Bangladesh (MNN) — An FMI-supported pastor in Bangladesh spent 12 weeks in prison on false charges. Today, FMI’s Bruce Allen says Pastor Tomal is free with the condition of parole.
“I want to thank the Mission Network News audience members who have prayed for Pastor Tomal over the last 12 weeks,” Allen says.
“It took the intervention of the country’s High Court in the capital of Dhaka to grant him bail so that he could be released after two and a half months of confinement.”
Pastor Tomal’s young family and two congregations rejoice at his return. He’s the only Gospel worker in his area of Muslim-majority Bangladesh. The good news doesn’t end with Pastor Tomal’s release.
“That local Islamic Council wanted to keep Tomal in jail to silence him, but they didn’t realize that his vocal testimony in the jail was reverberating loudly,” Allen says.
“Today, there is a murderer, a drug dealer, a rapist, and three other prisoners serving jail sentences for their crimes whose names are now written in the Lamb’s Book of Life because Pastor Tomal spent weeks alongside them.”
Pastor Tomal listened intently to his fellow inmates as they shared their life stories. Then, “they heard his story as a former Muslim who placed his faith in Christ, who now wants to share the hope of the Gospel with other people,” Allen says.
“They listened to God’s Word – not because Tomal had his own Bible within their prison –but because he was sharing Scripture passages that he had memorized.”
Pastor Tomal reunited with his family.
(Photo, caption courtesy of FMI)
Praise God for opening a third ministry site for Pastor Tomal in the local prison! Most importantly, keep praying for Pastor Tomal.
“Intercede for Tomal’s re-acclimation to home life; he’s been changed because of what he’s gone through,” Allen requests.
“Pray for the resumption of his regular church ministry and his ability to still disciple those six men who have come from Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist backgrounds and are serving out their prison sentences.”
Learn why FMI supports local church planters like Pastor Tomal.
Header image depicts a Bangladeshi jail. (Photo courtesy of FMI)
