Indianapolis Pastor Goes to 'Prison'

Indianapolis, Indiana - November 14, 2010 - Reverend Neil Bell, Lead Pastor of Parc-Way Assembly of God, is spending seven days and nights outside his Southside church in a make-shift prison to bring attention to the plight of the persecuted church.



"Each year I look for an innovaitive way to lead our church in rememberance of the suffering some believers face on a daily basis. Our brothers and sisters in bonds aren't just pastors and leaders, they are the elderly, the single, the moms and dads, aunts and uncles, and in some cases, even children."


It is estimated that over 165,000 Christians around the world are martyred each year. They also are arrested or abducted, maimed, burned, beaten, or raped because of their faith in Christ. In synch with the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), Rev. Bell asks for, "folks to not only donate, but that they would make this cause a part of their personal prayer life. There are people depending on our support both monetarily and spiritually."



R. Brandon with Voice of the Martyrs Ministry says of Reverend Bell's efforts, "This seems like an effective tool as far as making people aware of the realities of Christian persecution taking place around the world."



All proceeds will go to The Voice of the Martyrs, a non-profit, inter-demoninational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.



To donate go to http://www.parc-way.org/



Friday, November 19, 2010

India

India, with over a billion people, is the most populated functioning democracy in the world. India is a secular nation with guarantees of constitutional freedoms of speech and religion that the government usually works to uphold.  However from the 1990's, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiua Janata Party (BJP) has been struggling for power. Christians face opposition because of the breakdown of freedoms due to pressure of militant Hinduism or Hindutva.

In seven states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh) anti-conversion laws are in effect.  This lends support to militant groups and promotes violence against Christians. Sadly, daily reports of violence against believers, village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened and/or attacked by local Hindus are a reality in India.  Our Indian brothers and sisters in Christ also face more subtle persecutions, such as being denied inheritance rights, living in poverty, being cast from their families and ostracism.

Prayer Requests

  • Pray that militant influences in the government will continue to decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout India.
  • Pray for protection for pastors, missionaries, evangelists and other Christian workers as they share the Good News of Jesus.
  • Pray for that those who turn to Christ will find the means to have their needs met.
  • Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians.
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1 comment:

  1. David & AmyNovember 21, 2010 at 4:56 AM

    Thank you for including India Pastor. We are believing for a day this country won't be included on this list!

    ReplyDelete

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