Laos (MNN) — Christians remain under the thumb of a controlling Communist government in Laos. They’re forced to travel hundreds of miles to purchase Bibles, hear sermons from pastors under official control, and face prison for evangelism. And those are just the basics – Christians in the countryside face even stricter regulations and harsher persecution.
In some parts of Laos, pastors have been imprisoned for their faith or even killed. Patrick Klein of Vision Beyond Borders recently had a conversation with Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada. According to believers Klein has spoken with, China is pushing the Laos government to mirror China’s own clampdown on Christian churches.
The goal of many officials in Laos: intimidation. Believers are cut off from hospitals, schools, and churches. They might be denied access to government IDs, which often means less access to even more services.
That’s not to say the church in Laos isn’t growing. Klein says that “There are real believers inside the government-run churches. They’re trying to help get the gospel out. But they also have to be very wise in what they do, because if they go too far, and they are really evangelistic, they can get in trouble.”
But for the believers in Laos, even persecution provides opportunity. One pastor reported to Klein that while he is well aware of spies within his congregation, “they need to hear the gospel too.” In fact, some of these spies have even found Christ while on assignment. “The Gospel keeps going forth in the midst of persecution and opposition,” Klein says.
“Jesus did not say we’d be loved by the world, but that we would be hated by the world,” Klein says. “They realize this is part of Christianity, that a lot of the early church suffered for their faith, and that a lot of believers around the world are suffering for their faith.” But Jesus also said that he would support his followers and intercede on their behalf.
Now, it’s your turn. Pray for the believers in Laos. “I think for them to know that believers around the world are praying for them. And standing with them, I think is a real, real blessing for them. Because they know that they’re not alone, they’ve not been forgotten.”
And if you want to support them practically, you can do that too. Connect with Voice of the Martyrs Canada or Vision Beyond Borders to provide financial support toward specific needs.
Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada
