Mission India says God is at work in His church, despite the ongoing reality of persecution and terrorism.

India (MNN) — Major cities in India are under increased security alerts today as the country celebrates its Independence Day. Intelligence reports warned of possible attacks by Islamic militants and other insurgents. This is in the shadow of last month’s train bombings in Mumbai and last weeks’ thwarted transatlantic airliner attacks in England.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India works with the church in India. For security reasons, we’re calling our Mission India source “John.” He says that India has experienced much ongoing terror threats, and Christians aren’t exempt from that.
“One of the things that most of us don’t realize is that Christians in India themselves live with the reality of terrorism even in their own homes, churches and villages. It exists as a continuing threat against the church.”

John says that it’s terrorism as persecution targeted against the church, “The terrorism that exists in that capacity is not necessarily from Al-Qaida or from a Marxist group, but often from Hindu nationalist parties who don’t want Christians in India, nor do they want Muslims in India. And because of that there’s a lot of anti-Christian activity that is going on there.”

Just this weekend, John reports, Christians in Bihar state were driven out of the house they were meeting in by militant Hindus. And in a village elsewhere, 14 newly baptized Believers have been restricted by the Hindus in the village from obtaining water from the public well.

Because of this kind of persecution, John says we need to remember and pray for our Christian brothers and sisters there.

Yet there’s also much to be encouraged about. God is at work in India, says John, much like what happened in the early church, with God’s Spirit moving and drawing many people to Him. “We continue to see people respond in significant ways to the Gospel, in spite of the reality of persecution or terrorism. And we’re just grateful for the way God works in spite of the problems that are faced by the church in India today.”

There’s always another side to the coin, and John says, “At the same time, just as in the book of Acts, when the Spirit of God was at work in a mighty way, there are lots of problems that the church faces, whether it be through persecution from those who hate Jesus and hate the Gospel, or from distortions of doctrines, there’s all kinds of problems that happen. But those come along with the rapid growth and spread of the Gospel. And I consider it a privilege to be a small part of what God is doing in that land today.”

Continue praying for the church in India to be built up and strengthened.