts, that they will be dealt with justly. Hindu extremists are gaining influence in the country.
- Pray for protection for new believers when members of their own family turn on them, often throwing them out of the family home. Pray for tolerance toward believers.
- Believers often find themselves alone in following Jesus in their family which leads them to want to worship in secret. Pray that they will find security in the fellowship of other Christians.
- There is an increase of Christians being accused of proselytizing. And now any Christian who talks Christianity can be falsely accused of trying to convert someone. Pray that our brothers and sisters in Nepal “… stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”
- Pray that Christians would have wisdom to know how to share the gospel with their Buddhist neighbors and family members. Pray they would lead with love and be well-received.
- Pray that believers would have courage and endurance in the face of persecution.
- Pray for the protection of NGOs who minister to the Christian minorities
- Pray to the Lord that He will encourage His saints so that His church will continue to grow faster than expected.
Again, we want to lift up persecuted witnesses to the Lord
- Leah Sharibu and Alice, pray that they will be set free.
- Pray pastor Wang Yi to be released from Prison
- Pray for the release for Anita, a Christian convert recently sentenced to 6 years in prison for sharing the Gospel in Iran
You are invited to join us on Thursday, August 13 in a prayer call for the persecuted church.
Andy, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
Time:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: 712 775-7035
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God.
The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted and our missions became one. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch is an important part of our own.
With the passing of Blaine into glory on December 26, 2019, Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with our dedicated prayer warrior team.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the call to share the trials they’re facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer.
Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone. We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you.
If you’re new to the call and can’t find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
NOTE: Persecution Watch has a new email address for the prayer team and those who would like to receive urgent prayer requests, weekly call prayer points and notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Please fill out the form below to be included in our new distribution list to receive this important information. We are grateful for your prayers and to the Lord for guiding us as we continue the Persecution Watch prayer call mission.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Pastor in Nepal Jailed for More than Three Months Released on Bail
Pastor Keshab Raj Acharya and his wife Junu after his release on bail in Nepal. (Morning Star News)
(Morning Star News) – A pastor arrested in Nepal in March on charges that violate religious rights, and then re-arrested moments after release in April, was released after paying an exorbitant bail this month, sources said.
First arrested on March 23 on charges of spreading false information for saying prayers can heal the novel coronavirus, pastor Keshab Raj Acharya had been released on April 8 only to be re-arrested moments later on charges of “outraging religious feelings” and “proselytizing.” After more than three months in prison, he was released on July 3 after paying bail equal to about $2,500, sources said.
“It was very difficult for me,” Pastor Acharya told Morning Star News. “I would think of my little children and my wife, and I would cry out to the Lord in prayer. I would look up at Him in hope that if it is in His will that I should be put through this, He would get me out of this.”
Government officials and police worked together against him, he said.
“They were laying a thorough plan to make sure I would stay in the jail for a longer period,” Pastor Acharya said.
The charges against the father of two young children violate a freedom of religion agreement to which Nepal is a signatory, rights advocates and Christian leaders in the Himalayan country said.
“I was released on bail after my wife paid 5,000 Nepalese rupees [US$41] on April 8, but after few minutes I was again taken into custody,” Pastor Acharya told Morning Star News.
When he asked why officers were arresting him again, police said he had gone against Nepalese religious customs by distributing gospel tracts in several places, he said. Officers further questioning him mocked and harassed him as they ordered him to explain each photo they found in the cell phone they had confiscated from him, he said.
Pastor Acharya had stored files of and about gospel tracts on his mobile phone. Seeing photos of different areas of Nepal and people he had met there, the officers mocked him, saying he had been to every district, and that the photos were solid evidence against him, he said.
“They ridiculed, ‘Oh, you have gone all around this country preaching about Christ against the Sanathan Hindu culture and customs. You are a threat to our nation. You should not be let go that easily,’” Pastor Acharya said.
When he asked officers why he was held in custody so long despite cooperating in every possible way, they spoke respectfully to him while at the same time fabricating false charges against him, he said.
“The officers told me, ‘Sir, you are not a criminal. You are a man of God. The Lord will save you,’ but they would twist the context of my narration and write statements on their own to only make the cases against me stronger,” Acharya told Morning Star News. “Only when I was produced before the judge did I get to know what all they have written about me. And, each time I was surprised to see the police twisting my statements and presenting them before the court so that the judge would really think I am a threat to national security.”
Police filed charges of outraging religious feelings and proselytizing, and on April 19 a Kaski District judge set a bail of 500,000 Nepalese rupees (US$4,084), considered disproportionately high for the level of charges against him.
“Every time I had asked the police to show me the statements they have written about me, they did not allow me to read them and took my signatures without me reading a word,” the pastor said.
Transfer to Dolpa
After 25 days, police planned to transfer him to the more remote Dolpa District jail, which has a reputation for mistreatment and poor conditions.
On May 13 officers arrested him from court premises on a third set of charges and sent him to the Dolpa jail. They treated him like a most-wanted criminal, stopping at every police station along the way and frequently changing the personnel taking him on the three-day trip, he said.
“Some of the police personnel who accompanied me did not wear masks,” Pastor Acharya told Morning Star News. “I was offered food in plates that were not clean, and especially since the COVID-19 spread in Nepal was rising, I had concerns about safety and hygiene. But I gave thanks and ate whatever they offered.”
Accusing Pastor Acharya of printing and distributing gospel tracts, the Dolpa District Attorney’s office on May 21 filed charges under the Nepal Criminal Code’s Section 158(1), which prohibits converting anyone from one religion to another, and Section 158(2), which prohibits undermining one’s religion with the intention of converting another person.
He was denied bail on May 22, but more than a month later the district judge reviewed the order decided to release him temporarily on bail of 300,000 Nepali rupees – about $2,500. Five days after the order, he was released on July 3, he said.
Pastor Mukunda Sharma, executive secretary of Nepal Christian Society, told Morning Star News that Christian individuals and organizations concerned about religious freedom around the world came forward to extend support in prayer and action. The Nepal Christian Society’s Rapid Response Team formed a three-member committee to work on his case soon after hearing about it, he said.
“We had talks with the police officials at all the three police stations where Pastor Acharya was framed in cases of spreading false information that prayers could heal COVID-19 and outraging religious feelings and proselytizing Hindus to Christianity,” Pastor Sharma said. “Since Nepal is a secular state and the constitution of Nepal guarantees religious freedom and the freedom of expression to all the citizens equally, the committee studied Pastor Keshab’s case and came to the conclusion that he had been falsely framed in cases that are against the Nepalese law of the land and also international human rights laws.”
The society hired Supreme Court lawyer Govinda Bandi and petitioned the court, but their pleas were rejected.
“All through the imprisonment, Pastor Acharya was treated like a notorious criminal. His hands were tied behind as police shifted him from place to place,” he said. “Worried by the arrest and inhumane treatment of Pastor Keshab Acharya, the Nepal Christian Society along with individuals and organizations from across the globe petitioned the attorney general of Nepal, Mr. Agni Kharel, to drop all the wrongful charges against Pastor Acharya and uphold the freedom of religion and belief.”
Thankful for Support
Pastor Acharya’s wife, Junu Acharya, told Morning Star News she wished to thank all who have prayed for and supported her family throughout the ordeal.
Unable to pay the rent on their worship facility, she added, the church has vacated the building.
“Outraging religious sentiments” under Section 158 of the Nepal Penal Code is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 50,000 Nepalese rupees (US$403). Under Section 156, it is punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 Nepalese rupees (US$163).
While Nepal’s 2015 constitution establishes it as a secular and democratic republic, its definition of “secular” appears to protect Hinduism and allows others only to worship in their own faiths. Article 26 forbids anyone to “convert a person of one religion to another religion, or disturb the religion of other people.”
Advocacy groups have detected increased enforcement and other anti-Christian efforts as officials seek to placate Hindus incensed that the new constitution did not re-establish a more prominent place for Hinduism. A landlocked country between the giants of India and China, Nepal is said to be more than 75 percent Hindu and 16 percent Buddhist. Christians are estimated to make up nearly 3 percent of Nepal’s population, and Muslims 4.4 percent.
Legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom’s allied attorney in Nepal said Christians who were once primarily hit with false accusations of “forcible conversion” are now being charged with preaching or speaking about their faith publicly.
An increase in persecution of Christians in Nepal began after a new criminal code was passed in October 2017, which took effect in August 2018.
By criminalizing conversions, Nepal has infringed on the fundamental freedom of religion or belief which is guaranteed not only by its constitution but also secured by several international covenants, according to ADF-International.
“Nepal’s constitution prohibits the attempt of religious conversion,” according to an ADF press statement. “At the same time, Nepal is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, an international treaty explicitly protecting freedom of religion and expression.”
Nepal is ranked 32nd on Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Foreign Christians Arrested on Charges of ‘Converting’ in Nepal
(Morning Star News) – A Christian from South Korea arrested in Nepal on charges of “attempting to convert” was released on bail on Wednesday (Aug. 7), sources said.
Cho Yusang, a 73-year-old evangelical Christian, posted bail of 150,000 Nepalese rupees (US$1,330) after being arrested on July 23. His health deteriorated after he was incarcerated, and he had been hospitalized, said Tanka Subedi, chair of the Religious Liberty Forum Nepal (RLFN).
On Monday (Aug. 5), Subedi told Morning Star News that Cho had been released from hospital care.
“Though he was out of hospital, he was feeling dizzy this morning also,” Subedi said. “His health is still not good. He does not want to go back to the hospital, because he does not have much money left. He does not have insurance cover to pay his bills.”
In Nepal on a business visa, Cho was also charged with misuse of visa.
The charge of “attempting to convert” under Section 158 (1) of the Nepal Penal Code of 2017 calls for as much five years in jail and/or a fine of up to 50,000 Nepalese Rupees (US$445), according to Subedi.
Cho and two other foreigners working separately from him were found involved in conversion activity in Pokhara, in central Nepal, Raj Kumar KC, spokesperson of the District Police Office in Kaski, reportedly said.
Police arrested Cho for allegedly distributing leaflets and Bibles in the Barachi area of Kaski District, in Gandaki Pradesh Province, KC told the Kathmandu, Nepal-based news outlet Republica. The police spokesman said officers also arrested two Japanese nationals, Jehova’s Witnesses unaffiliated with Cho, in the Ratna area of the same district on the same charges.
KC reportedly said their arrest shows that “some foreigners do not come with good intentions,” and that they would be charged with proselytizing.
B.P. Khanal, national coordinator of Nepal for the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief [IPPFoRB], told Morning Star News that after arresting Cho from his lakeside lodging, police raided his room and confiscated some Bibles and Christian literature.
Khanal, who is responsible for inter-faith relations for the Nepal Christian Society, said possession of a Bible and Christian literature is not evidence of a crime.
“In this case the law is discriminatory, because it is not an offense to have Bibles in your room,” Khanal told Morning Star News. “The recovery of some Bibles and Christian literature from Yusang’s personal belongings is projected as an offense and as a crime Yusang committed. Anybody can have a Bible – it is not a drug or an explosive. Carrying a Bible should not be and must not be a criminal offense.”
The Nepal Christian Society has hired an attorney for Cho, he said.
U.S. Citizen Charged
Earlier, in Basgadhi of Bardiya District, police on June 21 arrested U.S. citizen Bradley Navarro Anagaran on a charge of possessing Christian literature, according to the RLFN.
When local pastor Hira Singh Sunar went to the police station to inquire about his arrest, officers arrested him as well, according to an RLFN statement. Both Anagaran and Pastor Sunar were charged with “attempting to convert,” it stated.
Anagaran was found with two discipleship leaflets designed for use within a church circle, Christian sources said.
“Apart from the literature on discipleship, police have confiscated a few pairs of reading glasses from his backpack, which means that the police did not find him distributing the literature to anybody,” Khanal of the IPPFoRB said.
The two Christians were moved from district headquarters of Gulariya to Bansgadhi police station. They were released on bail on July 3, and Anagaran has returned to the United States, but he must return for a hearing at the end of this month and every court date thereafter, Subedi of the RLFN said.
“I personally don’t know how he will be able to do that, as it is a great financial burden to travel every time for his court date from the United States to Nepal,” Subedi told Morning Star News. “The court procedures in Nepal take several years and are tiresome.”
A team from the Nepal Christian Society in Kathmandu, including Khanal, went to speak with local officials.
“We met with about 60 local pastors and mobilized prayer, as well as formed a task force,” Khanal said. “We met Bradley and Sunar inside the jail and comforted them. We met the police inspector who arrested Bradley, the deputy superintendent of police, chief district officer and the prosecuting attorney to discuss how the charges in the case could be minimized, for there was no ‘conversion attempt’ in the case at all.”
After the initial order for a week’s remand ended, police kept them in custody while extending the investigation for no apparent reason, sources said.
“Both Bradley and Sunar were being kept in a miserable condition while in custody,” read an RLFN newsletter. “They were treated as criminals even though they had not committed any crime.”
The Rev. Mukunda Sharma, spokesperson of the RLFN, was a part of the team visiting the duo in jail. He urged human rights and diplomatic officials to support them.
Khanal issued a plea for foreigners visiting Nepal to refrain from doing anything that will land them in legal trouble. He said that sharing the gospel where there are already local churches should not be taken up by Christians from other countries.
“Their role can be to inspire, educate and train local churches if they really want the bring the gospel to the people,” he said. “Let the local church in their local language share the gospel.”
As the Nepal Christian Society is taking up an increasing number of legal cases, he asked that the international Christian community pray for those accused under Nepal’s new criminal code.
An increase in persecution of Christians in Nepal began after a new criminal code was passed in October 2017, which took effect in August 2018.
Targeting Christians
Pastor Sagar Baiju, a senior Christian leader in the country, said that such incidents make it clear that government officials, police and politicians are targeting Christians.
“Unless this new law is revoked, such incidents will continue to increase in Nepal,” Baiju told Morning Star News. “When I travel to foreign counties, I carry my identity with me – and my identity is that I am a Nepali, but apart from being a Nepali, I am a Christian, so I always carry my Bible with me. How is it a crime, when foreign tourists come to Nepal to tour the country or to visit their friends and carry their Bible in their hands?”
People of other religions erect huge tents, gather in large numbers and use loud sound systems for worship, and the lawmakers do not question them, he said.
“All the schools in Nepal have their morning devotions according to the faith that the school authorities follow,” he said. “In schools run by Hindus, they make the children perform Saraswati Vandana [a common Hindu mantra] in their morning devotion, and nobody objects to it. Then why is it a crime, if a Christian school makes the children say The Lord’s Prayer in the assembly? Why are objections raised and Christians ghettoized as criminals?”
There is a need for Christians to unite and raise the issue with a single voice, he said.
“A hospital owned by a Hindu has a big Hindu temple inside the premises,” he said. “They are free to write Hindu scriptures on the walls of the hospital and nobody objects. But if a Christian hospital has a Bible inside the hospital or a Bible verse hung on any wall, we are accused of preaching our religion, and the authorities running the hospital are in trouble.”
Nepal was ranked 32nd on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Assault on Christian Leader in Nepal Reflects Growing Threat
Pastor Sagar Baizu of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal. (Morning Star News)
(Morning Star News) – Pastor Sagar Baizu, 46, had finished one meeting and had an hour before the next one, so he decided to stop at a café on a major thoroughfare in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, on July 19.
As he was about to sip a coffee in the crowded café at 2 p.m., six to eight men suddenly attacked the spokesperson and co-general secretary of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal (FNCN) from behind.
“They beat me for a minute and a half and suddenly fled the site,” Pastor Baizu told Morning Star News. “They said, ‘We will blast your church and all the churches with bombs and shoot you and all your leaders.’”
He became dizzy from many blows to his head by two of the assailants and could not see the faces of any of them, he said.
“I just could not understand what was happening to me for about 10 minutes after the assault,” the pastor said.
After cafeteria staff members helped him regain his bearings, Pastor Baizu informed police, who arrived in about 20 minutes.
Though he sustained no visible injuries, he received immediate medical attention, and doctors advised him to wear a neck brace for a week and to rest his head as much as possible.
Pastor Baizu, who has headed Anugrah Vijay Church (Grace Victory Church) in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu District, for 23 years, filed a report on the assault with police, and the chief district officer has taken it seriously, he said.
Police registered a case against six to eight unidentified men under “attempt to murder” and “threat of bomb blast,” he said. The chief district officer instructed Kathmandu Valley police to provide security to the pastor, and policemen have been deployed outside his church building and residence. They told him to inform security personnel whenever he leaves home.
High Profile
Pastor Baizu has been advocating on behalf of Nepali Christians for more than 10 years.
“I am the official spokesperson of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal and have been speaking about the rights of the church for many years now,” he said. “This is not the first time that I have received threats.”
Asked if the attack could have resulted from personal animosity, Pastor Baizu said he had no personal enemies, and that he had no doubt he was assaulted for his boldness to “stand for the church and with the church.”
“This is persecution that came because of my Christian activism,” he said. “They spoke about bombing the church and killing the Christian leaders. Otherwise they would have never spoken like this.”
He was a high-profile advocate for Tupek Church in Kathmadu after a bulldozer arrived to demolish its building about four months ago. The pastor also recalled how four Christians were jailed for a week after a mob of Hindu extremists assaulted them for singing Christian songs on a roadside.
The hard-line Hindus held the young Christian men until police arrived, and officers arrested the four Christians and set the assailants free, he said. A case was registered against the four Christians, who were released on bail.
The assault on Pastor Baizu comes amid a rash of anti-Christian hostilities this year. He said increased threats on the Christian community in Nepal is a matter of great concern.
“Every day we hear about one or the other incident in Nepal,” he said, adding that the government is not doing enough to protect the rights of Christians, and that radical organizations are taking advantage of this laxity.
A team of Christian delegates recently met with Nepal’s home minister but were disappointed with the cold response, he said.
Quit Spreading The Gospel Of Christ Or Else! A New Reality For The World
(Voice of the Persecuted) The Western Church remains silent about the global Christian community as a whole. They are either blinded, or watching in silence while one Christian after another is moved toward genocide and extinction. Do they wonder or see the big picture? The dragon (satan) is working very hard to destroy the great commission given by Jesus to His followers. “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.” Do you realize that in nearly 1/2 of the world it’s now illegal, or a threat to your life for preaching the Gospel of Christ?
Nepali constitution could render Christianity illegal
(World Watch Monitor) Christians fear this will pave the way for an “anti-conversion clause” to be written into the penal code, which could result in prison sentences or hefty fines for “offenders”. On paper, the proposed amendments read the same for all religions, but no specification is given for what constitutes an “act to convert” and, in a country where 80 per cent of the population is Hindu, the hammer is likely to fall hardest on minorities, including Christians, who comprise between 1.5 and 3 per cent of the population.
Attempting to convert someone to another religion is already prohibited in Nepal, but the proposed amendments would mean that anything perceived as “evangelistic” could be punishable by law.
Article 31(3) states that “any act to convert another person from one religion to another, or any act or behaviour to undermine or jeopardise the religion of another [will be] punishable by law”.
Christians fear this will pave the way for an “anti-conversion clause” to be written into the penal code, which could result in prison sentences or hefty fines for “offenders.”
Amendments like these not only allow, but encourage the expansion of strict ‘Sharia’ law and the like, such as Hindu lands where it is against the law for anyone to convert others to their religion. In Iraq, the region is almost void of vestiges of Christianity. The global community watches one church after another being destroyed.
By Dirk Beyer (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
The Fides agency has shared detailed testimony:
“We are hated because we persist in wanting to exist as Christians”
This is orchestrated again by the most vile evil that ever existed. Pure and simple Satan. The leftist’s and progressives in the West refer to him as a being of light, the first rebel. What Christians either don’t understand or don’t believe is that Satan is real, and yes he rebelled against God taking 1/3 of the Heavenly hosts with him, when he was cast out of Heaven. Why is it so hard for Christians to believe in Satan? Why is it so hard for Christians in the West to understand what is happening in the world? Quoting a persecuted, Syrian brother in Christ, “The snake creeps as the West sleeps.” This is so true, even of the western Church. In one fatal swoop the west has created a scenario that has left Christianity extinct in 1/4 of the world. In countries like Syria and Iraq, where Christians have been around spreading the good news of Christ since the time of His death, they are now a statistic—collateral damage in the world of genocide and at risk of total extinction. Not hyperbole nor a conspiracy theory or fabricated propaganda, it’s happening now, a modern-day truth and reality.
The book of Revelation is exploding in our very time, right before our eyes! And the Western Church cannot see the forest for the trees. Plump and fat on the blessings from God, hands raised in worship, begging blessings from God totally oblivious to the fact that the Gospel of Christ is under attack even in their own respective free countries. So complacent with their freedom of worship, church for many has become a weekly social event. Many are more concerned about meeting for lunch or the potluck picnic after service than worship, the Word and heart of God. If they choose not to act in their complacency, Christianity as they know it may no longer exist. And the Gospel of Christ will be shared in the shadows, underground and in secret. Take heed in the Word of God, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Look back to the early church, what did the Apostles do when they were faced with persecution and a similar extinction? They certainly didn’t hide and shrink from their duties. They finished the race, they spread the love and word of Christ, even died for it, for Him. Does this sound like the church of today?
In the West Christians are told to keep it to themselves, out of public view. you cannot voice your belief, form opinions on moral Christian values or practice your belief in all facets of life. To do so, you may be called a hater, bigot, or risk a court of law. Many Christian businesses have already been ruined as they dared to say no to the practice of killing innocent unborn children, or no to participating in Homosexual marriages in some form. Many have already lost their jobs and others are told to either conform or lose your job. Some have been discharged from the military for displaying Bible verses!
And one of the biggest lies of all is told among our Christian communities. And that is ALL religions worship the same God. With the scripture and word of God right in front of them, they boldly proclaim ,”There is more than one way to heaven.” HELLO! The great falling away has begun. Are you ready?????? Ready or not here I come. That is what is resounding from scripture.
If you don’t understand the words of Jesus in the parable of the Virgins in Matthew 25, now is the time to find out what it means as it is the perfect picture of what the church today looks like!
Photo of the parable of the Ten Virgins via Wikipedia
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
WAKE UP! Satan knows his time is short, why can’t the Western Church see that OUR TIME IS SHORT.
VICTORY! A Christian pastor released from prison, in Tibet
ASIA/NEPA: Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) – Protestant Pastor Chhedar Bhote Lhomi, 37, was freed from blame and released from prison, he is now free after a bad experience of detention.
As Fides learns, the Pastor lives in a remote area of Nepal, where he had started a Christian community that met regularly. He was jailed in October 2012 on charges of “beef consumption” although he carried out his service in an area of Nepal where this custom is normally permitted (in other parts of the country local Hindus do not eat beef because cattle are considered sacred).
In the fall of 2012 the Pastor had been accused by some local Hindus of having eaten “forbidden meat” and a mob had attacked him ravaging and destroying his home. The Pastor was arrested by the police, leaving his family (wife and three children) in the direst poverty.
A court recently declared that Pastor Chhedar is “not guilty” and ordered his release. The Pastor said he will continue to pray and proclaim Christ on the heights of Tibet. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/08/2014)
Take time to praise and worship the Lord. This victory is His! Keep Pastor Chhedar in your prayers as he proclaims the Gospel in Tibet.
Nepal-Believer murdered while praying
Warning: Graphic Content
Gospel for Asia reports of a brutal murder of a faithful church elder in Nepal. Debalal served under the leadership of GFA-supported Believers Church pastor Tuhinsurra for many years as the elder of the church. He often visited those in his area and shared the love of Christ with them, faithfully praying for those who were ill.
“Debalal was a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Dr. Narayan Sharma, senior leader of our work in Nepal. “He was diligent in the Lord’s ministry and helped bring many into the Kingdom of God.”
Debalal, 36, spent his last moments on earth praying for the man who would later kill him.
In the early morning of Sunday, October 20, Debalal, an elder of a GFA-supported Believers Church in Nepal, was called to the home of Kumar Sardar, 29, to pray for his healing.
Kumar’s wife had asked Debalal to pray for her husband who had been crying out with acute pain in his body. As Debalal prayed for Kumar with his eyes closed, Kumar left the room only to come back holding a sharp khukuri, a common Nepali knife with a curved edge that is much like a machete. Before Debalal could be made aware of the weapon, Kumar attacked him, slitting his throat. Debalal died at around 3 a.m.
News reports indicate Kumar is now in police custody.
Kumar had been ill for some months and was improving gradually as Debalal prayed for him. Debalal lived around 30 minutes away from Kumar and often visited the sick man to offer comfort and to intercede on his behalf.
“Opposition, persecution and martyrdom is part of the cost of following the Lord and bringing the Gospel to a desperately needy world,” said Dr. K.P. Yohannan. “We are always heartbroken when we lose someone, but while we weep here on earth, there is rejoicing over those who came to know Jesus through this man.”
Debalal leaves behind his wife and two sons, who are 9 and 15 years old.
Please pray for:
- Debalal’s family as they grieve the loss of their husband and father.
- All the believers to stand firm in their faith during such a grave situation.
- Kumar Sardar, that he would repent and come to know the saving and redemptive love of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Kumar’s family, that they too would come to know the Lord through this circumstance and give their hearts to Him.
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 