India (MNN)–Two ministers have been murdered in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh since mid-May, creating a growing concern that persecution will continue.
An All India Christian Council official called the killings “a very planned way of terrorizing the Christian community.” It’s not only in the overt harassment, it’s also seen in the discrimination against believers.
Under the Hindu-based caste system, Christians are often marginalized in the outlying regions. That often leads to many believers throughout India becoming very isolated.
But, Back To The Bible’s Mark Blowers says they’ve found a way to help. They already have a dynamic relationship with their viewers through the Tamil Bible-teaching program. Their team, made up of over 70 nationals, launched their response on-the-air, June 4th. “We have such a need for English television Bible teaching, and we said we’d go ahead and take our 30-minute program and send that there with some local flavor to it. That is, the top and the tail of it are made more to fit the Indian context.”
With persecution on the rise around parts of India, Blowers says believers are drawing comfort from their support and teaching. “When it comes up and they’re suffering, God’s Word does grant wisdom to them and they know how to respond next time something happens. Not everybody who has access to our programs has access to good, solid, local resources.”
And, pray for the staff. They are responsible for keeping the programs on the air, with limited resources. Pray for them as they go out to the villages in followup. The teams often hand out literature as they publicize the broadcasts. In light of recent events, pray not only for their faith, but also for their safety.
